For a six-game stretch this season, Boise State junior cornerback Brandyn Thompson was a combination of mistake-prone and snake-bitten.

He was beaten — or part of a blown coverage — on six touchdown passes during that stretch, including two deep balls that allowed Tulsa to challenge Boise State last month.

In the past two games, Thompson has been rock solid. He grabbed two interceptions last week against Idaho, giving him seven in his career.

Thompson and the Broncos travel to Logan, Utah, on Thursday for Friday night's game at Utah State.

"Brandyn has really turned the dial up lately," senior cornerback Kyle Wilson said. "Whatever was going on in the middle of the season, I could tell inside that he was taking it to heart. Each week, he came back and just practiced that much harder and was doing that much extra work."

Thompson's frustrating stretch began Sept. 18 at Fresno State.

On back-to-back plays, he lost a tug-of-war for the ball with a receiver on a jump ball and was beaten on a picture-perfect fade to the front corner of the end zone.

His troubles peaked Oct. 14 at Tulsa when Thompson was fooled by a trick play for a 53-yard touchdown and played the wrong coverage because of a miscommunication on a 55-yard touchdown.

Coaches even inserted sophomore cornerback Jerrell Gavins in Thompson's place for an occasional series.

"I didn't feel like I was playing up to my standards," Thompson said.

He turned the corner Nov. 6 at Louisiana Tech and was the Broncos' co-defensive player of the week against Idaho.

"His wasn't a work-ethic issue," defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox said. "It was just being more consistent technique-wise and playing with more discipline. There's really no time to be down. You don't have that option. He wasn't moping around.

"We challenged him and he challenged himself."

Sophomore fullback Dan Paul has mixed feelings as he replaces injured senior tight end/fullback Richie Brockel in the lineup.

"He's been like a big brother figure to me," Paul said. "Now with him not on the field, it's a lot different actually. It really is. You can really feel it out there."

Paul had been getting about 15 offensive snaps per game. He and freshman tight end Chandler Koch likely will split Brockel's 30 snaps per game, with Paul in the backfield and Koch on the line of scrimmage, tight ends coach Chris Strausser said.

Brockel suffered a likely season-ending foot injury in the first half Saturday against Idaho. He is scheduled to make the trip to Logan with the team.

"When it happened on the field out there, I was sort of dumbstruck," Paul said. "I was taken back for a second. ... Even though it did increase my playing time, if there was any way I could, I would take it back in a heartbeat because Richie has done such a great job and been such a huge facet of our team."

That said, Paul promises to embrace his new responsibility.

"I need to get pumped up about what I have to do out there because if I'm not, I won't be helping the team as much," he said.

Paul moved from linebacker to fullback midway through last season, also when Brockel was ailing. He has leaned heavily upon Brockel for tips the past year as he has become a more polished blocker.

"It has taken this whole year to mentally and even physically develop into a fullback instead of a linebacker," Paul said. "It's been a long road, but I feel like I'm getting there."

So does his coach, who says Paul has dominated opponents at times - particularly when he's on the line of scrimmage. He can't do that often because he isn't a threat as a downfield receiver.

"He's a little pit bull out there," Strausser said. "He just mauls guys."

With three more wins, Boise State would become the first school outside the college football power structure to record back-to-back undefeated regular seasons in 38 years.

The last such school to accomplish the feat was Toledo in 1969, 1970 and 1971.

Boise State already has the most undefeated regular seasons (three) during the Bowl Championship Series era, which began in 1998. The only schools with consecutive undefeated regular seasons in the BCS era are USC (2004-05) and Miami (2001-02).

All signs point to No. 6 Boise State and No. 12 Oklahoma State competing for the last at-large spot in the five BCS bowls. The Cowboys have an edge because their conference, the Big 12, has a cozy relationship with the Fiesta Bowl.

If Oklahoma State loses to Colorado on Thursday or at Oklahoma on Nov. 28, an undefeated Boise State likely would get a BCS berth.

If the Cowboys win both games, the Broncos are in trouble.

The Big 12 is the anchor conference for the Fiesta. Texas is expected to win the Big 12 and advance to the BCS National Championship Game, perhaps leaving the Fiesta to decide between its partner and Boise State.

"We have a relationship, a very strong relationship, with the Big 12," Fiesta Bowl spokesman Tony Alba said. "Any time there's a Big 12 team, we certainly would take a look at them."

The other nine BCS spots likely will go to the six BCS-conference champions, TCU, the Southeastern Conference runner-up and a Big Ten team, likely Iowa or Penn State.

The Broncos' most likely BCS matchup would be in the Fiesta against Iowa or Penn State.

Chadd Cripe is in his eighth season covering Boise State football for the Idaho Statesman. He also is a voter in The Associated Press Top 25. Contact him at 377-6398 or ccripe@idahostatesman.com.