In Their Words: The 2007 Fiesta Bowl
David Dietrich
Boise State Football will recognize its 2007 Fiesta Bowl team during the Pac-12 opener against Utah State on Oct. 3. Before the 20th anniversary celebration, 20 people who played a role in the iconic game took time to speak about their experience. This is the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, in their words.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Jan. 1, 2007
University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, Ariz.
#7 Oklahoma (11-2, 7-1 Big 12) vs. #9 Boise State (12-0, 8-0 WAC)
Gene Bleymaier, Athletic Director: It was the biggest game in the history of Boise State. The excitement kept building and kept building.
Max Corbet, Sports Information Director: The school was on the hook for 17,000 tickets. We were really worried about it. If you don't sell them, you're losing money. Everybody was so hyped and the turnout was huge. We got rid of all of our tickets and there were a lot of people buying tickets on the secondary market.
Ian Johnson, Running Back: This mission wasn't just the team. The feeling of those people driving down to Phoenix with us was huge. It was truly the Bronco Nation. Here are our fighters and here's our support. It transcends just playing a game.
Dale Holste, Equipment Manager: It was a new experience with so many gifts we could give the players. We had extra Nike gear because we made the BCS.
Vinny Perretta, Wide Receiver: It all started with Coach Pete. I remember our first team meeting during bowl prep. He set the tone. He said we weren’t going down there just to go play this game. We're going down to win this thing.
Chris Petersen, Head Coach: We don't want to make this thing bigger than it is because emotion is a good thing to bring to the table for games. You can't win without it, but too much of it can have an effect on execution.
Korey Hall, Linebacker: We’re not going to play scared. We’re going to go out there and we're going to take our shots, and if we miss, we miss. But we're going to do it heading downhill and we're going to do it fast.
Nick Schlekeway, Defensive Lineman: We were bringing a ton of confidence into that game, especially on defense, because we felt like we could play with those guys physically. They weren't supermen.
Jerard Rabb, Wide Receiver: It sounds cliché, but we kind of knew we were going to win. We would have to beat ourselves to lose, in our opinion.
Marty Tadman, Safety: We were never unsure of ourselves. We knew we could beat them. We were well-prepared, the game plan was solid. There was never a moment that I didn't doubt we could take it to them.
Charles Davis, FOX Analyst: I knew Boise State was a good football team, but you are dealing with Oklahoma. At what point does a team like that wear down Boise State? Over the course of four quarters, you had to think Oklahoma had the advantage.
Pete Thamel, New York Times Reporter: Did I think Boise State could win? Sure. But there was not a lot of conviction on that. Oklahoma had Adrian Peterson, Bob Stoops was their coach. I don't think a lot of people sat around predicting Boise could win.
Ian Johnson, RB: We knew they were better athletes than us. They've got more stars behind their names than us. We accept that, but that doesn't change the football. You still have to go out and execute.
Pete Cavender, Offensive Lineman: We wanted to let Oklahoma know we were not an underdog, but a peer to them on the football field.
Chris Petersen, HC: There was not a fire-up talk at all. I've never been big on that, anyways, because that wears off in three minutes. To me, it's all about the week leading up to the game.
Ryan Clady, Offensive Tackle: We had enough talent and we had enough confidence to where we didn't go into the game thinking we had to run a thousand trick plays to keep up with this team.
Bill LeMonnier, Referee: Before the game, we go in to see Coach Petersen and ask the usual questions - have you got any unusual plays or situations you want us to know about? His response was, ‘We've got a few plays, but I'm sure there are plays you've seen somewhere in your career.’
Chris Petersen, HC: I knew we were going to have to make some things happen in terms of our defense. We were going to have to create some short fields, get a turnover. We don't have to play perfect, but we certainly could not make a bunch of big errors early on, just to create momentum and belief.
15:00 - 1st Quarter, Kickoff from BSU 35
Korey Hall, LB: Right at the start, I was looking at how big it was and looking clear to the upper deck. You can't even see people's faces that high up. Holy crap, we're in the big show now.
Marty Tadman, S: The third play on defense, I don't know if they called an audible or they were just late to snapping the ball and we were lined up for a while, but that was the loudest sound I've ever heard in my life. The crowd had gotten so loud, the noise just turned to white noise, and the field started vibrating.
