http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061114/SPORTS06/611140328/1018/SPORTS
Broncos move up in BCS, but star running back injured
DAN HINXMAN
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 11/14/2006
Read or post comments (story chat below)
RANKING THE WAC
1. Boise State (10-0, 6-0): Broncos, coming off their closest game of the season (23-20 win over San Jose State) move to No. 12 in BCS standings.
2. Hawaii (8-2, 6-1): Can't help but dream of a defensive powerhouse like Auburn facing the Warriors in Hawaii; can anybody stop this offense?
3. Nevada (7-3, 4-2): Can the Wolf Pack stay focused on Louisiana Tech this week and avoid looking ahead to Boise State on Nov. 25?
4. San Jose State (6-3, 3-2): Spartans had an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter against Boise State but couldn't close the deal.
5. Idaho (4-6, 3-3): Vandals, coming off a bye, must beat Fresno State on the road then San Jose State at home to become bowl eligible.
6. Fresno State (2-7, 2-3): Bulldogs stop a seven-game losing streak; "It was great to see the excitement in our locker room," coach Pat Hill said.
7. Louisiana Tech (3-7, 1-4): The Bulldogs held a 10-9 lead at Hawaii on Saturday before the Warriors rattled off 52 unanswered points.
8. Utah State (1-9, 1-5): Aggies, outscored 105-10 in their last two games (Hawaii, Nevada), now travel to Boise to take on the Broncos.
9. New Mexico State (2-8, 0-6): Aggies, still winless in the WAC in 14 tries since joining in 2005, get a week off before taking on Utah State.
No one is sure when Ian Johnson got hurt. All they know for sure is that the Boise State running back, a frontrunner for Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year along with Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, has a partially collapsed left lung.
The 5-foot-11, 194-pound sophomore was injured during the Broncos' 23-20 victory over San Jose State in San Jose on Saturday. He was taken to a San Jose-area hospital where he remained Monday. He is expected to be released today, and Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said he wouldn't rule him out playing Saturday against Utah State in Boise.
"It's still up in the air," Petersen said during Monday's WAC coaches teleconference call. "They're going slow as heck to make sure everything is good. Nothing has really changed since he went in there.
"We're not going to rush it. If he's ready to go, great. If not, we've got other guys who can get it done."
Petersen said there wasn't one play where it appeared Johnson got hurt.
"It was a strange thing, a real freak accident," he said. "He was fine walking off the field, then it hit him later. In a lot of ways that's why it's so perplexing."
The Broncos (10-0, 6-0), despite playing in their closest game of the season, needing a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the win over San Jose State, moved up two spots to No. 12 in the Bowl Championship Series standings as a handful of teams ahead of them lost on Saturday. Should the Broncos win their final two games -- their finale is at Nevada on Nov. 25 -- they will be all but assured of finishing in the top 12 and getting a spot in a BCS bowl game. Most prognosticators have had Boise State going to the Fiesta Bowl.
"I'm confident if they win out that they'll remain in that spot or better," WAC commissioner Karl Benson said.
Petersen hasn't wavered from his stance early in the season when BCS talk first came up: He's not talking about it, preferring instead to focus week to week and deal with that down the road.
He did say, though, that he thought his team is just as good now as it was early in the season. In recent weeks, the Broncos have had a few close calls, relatively speaking, compared with earlier games when they blasted such teams as Oregon State and Utah.
"I think our guys are playing hard and getting better," he said. "They're doing a great job. You've got to understand, other teams are bringing their 'A' game. We're getting everybody's best shot week after week. It's just a tremendous accomplishment for our kids to be where we're at."
And he was glad the San Jose State game was as close as it was.
"It was kind of one of the more enjoyable games we've had around here," he said. "They battled so hard, our backs were against the wall. The way they responded, their backs were against the wall, and they didn't flinch, they didn't blink until it was over."
LIPPINCOTT, GARCIA NAMED PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Nevada had two players named WAC players of the week, running back Luke Lippincott and cornerback Joe Garcia.
Lippincott, subbing for banged-up starter Robert Hubbard, had career highs in carries (25) and yards (144) in the Pack's 42-0 victory over Utah State at Mackay Stadium on Saturday.
"It's a great honor. I'm surprised they picked me for it," Lippincott said at Monday's practice. "I feel like our whole offense did a good job."
Lippincott also had two touchdowns Saturday, giving him four in the last two games.
Garcia picked up his second defensive player of the week honor. It also marked the third straight week that a Pack player was named defensive player of the week. Linebacker Ezra Butler won the award two weeks ago, and defensive end J.J. Milan won it last week.
Garcia had an interception, his team-leading fifth, and two tackles for losses against Utah State. One of those tackles was a sack.
BRENNAN, JOHNSON RECEIVE HONORS
Two of the 10 players on the Walter Camp Football Foundation 2006 Player of the Year award are from the WAC.
The foundation released the names of the 10 finalists Monday, and the list includes Boise State's Ian Johnson and Hawaii's Colt Brennan.
Johnson has rushed for 1,466 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Broncos.
Brennan has passed for 3,753 yards and 46 touchdowns for the Warriors.
Other players on the list are: Michigan RB Michael Hart; Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson; Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis; Arkansas RB Darren McFadden; Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn; Rutgers RB Ray Rice; West Virginia RB Steve Slayton; and Ohio State QB Troy Smith.
MILAN GETS TEAM HONOR
Nevada defensive end J.J. Milan received one of the highest in-season honors a Wolf Pack player can get when he received the Striker Award last week. He now has a silver stripe down the middle of his helmet.
