David Slays Goliath Again & Cinderella Made an Appearance … Boise State Shocks OU in Fiesta Bowl and the BCS

2007 Fiesta Bowl … Its why they play the game and why a college playoff system is needed to NCAA Football, Division 1A.

The Boise State – Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl was just another example of “truth being stranger than fiction.” You can’t make this stuff up and if Hollywood tried, we all would have laughed. This game truly had a fairy tale ending in so many ways. The only question is who will be making the movie reenactment as no one will be making fun of the BSU “smurf turf” ever again.

“David drew a stone from his bag and used his sling to send it flying into the giant’s head”

Who needs the movies “Miracle,” “Hoosiers” or “Rudy” when you could have watched last nights Fiesta Bowl matching mighty Oklahoma University vs. upstart mid-major and undefeated Boise State from the WAC. If you did not watch this game, you missed one of the greatest college football bowl games ever, let alone what has to be the greatest ending to a college football game in the history of the NCAA. This morning David and Cinderella are both wearing a Boise State football jersey.

There had been much discussion prior to the Fiesta Bowl whether an un-defeated Boise State should be allowed in a BCS Bowl game. Could a mid-major hang with the big dogs. The answer was yes. Not only could they hang with one of college footballs better college programs, at one point BSU had a 28–10 lead. Then the wheels started to come off Cinderella’s carriage.

After Boise State went down 7 with a little over a minute to go in the game following an interception return it appeared as if midnight had finally struck. Instead, what happened next was one of the most amazing happenings I have ever seen in all of sports. The little team that could staged a come back that will be talked about forever. Then came a fourth down and 18 play for the ages …

a 50-yard hook-and-lateral pass from Zabransky to Drisan James to Jerard Rabb — a combination that will be the Tinker to Evers to Chance of Boise State lore for the next century or so. Rabb crossed the goal line with all of seven seconds left to play, saving the Broncos from what seemed to be imminent defeat.  (See video)

The Fiesta Bowl then goes into overtime. BSU then goes behind again as OU’s Adrian Peterson went untouched 25 yards for a TD making the score 42–35, OU. Then came yet another miracle from the play-book of BSU coach Chris Petersen.

Harsin went to the trick bag again. Zabransky went in motion to the left. Perretta, at quarterback, took the shotgun snap and rolled right, then lofted a lovely spiral toward the right corner of the end zone. Tight end Derek Schouman cradled it for the touchdown.

But that only made the score 42-41, which left Petersen with a decision: play for the tie or go all-in. Win or lose, in a single play.

Then came the college football play of the year. With BSU’s team pretty much running on vapors, it was time to end it right here and now. A decision that took an unbelievable amount of guts. However, when one plays to win, not to lose … good things do happen. What happened next was a “statute of Liberty” play for the ages. (Video seen here, or click on the picture to the right for the play of the year in college football.)

Zabransky took the snap and feigned a throw in the right flat to Boise’s three-man bunch formation. As the Sooners flew in that direction, Zabransky calmly stuck the ball behind his back with his left hand — a twist on the conventional handoff he’d convinced Harsin would work earlier in the season.

Johnson then crisply reversed course, circled behind Zabransky and lifted the ball from his grasp. Virtually unimpeded by a bamboozled defense, the nation’s touchdown leader crossed the goal line one final time in this dream season.

Do you think it ends there? Not a chance. The Boise State running back, Ian Johnson, who scored the game winning 2 point conversion then races to the sidelines to complete the fairy tale. Johnson finds his girl friend, BSU cheerleader Chrissy Popadics, and proposes to her on national TV. Thankfully she said yes.

You just can’t make this stuff up. Check out this time line of events, it pretty much sums it up perfectly, Stream of Consciousness Notes: Fiesta Bowl .