Derek Schouman, Tight End: You're always pretty nervous heading into any game, whether it's a big stage or not, and you get those nerves out that first drive or two. Early on, you throw a block and realize it's just another game.
9:06 - 1st Quarter, 1st & 10 at OU 49
Zabransky pass complete to James for 49 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Montgomery extra point GOOD. Boise State 7, Oklahoma 0.
Drisan James, Wide Receiver: It’s one of those hostile situations where you want to be the first one to strike. Being able to have that touchdown was very motivating for me in terms of being able to get a defense on their heels.
Jared Zabransky, Quarterback: It was really big for our confidence, striking early. There was never a doubt we could beat those guys.
Bill LeMonnier, Referee: I had cautioned the crew and probably myself too, that anybody can win it. When Boise scored the first touchdown, my umpire said to me, ‘You were right. They’re going to play with them today.’
Korey Hall, LB: That put us in a position to win early on. We did a good job of coming out and starting fast, and after those first couple series, it definitely built some confidence within us that hey, we can play with any team in the country.
Taylor Tharp, Quarterback: There was a buzz amongst us on the sideline. Holy crap! This is as good a start as we could have asked for.
Gene Bleymaier, AD: The longer we can stay in this game, the better our chances. As the game went on, I was counting those little wins along the way.
Kyle Wilson, Cornerback: We had experience and playmaking ability at all three levels. We weren't the biggest and they were pretty big, but at the end of the day, we were playing football, and we played football better than them.
Drisan James, WR: I didn't realize how big Oklahoma was until there was a TV timeout. I hear this big deep voice say, ‘Damn, 11, you're killing us!’ I look straight and all I see are numbers. I'm like, ‘Good grief, you're about 6-5, 300-plus pounds.’ He was looking down, smiling. Man, we were playing against some mutants.
0:00 - End of 2nd Quarter
Boise State 21, Oklahoma 10.
Marty Tadman, S: We had a lot of plays on defense that interrupted their momentum. You get in danger of having an underdog mentality, thinking you have to do a bunch more than you're supposed to do, and that's how you win. That’s not it. You prepare well, you do your job, and the rest takes care of itself.
Pete Thamel, NYT: They absolutely dominated the first half, there's no question. That first half was a reminder that they could go toe to toe. They could match up on the lines. They were not a cut behind, physically, one of the top teams.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: Nobody was shocked that we were leading at halftime. Everybody was dialed in and confident that we could and would win that game.
Ryan Clady, OT: We wanted to continue to run the ball, put some more points up and try to put the game out of hand.
Korey Hall, LB: The message was don't let up. Don't stop. Let's keep hammering on these guys.
Taylor Tharp, QB: If there were suggestions any of the quarterbacks had, the coaches would at least listen. Sometimes they tell you to shut up. Sometimes they say that was a good idea. My one suggestion was from a quick screen in the first half. The whole play was to set up Statue. It was the same formation, but it had a shift and motion to it. I said, ‘Hey, if we get to Statue later in the game, we should just quick cadence it. We need to take the shift and motion off.’ The way OU flew, they sniffed it out and they swarmed to it. So if we run Statue, we have to make it look the same. They were like, ‘Yeah, that's actually a really good call.’ I looked at Bush Hamdan wide-eyed. Oh my gosh, they bought it.
8:05 - 3rd Quarter, 1st & 10 at OU 24
Thompson pass intercepted by Tadman at OU 27, returned 27 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Montgomery extra point GOOD. Boise State 28, Oklahoma 10.
Marty Tadman, S: The formation they were in, on the down and distance they were in, and the hash mark they were on, they had only run one play all year, which was a three-step slant or a hitch to the receiver on the wide side of the field. (Defensive Coordinator Justin Wilcox) called a blitz right into the face of the quarterback and Korey Hall came and tipped the pass, which is why it ended up coming right to my chest.
Korey Hall, LB: A lot of the formations they lined up in, we were really familiar with. It slows the game down for you when you're a step ahead of your opponent.
Kyle Wilson, CB: We made it a point to go out there and compete, and we did a really good job of that as far as executing the game plan and controlling most of the game.
Charles Davis, FOX: They were quicker to the ball. They were making plays. The defense was containing Adrian Peterson. Everything was clicking.
