I watched my DVD of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl game for the first time in a VERY long time. I noticed a couple of things last night.
A. The "hero" of that game, particularly in the 1st half, was WR Drisan James. Boise State scored 21 points in the first half of that game and Drisan James scored 12 of them (two receptions for TD's). The first TD of the game was scored by Drisan James on a "bomb" in which Drisan James left the Oklahoma defender 15 yds behind him wondering what the hell had happened. James did a double move on him and the OK defender was apparently more interested in the play action by Zabransky on that play and paid only minimal attention to James. Result - a beautiful long pass play to James who was all alone and only had to catch the ball to score the game's first TD.
Drisan James' second TD came in the last minute of the first half when Zabransky was being pressured by the OK d-linemen and in desperation he threw the ball in the flat to his last option in his reads (James). James caught the ball around the line of scrimmage and then "juked" several OK defenders and made a BEAUTIFUL run to the end zone from about 25 yds out.
B. On the only other scoring play in that first half of that game for Boise State. When Ian Johnson ran it in, untouched, from 2 yds out I noticed that Ryan Clady - who is now the "Franchise" player for the Denver Broncos and a perennial N.F.L. All-Pro offensive tackle - simply got man-handled by the OK defensive end he was matched against on that play. The reason why Johnson was never touched was because of a BEAUTIFUL block by seldom used TE Ryan Putnam. Putnam took care of TWO Oklahoma defenders on that play and that was why Ian Johnson was able to run into the end zone untouched.
P.S. It was Drisan James who pitched the lateral to Jerard Rabb on the now famous hook and lateral play with that led to the game tying TD with only 7 seconds left in regulation play of that game. A play that "never worked" in practice at Boise State. Drisan James went undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft but signed as a free agent with the Bears and then was released. Picked up by the Oakland Raiders in 2007. Cut by them in 2008. Signed and released by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008. Signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League in May 2009. He played for the Tiger Cats in 2009 and 2010. Question is...........where is he now?
A. The "hero" of that game, particularly in the 1st half, was WR Drisan James. Boise State scored 21 points in the first half of that game and Drisan James scored 12 of them (two receptions for TD's). The first TD of the game was scored by Drisan James on a "bomb" in which Drisan James left the Oklahoma defender 15 yds behind him wondering what the hell had happened. James did a double move on him and the OK defender was apparently more interested in the play action by Zabransky on that play and paid only minimal attention to James. Result - a beautiful long pass play to James who was all alone and only had to catch the ball to score the game's first TD.
Drisan James' second TD came in the last minute of the first half when Zabransky was being pressured by the OK d-linemen and in desperation he threw the ball in the flat to his last option in his reads (James). James caught the ball around the line of scrimmage and then "juked" several OK defenders and made a BEAUTIFUL run to the end zone from about 25 yds out.
B. On the only other scoring play in that first half of that game for Boise State. When Ian Johnson ran it in, untouched, from 2 yds out I noticed that Ryan Clady - who is now the "Franchise" player for the Denver Broncos and a perennial N.F.L. All-Pro offensive tackle - simply got man-handled by the OK defensive end he was matched against on that play. The reason why Johnson was never touched was because of a BEAUTIFUL block by seldom used TE Ryan Putnam. Putnam took care of TWO Oklahoma defenders on that play and that was why Ian Johnson was able to run into the end zone untouched.
P.S. It was Drisan James who pitched the lateral to Jerard Rabb on the now famous hook and lateral play with that led to the game tying TD with only 7 seconds left in regulation play of that game. A play that "never worked" in practice at Boise State. Drisan James went undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft but signed as a free agent with the Bears and then was released. Picked up by the Oakland Raiders in 2007. Cut by them in 2008. Signed and released by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008. Signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League in May 2009. He played for the Tiger Cats in 2009 and 2010. Question is...........where is he now?
