By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com
There's a very thin line between genius and madness.
Boise State head coach Chris Peterson came out on the positive side of a major gamble last night, a play-call that sparked the sixth-ranked Broncos to a 17-10 victory over No. 4 Texas Christian in a battle of unbeaten football teams in the Fiesta Bowl.
Peterson earned a national reputation for risk-taking when he unveiled several gimmick plays – including the hook-and-lateral and the statue of liberty -- in an upset of Oklahoma three years ago in the Fiesta.
Last night, Peterson and the Broncos again dipped into their bag of tricks, enabling Boise State to close out the season with a 14-0 record.
On fourth-and-9 at the Broncos' 33 and the scored tied at 10 with 9:47 left in the game, Peterson ordered a fake punt.
If the play failed, TCU would take over deep in Boise State territory, and Peterson would be described as a moron. But the play worked to perfection, and Peterson again is being hailed as a gutsy genius.
Punter Kyle Brotzman delivered a perfect pass to a wide-open Kyle Efaw for a 30-yard gain. Kellen Moore then completed three straight passes, setting up a 2-yard TD run by Doug Martin with 7:21 left.
The Broncos, who again dominated the WAC this season, had to survive some anxious moments down the stretch. But their defense again rose to the challenge to secure the victory.
UH HOOPS: I was prepared to write off the University of Hawaii's basketball season following last night's victory – that's right, victory.
Granted, the Bows beat visiting Boise State 76-68 for their first WAC win, improving to 8-7. But it was another uneven performance by a team that can't seem to handle defensive pressure, is way too sloppy with the ball and is inconsistent offensively.
A 20-point scoring effort by Rod Flemings and another solid game by guard Hiram Thompson were the key factors in this victory as UH squandered an early 14-point edge, regained the lead early in the second half, then held off the Broncos down the stretch.
Flemings scored 14 of his points after intermission, while Thompson contributed 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Center Paul Thompson continued his solid play with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Still, there were many moments during which UH resembled a team that was picked to finish eighth in the nine-team WAC.
But before giving up totally on Hawaii's hoops dreams, I learned that College of Charleston, which UH defeated 84-71 in the opening round of the recent Diamond Head Classic, earlier beat ninth-ranked North Carolina 82-79 in overtime.
So, I guess, anything is possible – including UH picking up a win or two on the road in upcoming road games at Fresno State and Utah State.
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