Pete Thamel, NYT: I'm sure somewhere in the memory of my laptop, there's a full story about Boise State winning convincingly.
5:16 - 3rd Quarter, 4th & 5 at BSU 46
Cohen punt for 31 yards, fumbled by Key at BSU 11, recovered by Walker.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: When the punt bounced off of his foot on the punt return, that changed everything. That's what let them back in that game.
4:29 - 3rd Quarter, 2nd & 7 at BSU 8
Peterson rush for 8 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Hartley extra point GOOD. Boise State 28, Oklahoma 17.
Kyle Wilson, CB: We were dominating most of the game until that chain of events.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: We all knew AP was going to get loose at some point and do his thing. You can't keep a guy like that bottled up forever.
14:57 - 4th Quarter, 4th & Goal at BSU 12
Hartley 28-yard field goal GOOD. Boise State 28, Oklahoma 20.
Korey Hall, LB: There were some mistakes in the third and fourth quarters. You can't do that when you're playing against a team of that caliber.
Marty Tadman, S: Their team was just so fast. I didn't feel worn out, but it was tiring. They were big, fast, strong, good, and they just happened to make a few more plays than we did later in the game.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: We looked like we'd been in a war. I can count on one hand the number of times in my life I've thrown up from any kind of physical exertion. I puked my guts out halfway through the fourth quarter of that game.
Chris Petersen, HC: Good teams are going to make a run, so can you weather that storm, take the momentum back and score?
1:26 - 4th Quarter, 1st & Goal at BSU 5
Thompson pass complete to Chaney for 5 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Two-Point Conversion Attempt at BSU 3. BSU penalty, pass interference. NO PLAY. Two-Point Conversion Attempt at BSU 1. OU penalty, illegal shift. NO PLAY. OU Timeout. Two-Point Conversion Attempt at BSU 6. Thompson pass complete to Iglesias. Two-point attempt GOOD. Boise State 28, Oklahoma 28.
Chris Petersen, HC: We're still in good shape. Let's just keep them from getting that two-point conversion. But that was another wild turn of events, all those attempts.
Bill LeMonnier, Referee: How much else can happen?
1:02 - 4th Quarter, 1st & 10 at BSU 25
Zabransky pass intercepted by Walker at OU 33, returned 33 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Hartley extra point GOOD. Oklahoma 35, Boise State 28.
Jared Zabransky, QB: I thought I saw cover four and they were playing a really soft two, so it was totally on me. Drisan made the right read.
Chris Petersen, HC: The ball should not have been going there. We shouldn't have been looking there. At that point, you don't say ‘What are you doing?’ That's not going to help the cause. But I'm thinking it. Now it's a way different situation.
Taylor Tharp, QB: I could’ve stuck a foot out and tripped the guy if I wanted but I decided it was better I didn't. It would’ve put me down as one of the most infamous guys in Boise State history. I would have at least stopped the touchdown at that point, but we probably don't have it unravel the same way.
Gene Bleymaier, AD: There was definitely disappointment because you started to imagine what it would be like to win this game. That was a gut punch.
Pete Thamel, NYT: They were dead. I started to write that story and had it ready to go and send in.
Max Corbet, SID: Talk about letting the air out of the room. You felt like this wasn’t meant to be.
Korey Hall, LB: That point in the game probably said the most about our team. To take a blow like that and be able to rally back and find a way to win, that was what that team was all about. Nobody was ready to give up on our sideline.
Dale Holste, EQ: I was preparing the sideline to start moving our stuff back into the locker room or to the truck.
Drisan James, WR: We didn't have time to finger-point or be pissed off at the fact that Oklahoma made a play. Everybody on that team 110% knew that we still had a chance. The term doubt didn’t pop up in anybody's mind. Urgency certainly did, but not doubt.
Ryan Clady, OT: It was a big mistake, but it happens in football. You have to rally. We weren’t like, ‘Game over, hands up, it's done.’ We still believed we had a chance.
Ian Johnson, RB: The job's going to be a little different. Now it's going to be a comeback story.
Jerard Rabb, WR: We can cave or we can rise to the occasion, and we chose to rise. We chose to support our quarterback and lift him up.
0:40 - 4th Quarter, 1st & 10 at BSU 22
Zabransky pass complete to Schouman for 36 yards to the OU 42 for 1ST DOWN.
