BSU Fiesta Bowl 2007: Anatomy of an Upset

This story originally published on Jan. 3, 2007.

Boise State and Oklahoma combined for one of the most outrageous finishes in college football history Monday night in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.

Think of it this way: The teams combined for five touchdowns, three PATs and two 2-point conversions -- 37 points -- in a span of 15 offensive plays after the 2-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

Players from both sides were so mesmerized that they struggled to put their feelings into words.

“Yeah, another day at the office, huh?” BSU coach Chris Petersen said when he addressed the media after the game.

He drew laughs. But in some ways, he was right.

Everything that happened in those wild final minutes was based on weeks, and sometimes years, of preparation.

The play calls were calculated.

The results unforgettable.

Here’s a play-by-play breakdown of what transpired from the play that allowed Oklahoma to erase a 28-10 deficit to the 2-point conversion that gave the Broncos a 43-42 overtime win.

This is not just a recap. We interviewed Boise State offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin, defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, Petersen and quarterback Jared Zabransky to provide insight into why these plays happened.

BSU 28, OU 20

SITUATION

Oklahoma has first-and-goal at the Boise State 5-yard line with about 1:35 left in the game.

The play: The Broncos drop into a matchup zone, a defense they like in the red zone. Quarterback Paul Thompson throws a slant route to Quentin Chaney.

BSU linebacker David Shields was clogging a passing lane and was in perfect position to all but end the game. The ball squirts through his hands to Chaney.

Result: Touchdown (1:26)

BSU 28, OU 26

SITUATION

The Sooners line up for a game- tying 2-point conversion. The Sooners want to take advantage of their size, and the Broncos know that is the plan.

Cornerback Orlando Scandrick jams Chaney and their bodies lock together. A flag flies for pass interference on Scandrick.

“He was in great shape,” Wilcox said. “... If he just turns his eyes around, he either bats the ball down or picks it and that’s the game.”

SITUATION

Another 2-point try, this time from 1 1/2 yards.

The play: The Sooners bring the jumbo package, two running backs and three tight ends. The Broncos match with a bulky defense, but tight end Jermaine Gresham shifts wide left. Linebacker Colt Brooks follows.

Thompson tosses a nice fade pass that Gresham catches.

However, the Sooners are flagged for illegal motion.

SITUATION

A third attempt at the 2-pointer, this time from 6 1/2 yards out.

The play: The Broncos smell fade and align their cornerbacks outside the receivers to prevent that. Thompson scrambles and looks for another option.

The Broncos have a player along the goal line clogging the passing lane, but he moves just enough for Thompson to zing a pass to the back of the end zone. Juaquin Iglesias lunges forward to catch the ball just before it hits the turf.

Result: Two points (1:26)

BSU 28, OU 28

SITUATION

BSU return man Quinton Jones gets 25 yards to give BSU average field position for a potential game-winning drive. The Broncos face first-and-10 from their own 25-yard line.

The play: Zabransky drops back and looks to his left. The Sooners give him a coverage he isn’t expecting and he misreads it.

Wideout Drisan James adjusts his route and moves up the field. Zabransky throws the out instead.

Cornerback Marcus Walker, the only player in the area, makes the interceptions, uses nifty footwork to stay inbounds and dashes down the sideline for the touchdown.

The correct throw, Harsin said, would have been a check-down pass to tailback Ian Johnson.

“They were in a certain coverage he should have saw and he just threw it right to them,” Petersen said.

Result: Touchdown (1:02)

OU 35, BSU 28

SITUATION

Jones gets 22 yards on this return. BSU gets the ball with a first-and-10 at its own 22 with 54 seconds left.

The play: The Sooners cover the Broncos’ receivers as Zabransky drops back. He slides to his left to buy time and tight end Derek Schouman, who is going right, turns around and runs across the field to the left.

Zabransky spots him and hits Schouman, who picks up 36 yards to the Oklahoma 42 thanks in part to a crushing block by wideout Jerard Rabb on safety Reggie Smith.

“There was nothing open with the normal timing of the play,” Zabransky said. “I had to step up in the pocket. He felt that hole. I saw what he was doing and threw it.”

SITUATION

First-and-10 at the Oklahoma 42 with 40 seconds left.

The play: Defensive end Larry Birdine blows through the BSU line for a sack. BSU loses 8 yards and calls timeout.

SITUATION

Second-and-18 from the 50 with 30 seconds left.

The play: Zabransky throws incomplete for Drisan James.

SITUATION

Third-and-18 from the 50 with 23 seconds left.

The play: Zabransky throws incomplete for Rabb. The Broncos are trying to take a shot down the middle of the field to pick up a big chunk of yardage.

SITUATION

Fourth-and-18 from the 50 with less than 20 seconds left.

The play: The offensive coaches agree that it’s time to pull out “Circus,” the hook-and-lateral play the Broncos have worked on for several years. They run it in every day-before-the-game walk-through and sometimes in live practices. It never goes for a touchdown.

“It’s one of those desperation plays that you’re trying to hopefully get somebody to bite on a situation where they shouldn’t,” Harsin said. “And they did.”

James, lined up wide left, drives 15 yards downfield and cuts toward the middle of the field. Rabb, lined up wide right, goes about 12 yards and drags across the field to the left.

Zabransky fires a strike to James, who catches the ball, keeps it for a second to draw the defense and pitches to Rabb. James was just short of the first down, which may have sucked in the defense even more.

Rabb takes the pitch, turns the corner and darts down the sideline with no defender in sight. Johnson trails the play -- the plan is for Rabb to pitch to Johnson -- but a second pitch is unnecessary.

“The beauty of it is, when Jerard got it, you could just see it when he turned,” Harsin said. “You could see him look and almost go, ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me.’ You could tell in his body language.”

