Fiesta Bowl: Boise State’s Defense Leads The Way In 17-10 Win Over TCU

Dalton completed 25-of-44 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown, but threw three interceptions, the final one sealing the Horned Frogs’ (12-1) fate in the dying seconds. The junior quarterback had thrown just five INTs this season.

Thompson’s second interception gave Boise State the ball at its own 22 early in the fourth quarter. The drive appeared to have stalled at the 33, with the Broncos lining up to punt the ball on 4th-and-9. But Boise State head coach Chris Petersen rolled the dice.

When you think of Boise State you probably think of offense and trick plays. But it was special teams and defense that led the No. 6 Broncos to their 17-10 Fiesta Bowl win over No. 3

. Boise blog One Bronco Nation Under God thinks the team had a personal mission tonight to prove theirs was the truly good defense on the field.

Dalton completed 25-of-44 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown, but threw three interceptions, the final one sealing the Horned Frogs’ (12-1) fate in the dying seconds.

TCU needed to go 99 yards in just 66 seconds for a chance to tie the game -- no easy task, for sure. But the Frogs were at least on the right side of the field, thanks in part to a pass interference penalty. On the Broncos’ 30-yard line, with 29 seconds left, TCU’s Andy Dalton dropped back, slung a pass out toward the far sideline ... only to have the ball tipped up in the air, as both receiver and defender battled. The ball hung in the air for what must have felt like an eternity for players and fans alike, before finally coming to rest in the waiting arms of Boise State’s Winston Venable, sealing the win.

Boise State took a knee to make it official, winning the Fiesta Bowl, 17-10. They are just the second team ever to go 14-0.

A punt return of 39 yards got TCU in great fielding position, starting their drive at the Boise State 31, but the Bronco defense held tough, and forced a fourth-and-six. The Horned Frogs went for it, but the pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over.

The TCU defense did its part, forcing a Boise State punt. Only problem: the punt pinned the Frogs back at their own 1-yard line, with just 1:06 left in the game, trailing 17-10.

Courtesy of the Blue Thunder Marching Band website, this undated photo from the 2009-2010 season gives us proof of life. And that’s all we can ask for at this time.

Boise State seemingly remembered how to play “offense” in the fourth quarter and stormed down the field on a 10-play, 78-yard drive, kept alive by a fake punt (oh, those tricky Broncos!) on 4th-and-9, from their own 33-yard line. That 29-yard pick-up ignited a spark in Boise State, and they promptly broke off three straight plays -- 11-yard pass, 9-yard pass and a 16-yard pass -- to get down to the TCU two-yard line, where Doug Martin finished it off, diving in for the go-ahead touchdown. With about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Boise State is leading, 17-10.

Defense continues to rule the field at the Fiesta Bowl (well, when Sad Cowbell Girl isn’t performing), but TCU did manage to get close enough for a field goal to tie the game, 10-10, late in the third quarter, off the foot of Ross Evans.

It only took most of the first half, but we finally got some points from one of the offenses in the Fiesta Bowl. Sure, it was just a 40-yard field goal, but we’ll take it! Kyle Brotzman kicked it through the uprights to give the Broncos a 10-0 lead over the Horned Frogs.

As you probably know already, both Boise State and TCU are undefeated, but neither even got a shot at the national championship (somewhat amazingly, the senior class at Boise has gone 48-4 ... and never played for the title).

Anyways, all this unjustness and fan outrage and been channeled into something more productive than some angry tweets directed toward @insidetheBCS.

Sure, the shots of the band will outweigh shots of actual football, the booth announcers are so close to the camera they appear to be starring in a hostage video, and John Cena is flipping the coin this very moment. But nothing can pierce the gentle cocoon of dulcet baritone warbling I’ve been swaddled in. And nothing in the pageantry of Thursday’s title game, including the game itself, can possibly compare. Game over, man. Game over.

We are nearly set for kickoff in Arizona at the Fiesta Bowl, where Boise State and TCU will play to determine who has the right to be the most upset with the BCS. The game’s on Fox, so get ready for plenty of camera shots of both bands. So many shots that you might even miss actual football plays! Bowl games on Fox!

Follow along here in the StoryStream for updates throughout the game, or join the discussion at the GameThread.