Jared Zabransky, QB: I put in a lot of time that previous summer working on mental framing, self-talk and neurolinguistic programming. The framework in my mind was, ‘What coverage did I see?’ I walked back towards Coach Pete and we were talking about it. As soon as we got done talking about that, it was on to, ‘We got a minute plus left, this is what I'm thinking.’ We came back out in a different formation and ran the same play to start the next drive.
0:18 - 4th Quarter, 3rd & 18 at 50
Zabransky pass incomplete to Rabb.
Chris Petersen, HC: Circus was the best play because we had to score. You have to get a first down, but really you have to score quickly because the time is running out. How many 4th and 18 calls do you have in your game plan? There's not a bunch. The one that really fit the bill for everything was Circus. There's a high level of execution that needs to happen, but if it hits, you're going to get at least 18 and a chance to do something even bigger.
Jared Zabransky, QB: It never worked. The nomenclature for the name of the play was perfect. It was like the Ringling Brothers when we ran it.
Ian Johnson, RB: It was called Circus because it looked like a circus. It was designed to work with multiple pitches, not the first option. Once you get to Big Clady, it gets a little dodgy.
Ryan Clady, OT: This is a suspect play. This is a long shot.
Drisan James, WR: That was such a BS play. During practice we would joke around, throw the ball across the field, just do really dumb stuff.
Jerard Rabb, WR: Nobody expects to be in that moment. This is why I love Coach Pete so much. He knew at some point we may need to use this play. We ran it every week for two years and that was the moment. It never worked in practice, but everybody knew where to be at what time because we ran it so much, even if it was just joking around.
Taylor Tharp, QB: If Rabb’s getting tackled, he's just going to blindly throw it behind him in hopes that Ian, Z, Clady, or somebody was going to catch it and run. It never worked in practice. As soon as a lineman touched it, it got dropped or fumbled.
Marty Tadman, S: They ran that every week. It never worked because we all knew it, and it was stupid.
0:07 - 4th Quarter, 4th & 18 at 50
Zabransky pass complete to James for 15 yards, lateral to Rabb for 35 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Montgomery extra point GOOD. Boise State 35, Oklahoma 35.
Drisan James, WR: That was one of the only times, when the ball was thrown, I felt like I looked at Zabransky in his eyes. That’s how slow everything was.
Jerard Rabb, WR: Shoutout to Drisan, he really sold that pitch. I tried to time it perfectly so that he would have a little time to catch it and dump it off to me. He caught it firm, took a step upfield like he was going to go and I saw the safety react. He pitched it and I was like, ‘Wow, the sea just parted open for me. That’s the end zone over there.’
Drisan James, WR: I felt pretty confident with that play fake.
Ryan Clady, OT: I was focused on making sure Z had enough time to execute the play, but once we lateralled, I saw it was wide open. I start running down like, ‘Shoot, this is about to happen.’ I thought maybe we’d get 25 yards, but it was a lot more.
Ian Johnson, RB: I see nothing but green grass in front of him. He's not going to pitch the ball. It's amazing that the time it works, it works to a point where it wasn't even designed to work that way.
Jerard Rabb, WR: My job was to run full speed. I had the ball in my pitch hand. I had a plan. I knew I had options. Everybody says it wasn’t secure, but I tell them it was as secure as it needed to be in that situation.
Ian Johnson, RB: Rabb isn't known for his gait or elusive qualities, to put it nicely. Dude starts running and I'm like, ‘Has he been sandbagging this whole time?’ He was zooming.
Drisan James, WR: That was the fastest I've ever seen Rabb run in my entire life. He’s super athletic, great hands, but if you told him to run a nine route and do a foot race with it, he'd probably laugh at you.
Pete Cavender, OL: A lot of us didn't realize Rabb had that open-field speed but thank God he did. If that goal line was five yards longer, I'm not sure if he'd be able to outrun that Oklahoma defensive back that was on his heels.
Jerard Rabb, WR: I was as fast as I needed to be in that situation. There should have been a 40 time attached to that run. I think I was somewhere around 4.4 there.
Max Corbet, SID: Holy smokes! That’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.
Gene Bleymaier, AD: I was in the press box, and I knew I needed to go down and be on the field for the overtime.