Rabb covers 35 yards, diving into the end zone to beat the only Sooner defender to come close.

“It’s the best that play has ever worked,” Zabransky said. “I’ve never seen anything like that. The Doug Flutie pass. The Cal-Stanford (band) play. It’s got to be up there.”

Result: Touchdown (:07)

BSU 35, OU 35

SITUATION

The fourth-quarter clock expires on a squib kickoff and the captains meet for the overtime coin flip. Boise State calls tails and wins, giving Oklahoma the ball first. Both teams get one possession from the opponent’s 25-yard line in each overtime.

SITUATION

Oklahoma starts with a first-and-10 at the BSU 25.

The play: Superstar tailback Adrian Peterson gets the ball and breaks wide to the left. He finds a wide opening in the defense and dashes down the sideline, leaping into the end zone.

It’s his longest run of the game against a defense that clearly has tired.

Wilcox says the Broncos matched up against the play well. The Sooners had one running back and one tight end and the Broncos had seven defenders inside the tackle box.

Usually, that indicates someone missed a gap assignment.

“I don’t know what happened,” Wilcox said. “... He made the play.”

Result: Touchdown (overtime)

OU 42, BSU 35

SITUATION

The Broncos get the ball first-and-10 at the Oklahoma 25.

The play: The Broncos dig into their bag of tricks for a throwback play. Zabransky pitches to Vinny Perretta, who runs to the right, then gets ready to throw a lateral to Zabransky, who would throw to wideout Legedu Naanee.

However, the defensive end on the back side of the play smells the trick and hangs with Zabransky.

Perretta decides not to make the throw and runs instead.

“He’s smart enough not to throw it,” Harsin said. “A lot of guys in that situation turn around and chuck it. He was poised enough just to go, ‘No, that isn’t going to work.’ “

No gain.

SITUATION

Second-and-10 at the 25.

The play: The Broncos go with one of their favorite screen plays. Zabransky looks left, then spins around to face right. He tosses to Schouman, who gains 2 yards.

“That play’s been great for us in practice,” Harsin said. “... We totally thought we could get them on that.”

SITUATION

Third-and-8 at the 23.

The play: The Broncos go back to Schouman, who lines up at fullback. Tight end Ryan Putnam pushes downfield to clear the linebackers out of the middle.

Schouman fakes a flat route to the right, then cuts hard left to the middle of the field. Zabransky hits him for 10 yards.

SITUATION

First-and-10 at the 13.

The play: A shotgun handoff to Perretta, who gains 2 yards.

SITUATION

Second-and-8 at the 11.

The play: Johnson bolts up the middle for 7 yards, a surprise call.

“I think they were thinking we were going to throw it,” Harsin said. “We had been running that run play pretty well.”

SITUATION

Third-and-1 at the 4.

The play: This was an automatic quarterback sneak all season, but the Sooners use a fifth defensive lineman in these situations to prevent sneaks.

“I didn’t even think sneak,” Harsin said.

He went instead with a power running play the Broncos love, giving the ball to Johnson behind three tight ends and a fullback.

Smith fills the gap with a thud, knocking Johnson back. Johnson tries to get away and nearly fumbles.

He loses 1 yard.

SITUATION

Fourth-and-2 at the 5.

The play: The Broncos wanted to use a trick play with Perretta at quarterback all night, but they were waiting for a chance inside the 10. This is only their fourth play inside the 10 all night.

The Broncos discuss the play call while officials review the Johnson fumble.

The coaches agree with the Perretta play.

Zabransky does not.

“He wanted no part of it, and rightfully so,” Harsin said. “He’s such a competitor. He wants the ball in his hands.”

Harsin liked the play because most other options would be predictable -- a fade, a slant or a running play.

Perretta lines up at quarterback in the shotgun with Zabransky at running back. Zabransky motions to the left, Perretta takes the snap and rolls to the right -- just like he did in the regular-season finale at Nevada.

That play was a designed sweep, and Perretta scored from 5 yards out.

This is a designed throw with a run option. Schouman, lined up wide right, slants inside, then cuts to the corner.

Perretta tosses the pass over the defender and Schouman makes the touchdown grab.

“We just all felt like they were going to bite on it,” Harsin said, “and if not, if the throw wasn’t there, Vinny would get us the first down. I really believe that.”

Result: Touchdown (overtime)

OU 42, BSU 41

SITUATION

Coach Petersen, who just watched his defense give up a one-play touchdown drive, decides this game needs to end. The Broncos are going for two. Oklahoma calls timeout.

The play: Everyone on the BSU staff knows which play they are going to run.

The Broncos had waited the entire fourth quarter to run “Statue” -- a Statue of Liberty play that worked well against Idaho. They wanted the ball on the left hash and inside the 20-yard line but never got that setup.

The offensive team gets to choose the hash for two-point plays.

“When it got to that two-point conversion, it was like, ‘That’s what we’re doing,’ “ Harsin said.

The Broncos changed the play slightly during the game. They saw the Sooners rush to cover the three receivers on the right side when they ran a screen off a hurry-up tempo earlier in the game. They decided the same tempo would increase the misdirection of “Statue.”

Zabransky fakes the quick screen pass to the right with his right arm while wrapping the ball behind his back with his left.

Schouman takes out the defensive end on the left side and left tackle Ryan Clady sweeps behind Schouman and erases the linebacker.

Johnson takes the ball from Zabransky and cruises into the end zone for the game-winning 2-point conversion.

“Schouman and Ryan Clady are the two most important guys on that play, blocking the edge,” Harsin said. “... That edge was sealed perfect.”

Result: Broncos win 43-42.

This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 4:26 PM with the headline "BSU Fiesta Bowl 2007: Anatomy of an Upset."