Honolulu ? Boise State might be a little disappointed about not returning to college football’s big stage. The Broncos sure aren’t showing it.
“I tell you what, if you’re not going to be in a BCS game, I don’t know if there’s a better place in the country to be,” second-year Broncos coach Chris Petersen said. “I think half our team is on surfboards right now and hopefully staying safe.”
A year after their spectacular 43-42 overtime victory against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, the 24th-ranked Broncos (10-2) face East Carolina (7-5) in the Hawaii Bowl today. While Boise State captivated the nation with its win last Jan. 1, this time it will play in Aloha Stadium, and there could be more empty seats than fans.
“It’s really a privilege and an honor to be able to go to a BCS game. No matter who you are, it takes a lot of things to line up the right way, and that doesn’t happen every year,” Petersen said. “We’re honored to be here, in this game and play East Carolina. We’ll be excited to play without question.”
Broncos quarterback Taylor Tharp said the two seasons shouldn’t be compared.
“We’ve put together 10 wins this year, and a lot of hard work went toward this moment,” he said. “At the top of our pyramid of goals is to win a bowl game. It doesn’t say ‘BCS game,’ it says ‘bowl game.’ So we’re very happy to be here and very happy to play East Carolina.”