Chris Petersen, HC: There was pandemonium on the sidelines. At first, I thought, ‘This would be really good to go for two right here.’ And then quickly, I'm like, ‘This isn't going to happen right here. Let's just take the extra point.’
0:00 - End of 4th Quarter
Boise State 35, Oklahoma 35.
Korey Hall, LB: Our starting three linebackers are on all four special teams the entire game and then every snap of defense. I was gassed by the time we went into overtime.
OT, 1st & 10 at BSU 25
Peterson rush for 25 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Hartley extra point GOOD. Oklahoma 42, Boise State 35.
Kyle Wilson, CB: Adrian Peterson is one of the hardest guys to tackle. He was all of whatever he weighed, but he was awesome to compete against.
Drisan James, WR: I've never seen somebody hit the hole the way he did. The hole was pretty narrow. When he went through it, he widened the hole. When he ran down our sideline, he was angry.
Chris Petersen, HC: When Peterson scored off tackle, I knew without question, we were going for two. I felt like he was just getting warmed up. Korey Hall missed a tackle on him and he's one of our better players.
Korey Hall, LB: It wasn't that I didn't know to get my head across and run through the tackle, I just didn't have anything left.
Vinny Perretta, WR: Here we are again standing on one leg.
OT, 1st & 10 at OU 25
Perretta rush for no gain to OU 25.
Taylor Tharp, QB: In the fourth quarter, I had buzzed in on the headset for the second time and said, ‘We still got Statue,’ and they're like, ‘Yeah, we know.’ The coaches were talking about plays to run in overtime. I overstepped my boundary the third time. I said, ‘And we still got Statue.’ They were like, ‘We got it, Taylor. We know we got Statue. We haven't had it on the correct hash.’
Chris Petersen, HC: The backup quarterbacks kept bringing up Statue. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got it.
OT, 3rd & 1 at OU 5
Johnson rush for -1 yard to OU 6. PLAY UNDER REVIEW.
Ian Johnson, RB: I felt my knee touch. I hope it represents itself well on tape, but I felt it. I know I'm down, but this can't be it. We’ll be vindicated.
Bill LeMonnier, Referee: In that era, I didn't have the video on the sideline that I could look at. We just had to put the headset on and do it with replay. That was darn close to whether he lost the ball or whether he had the knee down.
Vinny Perretta, WR: That review might have worked to our own good. It gave coaches a little more time to come up with a play call.
CALL STANDS.
Chris Petersen, HC: There's a chance you could run it, but Oklahoma is going to dig their cleats into the turf. The illusion was, ‘Here comes the run.’ Not so fast. We're going to throw it.
Vinny Perretta, WR: When they called that personnel group, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there's only one play in this personnel group, and it's the play that I'm getting the direct snap and throwing the ball.’
Jared Zabransky, QB: We call it and I'm like, ‘Pete, what the hell?’ He said, ‘Trust me, it's going to work.’ I've had a pretty damn good game. Let me throw the football.
Chris Petersen, HC: Vinny Perretta, he's such a reliable player in so many different ways. You're throwing it to one of our most reliable playmakers, Derek Schouman. You like those odds.
Vinny Perretta, WR: I think our coaches drew this play up knowing Bob Stoops and his coaching staff at Oklahoma are good football coaches. If they saw this formation and motion with number 19 as the Wildcat, it's going to be a sweep to the opposite side of where the quarterback's going in motion. Our coaches were preparing for them to be prepared for it. It looked like the same play, except at the last second, I pull up and throw. If the throw wasn't there, I'd have to tuck it and try to scramble for a run.
Derek Schouman, TE: You want the football in those moments. When that play was called, we broke the huddle and got lined up, and there was no additional pressure or stress. It was confidence.
OT, 4th & 2 at OU 6
Perretta pass for 6 yards to Schouman. TOUCHDOWN. Oklahoma 42, Boise State 41.
Chris Petersen, HC: He wasn’t wide open. It still had to be a pretty good throw and catch, and those two guys did that.
Pete Cavender, OL: I'm sure with all the adrenaline in Vinny’s blood, it would have been easy to put that football about 50 rows up with the fans, but he put enough touch on it to lob it over the head of the linebacker.
Drisan James, WR: Schouman made a hell of a play. He had a guy on his back and he goes up and he makes that play. Give VP credit, being that young in that hostile of an environment, to take on school history and make that pass, kudos to him.
