Boise State endless supply of QBs continues

By Sylas Wright

Ryan Dinwiddie’s glory days as Boise State’s star quarterback expired in 2003, leaving Jared Zabransky with large shoes to fill.

“It’s tough coming in on the heels of the most accurate passer in college football history,” Boise State coach Dan Hawkins said of his sophomore quarterback and the lofty standards he inherited. “But Jared has definitely made an impact.”

Dinwiddie, to Hawkin’s credibility, finished his college career with a pass efficiency rating of 168.89, an NCAA Division I-A record, topping the previous mark of 163.6 set by Florida’s Danny Wuerffel.

Zabransky, a 6-foot-2, 197-pound native of Hermiston, Ore., appears to be following in his predecessor’s footsteps, as he ranks 14th nationally with a pass efficiency rating of 148.8.

Through six games, Zabransky has averaged 263 yards through the air, for a total of 1,576, and 10 touchdown tosses.

More importantly, Zabransky and the 16th-ranked Broncos are 6-0 this season, and the school’s nation-leading win streak has swelled to 17 games.

Boise State is 31-2 the last three years, with three victories against the Fresno State.

The Bulldogs, 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Western Athletic Conference play, are looking to rebound from upset losses against Louisiana Tech and Texas El-Paso. The once-ranked Bulldogs must do so on the blue turf of Bronco Stadium, where Boise State has won 22 consecutive games.

Kickoff is at 7:15 p.m. Saturday and the game will be aired on ESPN2.

Bulldogs coach Pat Hill, who learned from firsthand experience about Dinwiddie’s capabilities, has never seen Zabransky play live. He does possess some knowledge, however.

“I know that he’s 6-0,” Hill said. “I know he makes a lot of plays. He’s a playmaker. He’s also a strong young man.”

Hawkins knows in better detail about Zabransky, who could not be reached for an interview.
The fourth-year Broncos coach rattled off a list of his quarterback’s strong points.

“Well, there is a lot of them,” Hawkins said. “He’s very competitive and smart, he’s a good athlete, a tough guy, and he has done a nice job of operating our offense.”

Hawkins said Zabransky, to a certain degree, reminds him of Dinwiddie, who signed as a free agent this year with the Chicago Bears only to be cut before camp ended.

“They are similar in terms of their intelligence and leadership ability,” Hawkins said. “Zabransky is probably the better athlete, but Dinwiddie was a little more of a precision passer. That was definitely [Dinwiddie’s] strength.”

Despite Boise State’s dominance of late, Hawkins is not taking this week’s matchup lightly, as he is well aware of Fresno State’s defensive prowess.

“Fresno State is awfully, awfully good,” Hawkins said. “It will take more than just [Zabransky] to win the game because Fresno State’s defense is very impressive.”

For Hawkins, the three previous meetings between the two WAC powerhouses are meaningless.

“Those games don’t mean a thing,” Hawkins said. “Every year is different.”

Hill is hoping the remaining games of the season turn out differently than the last two.

“The last month around here has not been very much fun,” Hill said in Monday’s press conference. “It’s about time to get back out there against the best team in the conference, on the road, then let the chips fall where they may.

“I wish the game was tonight. I’m looking forward to it.”