Greatest Game Ever? Boise ST 43 Oklahoma 42 OT

[dlgood]

I think the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma may be one of the best Bowl games I've ever watched. It's hard, off the top of my head, to think of comparisons...

There was drama. Oh, the drama & storylines. It's why sports is sometimes better than any scripted show you might otherwise watch on TV. We have David vs. Goliath. Comebacks. Killing Mistakes, and earning redemption. Great coaching decisions. It was huge.

Watch the Highlights
Read the Coverage

Last years Orange Bowl (Penn State over Fla State in OT) and Rose Bowl were both great games. This was more exciting because everyone knew Vince Young would score, and because this meant more for Boise State than the Orange did for either team. I think I have to put it up there with the legendary 1984 Miami-Nebraska Orange Bowl if for nothing else but the trick plays and key two-point conversions.

Key Moments:

1. Oklahoma's defense forcing the key fumble just when it looked like Boise would put the game away.
   
2. Oklahoma squanders its timeouts, but Paul Thompson atones for earlier mistakes with a great drive.
   
3. The tipped pass TD, and then the multiple 2-pt conversion attempts with a minute left to tie.
   
4. Boise's Jared Zabransky throwing a killer INT-for-TD in the last minute to lose the game.
   
5. But wait! Zabransky leads a great drive culminating in a receiver diving for a pylon in the final seconds at the end of a gorgeously executed Hook & Lateral play.
   
6. Adrian Peterson finally breaks off one last great run.
   
7. Boise State scores on a run-pass option, one of my favorite plays.
   
8. BSU goes for it and wins on a freakin' Statue of Liberty play, Zabransky to Ian Johnson. I can't believe the guts it took to call that, and how well BSU executed it. Give Zabransky an Oscar.
   

And then Ian Johnson fires the game ball (probably a priceless keepsake) up into the crowd, finds his girlfriend, and finds his girlfriend, and proposes to her on National TV.

If you love football, you are cheating yourself if you don't watch the highlights.

Comments

[southernbangel.livejournal.com]

It was one of the most exciting games ever, in my opinion. At first I wasn't too hepped up about--don't particularly care for either school but knew how much it meant to Boise State. But then it kicked in and WOW. Awesome, awesome game.

[bastardsnow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, absolutely. I watched the whole thing, and IMO, it was the best game I've ever seen at any level. Just incredible

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I know zip about football, but my husband was telling me all about it as soon as he got up this morning. But I think he called the Hook and Lateral play the Razzle-Dazzle?

Almost makes me wish I did watch football.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

"Razzle Dazzle" isn't really the name of a specific play as far as I can tell. It's more of a general catch-all term for any sort of trickery.

[bastardsnow.livejournal.com]

And actually, it's Hook and Ladder play... =D

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

Man, that game looks like it was awesome. I wish I would've watched it instead of going to sleep early.

And not to be a nit-picky jerk, but on the fourth-and-two play in overtime, doesn't the motion man go a little bit forward before the snap, which would be an illegal motion penalty? I mean, I'm glad they didn't call it -- it's good when a penalty that wouldn't affect the play at all isn't called -- but I'm surprised that no one is talking about that... which makes me wonder if I am wrong about the call...

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Really, more properly it's "Hook and Lateral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_and_lateral)" though some folks will also call it "Hook and Ladder".

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

And maybe, if this Saban thing doesn't work, you're looking at your next coach...

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Definitely in my Top 5. Right up there with the Bernie Kosar game.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

You have a protractor?

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, yeah, no. =)

So what's your prediction for UF-OSU? I love my Gators, but I don't know that we're going to have much of a chance...

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Like Clubber Lang, my prediction is pain.

Florida seems to have a pretty decent defense, but I do not see you holding OSU under 31. Tressel's too good a big game coach.

[thelastgoodname.livejournal.com]

My brother goes to Nevada, and we went up to Reno to watch Nevada get blown put by Boise State over Thanksgiving weekend; about 30% of the (very small) stadium was Boise people down for the game, and they were extremely happy with the win. And Ian Johnson scored something like 3 touchdowns in the game; two weeks after he spent five days in the hospital with a collapsed lung and broken ribs. It would have been really depressing if the Boise people hadn't been so happy.

As for last night's game, even my mother, who generally doesn't get excited about anything sports-related that isn't Cal football (and actually doesn't know that much about football, despite being a season ticket holder for more than 30 years), was as loud and excited about Boise State as I have ever seen her.

I, of course, have many quibbles about the coverage, but the game itself was marvelous.

[maevebran.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday!

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I, of course, have many quibbles about the coverage, but the game itself was marvelous.

The coverage was not the best. Davis & Alvarez were alright, but it had all the hallmarks of Fox Sports Coverage at it's most annoying. They can't all be Fowler & Herbstreit.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[yseultdb.livejournal.com]

Absolutely a fantastic game. Way way way better than that other game which the Wolverines did not play.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Well, at least there was the Sugar Bowl. How 'bout them Irish?