Vinny Perretta, WR: I knew there was a defensive player behind him. I just have to throw it out there, high and outside of where that defender was. Schouman was such an amazing tight end. He did a great job of selling a crack, then getting to the corner of the end zone. It happened so quickly from the time we got set to the time I threw the ball and it was caught. We executed it perfectly.
Jared Zabransky, QB: I walked over to Coach Pete on the sideline after we scored, and I said, ‘Great call. I'll never doubt your play calls again.’
OT, Two-Point Conversion Attempt at OU 3.
Jerard Rabb, WR: Shoutout to Coach Pete because I think he recognized what the moment was. The iron is hot. Let's just go for two and end this thing.
Charles Davis, FOX: Coach Pete may have been a first-year head coach, but there's a reason he became a Hall of Famer. He didn't hesitate.
Chris Petersen, HC: Statue wasn't a two-point play going into that game. It was a medium red zone play, not even a tight red zone play. It was left-hash specific. We kept thinking we're going to call it, but we never could get in the right down and distance or on that hash during the game.
OU TIMEOUT.
Chris Petersen, HC: We had shown something during the season. Break the huddle quickly, line up with trips receivers and throw a little bubble screen out wide. That's what we were trying to make them think we were doing. We do that, then they call timeout. Because we’re sitting there thinking about it, I start to second-guess the whole thing. They lined up how we wanted them to line up. I was worried about them changing their defense.
Jared Zabransky, QB: The big thing was, are we going to get the corner over, or are we going to have numbers to the Statue side?
Chris Petersen, HC: If this works, it's going to be outstanding. If it doesn't, you're going to have egg on your face, and this is going to look really stupid. I asked, ‘Are we good?’ Brent Pease, our receivers coach, goes, ‘Hell yes, we're good.’
Ian Johnson, RB: Z comes into the huddle and goes, ‘When we go back out, Statue Left.’
Drisan James, WR: When I heard that play call, I knew the game was over. To this day, I think Zabransky and Ian run the best Statue of Liberty.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: I had seen it before, and my first thought was, ‘You got to be kidding me! They’re going to run a gimmick on this.’ My heart sank. They're never going to fall for it.
Ian Johnson, RB: (Center) Jadon Dailey goes, ‘Let's party.’ That was our mantra for the season between the running backs and the offensive line. Let's go party in the end zone. Nothing else needed to be said.
Taylor Tharp, QB: We quick cadenced it. We didn't shift and motion it.
Jerard Rabb, WR: It could have been bad for us three. We lined up for trips to the right and you can see us communicating who's on and who's off. We almost had too many guys on the line of scrimmage. The play would’ve come back.
Jared Zabransky, QB: We went hurry up. Every time we did that in the game, the middle linebacker and safeties would all be pointing in the direction of the receivers because we would typically run a quick screen.
OT, Two-Point Conversion Attempt at OU 3
Johnson rush. Two-point attempt GOOD. Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42.
Chris Petersen, HC: There was a corner sitting outside, and we had a puller for him. As long as the play started cleanly, that's the only thing I was looking for. If Derek can set the edge and not get leakage or penetration, and Clady can get around, we have a big chance here.
Ryan Clady, OT: Where their alignment was, there was no way they were going to stop us on that play.
Jerard Rabb, WR: Unless you had defended that play, you couldn’t stop it. No matter how much film you watch, it looks too real.
Ryan Clady, OT: It was delayed before I pulled out with the end. Right after the snap, I saw he was flowing to the right side, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is easy.’ I could’ve whiffed on the block and Ian would’ve still been in.
Vinny Perretta, WR: When I saw Clady out there in open space looking for someone to block, I knew it was going to be open.
Drisan James, WR: It was crazy to watch Clady. That was a man’s play. There were two defenders he sealed over there, so all Ian had to do was walk over to that end zone and score. He sells it too, don’t get me wrong.
Chris Petersen, HC: As soon as Derek's at the edge and Clady's coming around him, you're thinking, ‘This is looking pretty good.’
Derek Schouman, TE: I went down to cut this guy late. After I cut him, I was lying on the ground. I looked up to see what was going on outside, and I saw Ian speed across the line.
