A young Boise State team marched into Autzen Stadium last year and shocked then-No. 17 Oregon, 37-32, crushing more than just Oregon’s BCS bowl hopes.

Already without starting quarterback Justin Roper (due to a knee injury), the Ducks lost quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in the first quarter when Boise State’s Ellis Powers planted his helmet into Masoli’s chin, giving him a concussion and knocking him out of the game. Boise State safety Jeron Johnson was later ejected for a hit on Ducks tight end Ed Dickson.

It has been nearly a year since then, but the Ducks have not forgotten.

‘We’ve been beating each other up in practice, and now it is time to take it out on somebody else,’ Masoli said. ‘And playing Boise again, from the loss from last year, we’re ready to go.’

Conveniently for Masoli, the No. 14 Broncos are first on the schedule for the No. 16 Ducks this fall. The two will face off on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Bronco Stadium in Boise (7:15 p.m., ESPN), giving the Ducks the chance at revenge.

‘We owe that team a (butt)-whoopin’,’ Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount told Sports Illustrated.

After watching tape from last year’s loss, Blount took exception to hits on two of his teammates -he isn’t the only one.

Dickson told The Oregonian that Boise State is a team that ‘doesn’t rub right’ with him. And Masoli, the other victim of Boise State’s crushing blows last year, told the paper he is looking forward to returning the favor this week.

Despite the animosity between the two teams, both head coaches are working on downplaying the trash talk and focusing on the game.

Boise State coach Chris Petersen is stressing the team’s upcoming matchup as ‘just another game’ despite the furor surrounding the contest.

‘Everyone around here has tremendous respect for Oregon,’ Petersen said.

Oregon started game planning for the Broncos on Thursday. It was a session that began by watching film of last years game, although the Ducks didn’t dwell on the two vicious hits that stirred both teams up.

‘That means nothing to us, and that conversation will never come up from anybody on our coaching staff,’ Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said. ‘It’s about playing the 2009 Boise State team. We will watch the tape to get schemes, but all the other stuff, I think people are trying to make more out of it.’

But both coaches are happy with their teams’ mindset heading into what is one of most important games of the year for each program.

For Boise State, the game against Oregon represents the only ranked team on the schedule. A loss, especially at home as a 4 -point favorite, could mean the end of any BCS bowl hopes.

‘It is important to keep this in perspective. We are really trying to take this one game at a time and worry about ourselves,’ Petersen said. ‘I think if we get caught up in all this hype, we won’t play to the best of our ability.’

Blount has since backed away from his comments, saying it was a ‘heat of the moment’ reaction to a reporter’s question.

Others are not shying away, using the emotional build-up to their advantage. To Dickson, he and his teammates have to realize how to balance it all out.

‘We want to play one inch out of control,’ Dickson said. ‘But not over. We’ve got to build it up, build it up, and when the game comes, then release it.’

Any extra boost the Ducks can get will be of importance in the much-anticipated rematch with the Broncos, especially on the blue Smurf Turf field of Bronco Stadium, where Boise State is 64-2 over the past decade.

Oregon is looking to get off on the right foot in the start of the Kelly era after Mike Bellotti, the winningest coach in Oregon football history, left the sidelines to become the school’s athletic director.

The Broncos, on the other hand, are coming off another stellar season in which they came within two points of another perfect campaign. With a still-young but experienced team – the Broncos boast at least one player with starting experience at every position – expectations are high for another strong season. But Petersen isn’t looking ahead.

‘Twenty-four hours after the game, it’s over and done with,’ Peterson said. ‘Win, lose or draw.’

Texas-sized turnover

The only thing that could have been worse for Texas Tech than losing top-10 NFL draft pick Michael Crabtree, was the departure of quarterback Graham Harrell, the only player in NCAA history to record two 5,000-yard passing seasons.

Filling the void is junior Taylor Potts, a 6-5, 218-pound quarterback known for his strong arm. And though Tommy McVay, director of football operations at Texas Tech, concedes Potts is still a work in progress, he is not worried about a drop in production at the quarterback position.

‘If there is one thing I wouldn’t doubt, it would be Coach (Mike) Leach’s ability to select good quarterbacks for his system,’ McVay said.

Leach’s system, after all, has produced such gunslingers as Harrell and Kliff Kingsbury.

Junior wide receiver Detron Lewis will likely pick up the bulk of the load left by Crabtree, now a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Lewis had 76 receptions and three touchdowns in 2008.

‘We have a broader core of receivers this year than we did last year,’ McVay said. ‘Detron will be the go-to guy, but we like to spread around the ball.’

Game to Watch: No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech

Alabama is back to focusing on football now that the off-the-field drama with Nick Saban’s contract situation is over. And the first test for the national-title hopeful is another championship contender in the Hokies, as the two teams play a neutral site game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Virginia Tech is coming off a 10-4 season that ended with a win over Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl. Junior Tyrod Taylor takes over the reigns at quarterback after splitting time with Sean Glennon each of the past two seasons.

Alabama’s 12-2 season ended with a thud with a 31-17 Sugar Bowl loss to Utah. Sophomore receiver Julio Jones is back after a strong freshman campaign, when his 58 receptions, 924 yards and four touchdowns set every freshman record in school history.

bplogiur@syr.edu

Published on August 31, 2009 at 12:00 pm