With Boise State’s 27-7 victory over Hawai’i last Friday night, the Bronco
defense marked the fifth time of allowing seven or fewer points in six
games. Boise State allowed 7 in the season opener
against Idaho State, 7 against Bowling Green, 3 against Louisiana Tech, 7
against Southern
Mississippi and the 7 allowed the high-powered Hawai’i offense.
How far
do you have to go back in Bronco history to find a defense so successful in
keeping opponents away from the end zone?
There
were four times in 2002-03 when the Bronco defense held opponents to 10
points or less in five of six games.
Starting with the Fresno State game, they held Fresno to 21, then held San Jose State to 8, UTEP to 3, Rice to 7,
Louisiana Tech to 10 and Nevada to 7.
Eliminating the Fresno game, the five-game streak of
holding opponents to 10 or less ended when they allowed Iowa State 16 points in
the Humanitarian Bowl. Even including
the Iowa State game, the five for six streak
of holding opponents to 10 or less continued two games into the 2003 season
when they held Idaho State scoreless and Idaho to 10 points.
The best they could do, however, was hold opponents to 7 or less in four of
five games. (San Jose State, UTEP, Rice, Louisiana Tech and Nevada).
In 1979-80 (their best two-year streak in I-AA), they went six games in which
they held opponents to 7 or fewer in four of that games. But not five.
Here is that remarkable streak:
1979:
Shut out Idaho State 44-0
Beat Weber State 23-7
Beat Northern Arizona 44-7
Beat Nevada 28-27
Beat Cal Poly 56-14
1980:
Beat Utah 28-7
In 1978 & 1979, they also did it.
1978:
Lost to Cal Poly 7-3
1979:
Lost to Long Beach State 9-7
Beat Cal State-Fullerton 22-3
Beat Akron 31-21
Shut out Montana State 14-0
and allowed 31 to NAU and 35 to Montana on either end. Again, that's only
four out of six but not five. Plus they lost two games in that streak.
Back to
1973 now when Boise State was a Division II national
semifinalist.
Beat Portland State 64-7
Beat Weber State 34-7
Lost to UNLV 24-19
Beat Northern Arizona 21-6
Beat Montana 55-7
With 17 given up to Montana State and 23 to Nevada on either end. Yet
once again, only four out of six but not five.
O.K., you have to go all the way back to Boise State's first
years as a four-year school--1968, 1969 and 1970 to find the last time a Bronco
defense went through a six-game stretch in which they allowed 7 or fewer points
in five of those games.
1968:
Beat Western State 41-0
Beat Central Washington 61-7
Beat College of Idaho 16-7
1969:
Beat Central Washington 37-7
Beat Whitworth 66-7
Beat Cal Poly-SLO 17-7 (for six straight)
Lost to Northern Colorado 16-10 (but still 5 out of 6)
Beat Eastern Washington 45-7 (5 out of 6)
Beat Southern Oregon 62-0 (5 out of 6)
Beat Hiram Scott 51-7 ( for 5 out of 6)
Beat Western State 23-20 (5 out of 6)
and in 1970:
Beat Southern Oregon 57-0
Beat Eastern Washington 12-0
Beat Idaho State 24-3
Lost to Hiram Scott 7-3
Lost to Weber State 41-7
Beat College of Idaho 41-7 (for 5 out of 6)
Obviously, though, the high level of competition that Boise State has played
during the 2008 stretch has to qualify this period as the greatest ever for
Bronco defense. Can they continue their
torrid streak? They’ll have to do it on
the road, as Boise State plays four of its next five games
away from home.