Jerard Rabb, WR: As soon as he snapped it, I think everybody knew. Once Clady hit the edge, it was over. You're not catching Ian. We could have had Coach Pete run in that thing.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: You could have driven a Mack truck around the end. Anybody could have scored. Pete Cavender probably could have run the ball in.
Ryan Clady, OT: Pete (Cavender) might have had to run somebody over. I think he would have got there.
Pete Cavender, OL: I think I could’ve because it was so beautifully set up. We could’ve pulled down Lyle Smith from the press box for that one.
Ian Johnson, RB: Come on, there's some footwork involved to avoid some feet. My job was probably one of the easier ones. The two things are: one, make it look like nothing important's going on here. If I go too fast, move too much, I get in the throwing lane. Two, I have to move over to create space for Zabransky and angle myself for how he's going to have the ball. If those two things are done, the likelihood of scoring is almost 100% because you've got two of the best dudes at sealing an edge in the world on that side, and the fake is going to pull people away.
Ryan Clady, OT: It was like I didn't even have to block anybody. But I made it look good.
FINAL (OT) - Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42
Max Corbet, SID: All hell breaks loose after that. You talk about chaos, that was the most chaotic turn of events I'd ever been associated with.
Pete Cavender, OL: Even though I was still wearing a walking boot from my torn Achilles, I think I jumped up about 10 feet in the air. I was out at the numbers before Ian hit the goal line, and I know I wasn't the only one.
Gene Bleymaier, AD: I was right on the goal line. I think I jumped about three feet in the air as Ian was running across.
Ian Johnson, RB: We scored right in front of my family’s section, so I threw the football right in the middle of them. They all thought I was throwing it to someone else, so they all held their arms back. It hit the stands and went wherever. They made it look like I can't throw the ball.
Dale Holste, EQ: I really wish I had that ball, but Ian decided to throw it into the stands. What in the heck was he thinking?
Bill LeMonnier, Referee: Ian threw the ball into the stands and the deep official on that side threw a flag. When we get to the locker room, he tells me he had a flag on that. I said, ‘I'm glad you didn't do anything with it.’ The only reason he threw it was just in case there was another flag that was bringing something back to do the thing over. Who knows where that flag is? We didn't even get a chance to pick it up with everybody running on the field.
Dale Holste, EQ: I remember watching Coach Pete run around the field with his headset still on, and I’m like, ‘What is he doing running around with his headset on?’ He was in the moment. We were all caught up in the moment.
Taylor Tharp, QB: As we were running across the field, I found Coach Pete for a hug, and he was like, ‘Statue!’ I probably recommended it one too many times, but they finally obliged.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: I looked up in the stands and I saw this guy sprinting full speed down the middle of the concrete steps. I'm like, ‘Who is this nutcase?’ The guy jumped over the rail and I thought he was a fan rushing the field. It was Justin Wilcox, the defensive coordinator. He must have jumped out of the window of the box or something. He somehow made it down to the field and was jumping around like a nine-year-old. He was more excited than anybody else I saw.
Ian Johnson, RB: The stands collapsed on me. Six of my buddies from high school moved the front railing off and a bunch of people fell on me. I had my legs stuck underneath. They pulled it up, I checked my legs, not broken, and I ran off.
Ryan Clady, OT: I was trying to get to Ian, but he was running around. I was trying to chase him and I gave up because at that point, it was pandemonium.
Pete Thamel, NYT: I high-fived (ESPN reporter) Pat Forde, who was sitting next to me. I’m not proud of that. I'm a pretty composed guy and I’ve never really cheered in the press box. But I definitely did.
Jerard Rabb, WR: I took a moment to soak it all in because it's a lot to take in in a little bit of time. It's loud. It feels like the field is vibrating. I got interviewed after the game, and I could barely even put words together.
Charles Davis, FOX: We coined the oxymoronic phrase 'instant classic' right there in front of us. I didn't have to reflect. We just saw something that is unreal. Holy bam! Did we just see that?
Drisan James, WR: You couldn't have it any better as a college football player. You create an identity for the city and for the school.
Chris Petersen, HC: On the field, they were setting the podium up, and Gene Bleymaier was so excited, he could hardly talk. I'm thinking, ‘Boy, he's really excited!’
Gene Bleymaier, AD: It was beyond anything I had ever experienced. To win that game against a storied program like Oklahoma, and to win it the way we did, you couldn't write a script like that.
