5Jan/1012:07 AM

[Video] Boise State digs into bag of tricks again to beat TCU in Fiesta Bowl

By Vince Marotta

You knew it was coming.

Boise State, a football program that announced its presence on the national stage with a trick-filled 43-42 victory over Oklahoma to cap the 2006 season, did it again on Monday night in a 17-10 win at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at UOP Stadium in Glendale.

In a 10-10 tie and facing a 4th down and 9 from their own 33-yard line, Boise State punter Kyle Brotzman completed a 29-yard pass to Kyle Efaw on a fake punt, giving the Broncos a first down at the TCU 38-yard line. Four plays later, Doug Martin crashed into the end zone from two yards out giving BSU a 17-10 lead with just 7:15 to go.

Broncos safety Winston Venable sealed the deal, intercepting an Andy Dalton pass with :18 left to give Boise State their 2nd Fiesta Bowl win in the last four seasons, and a perfect 13-0 record.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen was asked about Boise State’s national image of being a team that is all about the trick plays, and didn’t bat an eye when providing his answer. “I think that’s what they expect out of us, so we’re happy to deliver it if it gives us one more point than the other guys,” Petersen said.

Petersen’s bag of tricks ended up giving the Broncos seven more points than the other guys on Monday. TCU head coach Gary Patterson could only tip his cap. “So they outcoached us on that play,” Patterson said. “It was a good call.”

Boise State scored first when cornerback Brandyn Thompson stepped in front of a slant pass attempted by Dalton, and had clear sailing to the end zone. In the second quarter, Kyle Brotzman booted a 40-yard field goal to put BSU up 10-0.

TCU didn’t get on the board until late in the half, when Dalton connected with receiver Curtis Clay on a 30-yard touchdown strike with just 49 ticks left on the clock before the break. The Horned Frogs tied it up with a 29-yard field goal by Ross Evans with 3:42 left to go in the third.

Thompson, who had two interceptions in the game was named the Defensive MVP, while Efaw, who finished with 4 catches for 75 yards won the Offensive MVP honors.

Fiesta Bowl Tidbits

* Boise St joins Utah as the only two time BCS game winners from a non-BCS conference.

* Boise St nows owns the nation’s second longest winning streak at 14, with Texas currently at 17 entering the 2010 BCS Title game.

* TCU played it’s fifth consecutive bowl game in a stadium that’s also hosted a Super Bowl. (2005 Houston & 2007 Texas Bowls at Reliant Stadium and 2006 & 2008 Poinsettia Bowls at Qualcomm Stadium)

* With TCU’s loss, the Mountain West Conference still has a .692 winning percentage in bowl games the last six years which is first among the 11 FBS conferences. The Mountain West finished the 2009-10 bowl season 4-1.

* January 4th is the latest date either TCU or Boise St has played a bowl game.

Michael Kossett of Fanster.com contributed to this post.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Postgame Press Conferences

Audio Press Conferences

Boise State Broncos (Chris Petersen, Kellen Moore, Kyle Efaw, Kyle Wilson, Brandyn Robinson)

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TCU Horned Frogs (Gary Patterson, Andy Dalton, Jerry Hughes, Daryl Washington)

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