Posted by bambi2godzilla on 12/25/2007, 11:21 am
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Petersen wants Broncos to be 'more consistent competitors' heading into next season
CHADD CRIPE
Idaho Statesman
12/25/07
HONOLULU - Boise State football coach Chris Petersen hopes to ignite the competitive fire in his players as the Broncos try to regroup from back-to-back losses to conclude the 2007 season.
One look at the spring depth chart should do the trick.
The Broncos' youth and rash of injuries this year mean they will be loaded in some positions next year - creating some high-profile battles for playing time. A few other positions - offensive line, defensive line and quarterback, in particular - will have wide-open job searches because of a lack of proven performers.
"We've got some really good competitors that will want to compete against their teammates and want to help their teammates, which will make us all better in the long run," Petersen said.
Petersen was disappointed with the inconsistency of that competitive spirit in 2007. The Broncos (10-3) won 10 games for the seventh time in nine years, but they also lost their bowl game for the third time in four years and will finish out of the Top 25 for the second time in three years.
The Broncos, who lost their final two games for the first time since 1993, have lost twice as many games in the past three years (seven) as they lost in the previous three years (three). And for the first time since 2001, they are not WAC champions.
On Sunday, the Broncos fell behind East Carolina 38-14 early in the third quarter of the Hawaii Bowl. They rallied to tie the game 38-38, but lost 41-38 on a last-second field goal.
"We're going to learn to be better competitors, more consistent competitors," said Petersen, who is 23-3 in two seasons at the helm. "Because I think these guys show that they do have the heart of a lion, and we just have to be more consistent with it. It's our job as coaches to bring that out on a consistent basis."
The 2008 season, like most Bronco football seasons, should begin with a heavy sense of optimism.
Boise State is expected to open the Bronco Stadium addition - luxury suites, club seats and a modern press box - and the schedule includes the football program's first game against Oregon, Sept. 20 in Eugene.
The Broncos, who open the season Aug. 30 at home against Idaho State, also play at Southern Miss and at home against Bowling Green. They get defending WAC champion Hawaii and Fresno State at home in conference play.
The Broncos should return their top four rushers, top eight receivers, top seven scorers, 10 of their top 11 tacklers, their top three pass rushers and the players who collected 11 of the team's 14 interceptions.
In all, the Broncos will return 15 of 24 starters if none of the juniors leave early for the NFL - six on offense, seven on defense and two specialists. They return many more significant contributors.
The biggest question marks are the offensive line, which could lose five of its top six players, and quarterback, where the Broncos must replace the most accurate quarterback in school history for the second straight year.
"We've got some holes to fill, there's no question about it," Petersen said. "That offensive line, there's a lot of guys leaving there that have played a lot of football for us."
Petersen says he's excited about the young talent on his team - players like wide receivers Titus Young (44 catches) and Austin Pettis (46 catches), who starred as true freshmen; tailback Jeremy Avery, the Hawaii Bowl MVP; defensive standouts Jeron Johnson at safety and Ryan Winterswyk at defensive end; and unflappable kicker Kyle Brotzman.
But he also wants his young players to understand that the Broncos did not perform up to the program's sky-high standards this year and they need to become more consistent - with their effort, focus, technique and preparation.
The players have a month off for winter break, but Petersen expects to crank up the intensity in the offseason program when they return in mid-January.
"We'll see if they've learned (the lessons)," Petersen said. "Only time will tell. But they're sitting right there in our face and if we haven't learned, we'll have issues. But we've got great coaches and they'll know how to get these kids to take the next step, and we've got great kids who care about winning and doing things the right way, and that's the most important starting point."
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