Vinny Perretta, WR: It was a surreal moment and every minute after that just hits you a little harder and harder and harder.
Pete Thamel, NYT: I’ll never forget walking into the Oklahoma locker room. Bob Stoops was standing there by himself, staring into the ether, and he had a look on his face like, ‘What the hell just happened?’ That was as pulverized of a locker room I've ever seen. They had no idea what had just happened, and how that had all happened. (Oklahoma cornerback) Marcus Walker said to me, ‘The game isn't over until the clock hits zero. But you would think the game is over then.’ I found Ian and realized he had proposed to Chrissy. I can remember the glee on his face, the sheer joy from all that.
Ian Johnson, RB: I had already decided I was going to propose to my wife in California after the game. They had a team event as part of the Fiesta Bowl activities. It was me, 10 other dudes, then a Fiesta Bowl liaison. Vinny was like, ‘Hey, Ian's going to propose to his girlfriend. How are you going to do it?’ Everyone gave an idea, then the last person to give their two cents was the team liaison. He's like, ‘What you really should do is get a game-winning touchdown, game MVP, and do it on national TV.’ Everyone laughed. No thoughts were given about it. Fast forward, I get pulled aside for an interview. I'm standing there and Chrissy pops up. I'm like, ‘Wait a second, two-point conversion, close enough to a touchdown. We don't know who the MVP is, but we're on national TV. Let's do this now.’ I tap Chris Myers on the shoulder and say, ‘When you're done with the interview, will you hold the camera? I want to propose to my girlfriend.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, kid. Whatever.’ He didn't actually believe what I was saying was true, but he said it at the end of the interview anyway, which was perfect. They were supposed to cut to the trophy presentation, and his interruption ended up making the camera stay. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been on national TV.
Bill LeMonnier, Referee: I worked five Fiesta Bowls in my career, and one of them was a national championship with Auburn and Oregon. When people ask my favorite game ever worked, I say Boise State, Oklahoma. How could you have a more exciting game, and we didn't get in any trouble either. No controversy from us.
Pete Thamel, NYT: People ask, ‘What’s the greatest game you’ve ever covered?’ I say that game. In the hundreds and hundreds of college football games I've been lucky enough to attend, that is the single best. It's one of my favorite nights of my career. That night is the night of eternal underdog hope. With the right amount of pluck and physicality, luck and a little bit of creativity, the new bloods can hang with the blue bloods. It’s good there's a reminder there is a way.
Korey Hall, LB: You don't realize it when you're 22 years old how big of a deal that would go on to be, even at the professional level. You go in a locker room and people are talking about the time Boise State beat Oklahoma with the Statue of Liberty.
Ryan Clady, OT: Everyone remembers where they were when they were watching that game. It’s the best feeling I've ever had in football.
Marty Tadman, S: Twenty years go by and just yesterday, someone asked me about that game.
Derek Schouman, TE: What a ride and what an experience to be a part of.
Jerard Rabb, WR: You had to see it to believe it, and you had to be there to feel it.
Kyle Wilson, CB: It’s one of the greatest games in college football history.
Each person interviewed was asked to describe the 2007 Fiesta Bowl in one word or phrase. Their answers are below.
Gene Bleymaier, AD: Unbelievable.
Pete Cavender, OL: Never quit.
Ryan Clady, OT: Legendary.
Max Corbet, SID: Organized chaos.
Charles Davis, FOX: Splendiferous.
Korey Hall, LB: Electric.
Dale Holste, EQ: Amazing.
Drisan James, WR: Blue collar mentality.
Ian Johnson, RB: Validation.
Bill Lemonnier, Referee: Thankful.
Vinny Perretta, WR: One of one.
Chris Petersen, HC: The perfect storm.
Jerard Rabb, WR: A spectacle.
Nick Schlekeway, DL: Nobody can ever take that away.
Derek Schouman, TE: Blessed.
Marty Tadman, S: Life-altering.
Pete Thamel, NYT: Frantic.
Taylor Tharp, QB: Significant.
Kyle Wilson, CB: The biggest game in school history.
Jared Zabransky, QB: Perfection.
This weekend we are celebrating ?????? ???? ???????? ?????????????????????? of the greatest college football game ever played. #BleedBlue | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/rYhTcyh7CF
— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) September 29, 2026