Football Fairy Tale

Sometimes it seems like the underdog only prevails over the powerhouse in the movies. The Boise State Broncos got their fairy tale in real life.
Boise State University didn’t seem to have a chance against the Oklahoma University Sooners – the winningest football program in history. “Everyone else out there who think we may not have a chance. Were playing for everyone.” Said Chris Peterson before the game began.
OU went into the game believing it would be a cakewalk. They soon found themselves in a scramble to catch up with the quick paced scoring of the Broncos. BSU was up 14-0 in the first quarter, sending a message to OU that they would have to fight for the win.
The game had a tough, physical feel with many personal fouls against both teams. The difference was the sloppy passing by the Sooner’s offense that allowed the Broncos to utilize their speedy defensive players.
BSU had a 21-10 lead at the end of the first half. But the question of whether they could hold on to the lead and finish the game still lingered in fans and player’s heads.
The tension in the arena was palpable when OU scored and tied the game at 28-28 with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter. There was still hope for BSU, until Marcus Walker intercepted Jared Zabransky and returned the pass for a touch down. OU took its first lead of the game at 35-28. Only 1:02 remained to play.
On the first play from scrimmage after kick off, the Broncos gained 30 yards. On the next play Zabransky was sacked. The following two plays were incomplete passes leaving the Broncos with one down and 30 seconds to go.
In what seemed like the final play of the game, Zabransky threw a pass to Drisan James, who lateralled the ball back to Jerard Rabb. Rabb then ran it, leaped over an oncoming tackle and rolling into the end zone. BSU had tied the game with only seconds left.
The game went into overtime.
OU had the ball first in overtime and Adrian Peterson needed only one down to score. The Sooners had a 42 – 35 lead.
BSU had a far more difficult time with their overtime period. They struggled toward the end zone; at one point almost losing the ball to an Ian Johnson fumble. On fourth and two the Broncos split quarterback Jared Zabrabsky wide left and snapped the ball to wide receiver Vinney Peretta. Peretta then found tight end Derek Schuman in the right back of the end zone for a touchdown. Fearing the second over time, the Broncos decided to go for two. BSU ran a play that has been in the playbooks since what seems like the beginning of football, “The Statue of Liberty”.
With an added fake by quarter back Jared Zaransky, the ball was handed off to Ian Johnson who ran it into the end zone. The “blue collar” Boise State Broncos had beaten the “blue chip” Oklahoma Sooners in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
“We wanted to show them how we played ball and we showed them. It came down to who had more heart,” said Ian Johnson.
Johnson then proposed to his girlfriend on national television. She said yes.

-Kirsten Yocke