- It's January 1st, 2007.
The Oklahoma Sooners and Boise State Broncos
are in Glendale, Arizona.
Facing off in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Boise State just matched Oklahoma's touchdown
in overtime, but is passing on the extra point,
choosing to end it now, one way or the other,
with a two point conversion.
One snap will decide this game,
but everything that got us to this point,
deserves another look.
Let's rewind.
(soft music)
42-41 doesn't do justice for the game this has been.
Entering tonight, Oklahoma was a touchdown favorite
in a matchup many viewed as, David versus Goliath.
On the Broncos first offensive series though,
they reminded everyone that it worked out
pretty well for David.
Third year started, Jared Zabransky caught Oklahoma
on a filthy play action
and 49 yards later, the first points were on the board.
- [Announcer] Touchdown, Drisan James!
- [Narrator] On the next play from scrimmage,
the Broncos got to Paul Thompson,
who fumbled and the defense came up with it.
This set up an Ian Johnson score
and just halfway through the first quarter,
it's 14, nothing.
Zabransky threw his second touchdown pass
of the game to close out the half
and Boise State headed to the locker room up 21-10.
- [Announcer] Now into the corner of the end zone!
Touchdown!
- Boise State controlling the game
was mostly unexpected,
but looking back at how they got here,
it shouldn't have been all that surprising.
Boise State announced its presence
back in 2003.
That year they lead the nation in scoring
and beat number 19 TCU in the Fort Worth Bowl
to cap off a 13 and one season.
The next year they went undefeated,
finished second in scoring,
and total yards per game,
but had to settle for a Liberty Bowl appearance.
They had a down year in 2005
and head coach Dan Hawkins left
for the same gig at Colorado.
Offensive Coordinator, Chris Petersen stepped up
and with the help of Zabransky and Johnson,
the Broncos finished the 2006 regular season,
once again, undefeated.
Sharing that feat with only Ohio State.
They were just one of two teams that year
to run and throw for over 200 yards per game.
The only downside to this success was that
the NCAA stepped and told Ian Johnson
to stop selling the beanies he crocheted
in his spare time.
On the plus side, they wouldn't get snubbed
this time around and we've gotten
a pretty good game out of it,
but we're here in overtime,
which also means Boise squandered a pretty big lead.
Going back to the third quarter,
the Broncos did snag their third interception of the game.
A pick six that made it 28-10,
but, they also failed to pick up
a single first down in the third.
Had a punt return miscue that set the Sooners up
at Boise's 11 and let Oklahoma start getting back
in the game as time ticked away.
Having to dig themselves out of a hole
was a bit of a theme for Oklahoma all season.
In August, the starting QB, Rhett Bomar,
was kicked off the team
and former back-up, turned wide receiver,
Paul Thompson, returned to quarter back,
just one month before the season began.
In week three, officials used the new-fangled
review system, to blow a call on an onside kick
that should have let the Sooners kneel out the clock
and remain unbeaten.
The week after a lopsided Red River rivalry game,
Adrian Peterson, while diving into the end zone
to cap off a route against Iowa State,
broke his collar bone.
From there, with their Heisman hopeful
out the rest of the regular season
and a QB who, less than a year ago
was catching passes instead of throwing them,
Oklahoma actually managed to run the table
and win the Big 12.
So, jumping to the fourth quarter,
now down eight with under three to play,
Oklahoma stayed calm.
They covered 72 yards in five plays,
before Thompson completed this pass
to Quentin Chaney, to put them just a two point
conversion away from tying it up
and after defensive pass interference
by Orlando Scandrick and after an Oklahoma
illegal shift, Thompson found Juaquin Iglesias
on their third attempt.
1:26 remaining, tied ballgame.
That wouldn't hold for long,
as Boise's offense took the field with two timeouts
and looked to end it in regulation.
On the first snap Zabransky threw left
and straight to Oklahoma's Marques Walker,
who tight-roped his way to the end zone.
This was Zabranskys' first pick of the game
and while putting your team down seven
with under a minute to go is never ideal.
He at least did it with some time remaining.
Boise got the ball back,
but after taking a sack on first down,
two incompletions let to fourth and 18.
A situation that no coach has a play for,
well, maybe everyone not named, Chris Petersen.
Boise's first year head coach
has been loving called Dr. Frankenstein,
when it came to his offensive play book.
With 800 plays at his disposal,
frequent pre-snap motions, and shifts.
He created mismatches and sniffed out defensive schemes.
Part of why Boise ranked top two in scoring,
three of the last four seasons.
So, while Oklahoma danced on the sideline
and the Stoops brothers and Brent Venables
barked out orders.
Facing 4th and 18, Peterson kept his poker face
and his team did the rest.
- [Announcer] Down the middle, change, the lateral!
To the corner of the end zone, can you believe that?
- [Narrator] The execution of this play
needs another look.
Gerard Rabb faked the screen, just long enough
to buy time and separation.
Zabransky found Drisan James short of the first down,
but in the open area of the zone,
which defenders had to converge on.
Rabb caught up to the play,
James flipped him the ball
and the defense caught on too late.
These teams combined for 22 points in the final 86
seconds, just to get to overtime,
in order to get to this two point conversion.
That means even more points.
It's only fair we were treated to more opportunities
for Adrian Peterson.
The Broncos defense had bottled him up
for most of the night,
which no other team could say that year.
Before breaking his collar bone,
Peterson was averaging over 150 yard per game
on the ground.
Putting him on pace for a 2,000 yard regular season.
Unfortunately, that dream ended in Oklahoma's sixth game,
with his father in the stands for the first time
after serving eight years in prison.
He hadn't suited up until tonight
and aside from an eight yard touchdown,
was still looking to leave his mark.
On the first play of overtime, he got his chance.
He took the handoff, burst to the left,
and was off.
- [Announcer] Down the sideline, touchdown Adrian Peterson,
that did not take long.
- With Boise needing to match the touchdown,
Coach Petersen went to his bag of tricks.
They tried to setup a throw-back to Zabransky,
but had to settle for no gain.
They went for a far from a traditional
tight end screen, that fared a little better.
After picking up a first down,
plus Ian Johnson nearly fumbling the game away,
the Broncos once again faced fourth down.
As Zabransky motioned out wide,
converted receiver, Vinny Perretta took the snap
and sprinted to the right, before lofting the ball
up to his tight end, Derek Showman
and here we are.
They easy part, just one play to decide the game.
Peterson sent out his offense
and Bob Stoops immediately called a timeout
once he saw the personnel.
Going back to the regular season,
the Broncos only attempted two point conversions,
three times all year.
The first, came on a successful,
fake point after attempt,
but the other two tries were near identical.
Against New Mexico State, Zabransky motioned
a receiver left to the right
to make a trips bunch,
which he then rolled out behind
and attempted to throw a jump ball.
Somehow he didn't spot the open guy
at the corner of the end zone,
but they must have liked what they saw,
because three weeks later against San Jose State,
they ran the exact same play,
this time though, Zabransky connected
on the jump ball.
Stoops no doubt saw these plays
and while the sample size is small,
it's all the they showed that year
for him to plan against.
So, coming out of the timeout,
Zabransky lines up under center,
with a three receiver bunch to his right.
Oklahoma waits for the snap,
having battled all season,
just to get to this point.
Boise State is looking not just to score,
but to prove their place in the ranks of college football.
Everything comes down to this play.
So know, welcome to a moment in history.
- [Announcer] Boise State for the win.
They hand it off to Johnson.
Boise State has won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Can you believe it?