The award signifies dominant play.
Broncos move up in BCS, but star running back injured
DAN HINXMAN
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 11/14/2006
Read or post comments (story chat below)
RANKING THE WAC
1. Boise State (10-0, 6-0): Broncos, coming off their closest game of the season (23-20 win over San Jose State) move to No. 12 in BCS standings.
2. Hawaii (8-2, 6-1): Can't help but dream of a defensive powerhouse like Auburn facing the Warriors in Hawaii; can anybody stop this offense?
3. Nevada (7-3, 4-2): Can the Wolf Pack stay focused on Louisiana Tech this week and avoid looking ahead to Boise State on Nov. 25?
4. San Jose State (6-3, 3-2): Spartans had an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter against Boise State but couldn't close the deal.
5. Idaho (4-6, 3-3): Vandals, coming off a bye, must beat Fresno State on the road then San Jose State at home to become bowl eligible.
6. Fresno State (2-7, 2-3): Bulldogs stop a seven-game losing streak; "It was great to see the excitement in our locker room," coach Pat Hill said.
7. Louisiana Tech (3-7, 1-4): The Bulldogs held a 10-9 lead at Hawaii on Saturday before the Warriors rattled off 52 unanswered points.
8. Utah State (1-9, 1-5): Aggies, outscored 105-10 in their last two games (Hawaii, Nevada), now travel to Boise to take on the Broncos.
9. New Mexico State (2-8, 0-6): Aggies, still winless in the WAC in 14 tries since joining in 2005, get a week off before taking on Utah State.
No one is sure when Ian Johnson got hurt. All they know for sure is that the Boise State running back, a frontrunner for Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year along with Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, has a partially collapsed left lung.
The 5-foot-11, 194-pound sophomore was injured during the Broncos' 23-20 victory over San Jose State in San Jose on Saturday. He was taken to a San Jose-area hospital where he remained Monday. He is expected to be released today, and Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said he wouldn't rule him out playing Saturday against Utah State in Boise.
"It's still up in the air," Petersen said during Monday's WAC coaches teleconference call. "They're going slow as heck to make sure everything is good. Nothing has really changed since he went in there.
"We're not going to rush it. If he's ready to go, great. If not, we've got other guys who can get it done."
Petersen said there wasn't one play where it appeared Johnson got hurt.
"It was a strange thing, a real freak accident," he said. "He was fine walking off the field, then it hit him later. In a lot of ways that's why it's so perplexing."
The Broncos (10-0, 6-0), despite playing in their closest game of the season, needing a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the win over San Jose State, moved up two spots to No. 12 in the Bowl Championship Series standings as a handful of teams ahead of them lost on Saturday. Should the Broncos win their final two games -- their finale is at Nevada on Nov. 25 -- they will be all but assured of finishing in the top 12 and getting a spot in a BCS bowl game. Most prognosticators have had Boise State going to the Fiesta Bowl.
"I'm confident if they win out that they'll remain in that spot or better," WAC commissioner Karl Benson said.
Petersen hasn't wavered from his stance early in the season when BCS talk first came up: He's not talking about it, preferring instead to focus week to week and deal with that down the road.
He did say, though, that he thought his team is just as good now as it was early in the season. In recent weeks, the Broncos have had a few close calls, relatively speaking, compared with earlier games when they blasted such teams as Oregon State and Utah.
"I think our guys are playing hard and getting better," he said. "They're doing a great job. You've got to understand, other teams are bringing their 'A' game. We're getting everybody's best shot week after week. It's just a tremendous accomplishment for our kids to be where we're at."
And he was glad the San Jose State game was as close as it was.
"It was kind of one of the more enjoyable games we've had around here," he said. "They battled so hard, our backs were against the wall. The way they responded, their backs were against the wall, and they didn't flinch, they didn't blink until it was over."
LIPPINCOTT, GARCIA NAMED PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Nevada had two players named WAC players of the week, running back Luke Lippincott and cornerback Joe Garcia.
Lippincott, subbing for banged-up starter Robert Hubbard, had career highs in carries (25) and yards (144) in the Pack's 42-0 victory over Utah State at Mackay Stadium on Saturday.
"It's a great honor. I'm surprised they picked me for it," Lippincott said at Monday's practice. "I feel like our whole offense did a good job."
Lippincott also had two touchdowns Saturday, giving him four in the last two games.
Garcia picked up his second defensive player of the week honor. It also marked the third straight week that a Pack player was named defensive player of the week. Linebacker Ezra Butler won the award two weeks ago, and defensive end J.J. Milan won it last week.
Garcia had an interception, his team-leading fifth, and two tackles for losses against Utah State. One of those tackles was a sack.
BRENNAN, JOHNSON RECEIVE HONORS
Two of the 10 players on the Walter Camp Football Foundation 2006 Player of the Year award are from the WAC.
The foundation released the names of the 10 finalists Monday, and the list includes Boise State's Ian Johnson and Hawaii's Colt Brennan.
Johnson has rushed for 1,466 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Broncos.
Brennan has passed for 3,753 yards and 46 touchdowns for the Warriors.
Other players on the list are: Michigan RB Michael Hart; Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson; Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis; Arkansas RB Darren McFadden; Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn; Rutgers RB Ray Rice; West Virginia RB Steve Slayton; and Ohio State QB Troy Smith.
MILAN GETS TEAM HONOR
Nevada defensive end J.J. Milan received one of the highest in-season honors a Wolf Pack player can get when he received the Striker Award last week. He now has a silver stripe down the middle of his helmet.
The award signifies dominant play.
