1975 Boise State Broncos football team

The 1975 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season, the eighth season of Bronco football (at the four-year level) and the third in the newly reorganized Division II. The Broncos were in their sixth year as members of the Big Sky Conference (and NCAA) and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

1975 Boise State Broncos football
Big Sky champion
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record9–2–1 (5–0–1 Big Sky)
Head coach
Home stadiumBronco Stadium
1975 Big Sky Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 Boise State $^ 5 –0 –19 –2 –1
Idaho State 4 –2 –07 –3 –0
Montana State 4 –2 –05 –5 –0
Idaho 2 –2 –24 –5 –2
Montana 3 –3 –06 –4 –0
Weber State 1 –4 –11 –9 –1
Northern Arizona 0 –6 –01 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II AP Poll

Prior to the season, the stadium was expanded with an upper deck added to the east grandstand, which increased the permanent seating capacity to 20,000. Part of the original design, it had been delayed for five years due to high costs.[1]

Season

Led by eighth-year head coach Tony Knap, the Broncos were 9–1–1 in the regular season and undefeated in conference (5–0–1), gaining their third straight Big Sky title.[2] For those three seasons, the Broncos were 17–0–1 (.972) in conference play; the only non-victory was a tie at rival Idaho during the Kibbie Dome dedication game in October.[3][4][5][6] Prior to the regular season finale at Idaho State, it was announced that the winner would gain one of the eight playoff berths;[7] BSU won by three to advance to the postseason.[8]

Playoffs

Invited again to the eight-team Division II playoffs, sixth ranked BSU hosted #5 Northern Michigan at Bronco Stadium in the quarterfinals on November 29.[9][10] Cold and windy conditions caused fourteen fumbles, nine by BSU, and the visitors won 24–21.[11] Winless the previous season, the Wildcats went on to win the national title;[12] they were led by sophomore quarterback Steve Mariucci,[11] later a head coach in the NFL for nine seasons.

1 2 3 4 Total
N. Michigan 3 0 14 7 24
Broncos 7 0 7 7 21

It was the third consecutive year that the Broncos fell in the playoffs to the eventual national champion, and it was their last appearance in the D-II playoffs. Boise State won the Big Sky title in 1977 but could not participate in the playoffs because of a late regular season game, and they moved up to the new Division I-AA in 1978. BSU returned to the postseason in 1980 and won its only national title.

Knap departs

Two months later in January 1976, 61-year-old Knap moved south to Nevada-Las Vegas to replace Ron Meyer, who had left for SMU in Dallas.[13][14] At the time, UNLV was also in Division II, but moved up to I-A in 1978; Knap led the Rebels for six seasons, through 1981. Jim Criner, the linebackers coach at Rose Bowl champion UCLA, was hired as BSU's next head coach in February 1976,[15][16] and stayed through 1982.

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 13Cal State Hayward*
W 42–2018,046[17]
September 20Cal Poly*
  • Bronco Stadium
  • Boise, ID
W 35–2918,988[18]
September 27at Weber StateNo. 3
W 34–711,342[19]
October 4Montana StateNo. 3
  • Bronco Stadium
  • Boise, ID
W 35–3419,642[20]
October 112:30 pmat IdahoNo. 4
T 31–3116,250[3][4][5][6]
October 18UNLV*No. 7
  • Bronco Stadium
  • Boise, ID
W 34–2120,000[21]
October 25Northern ArizonaNo. 5
  • Bronco Stadium
  • Boise, ID
W 48–013,545[22]
November 1MontanaNo. 4
  • Bronco Stadium
  • Boise, ID
W 39–2819,171[23]
November 8at Nevada*No. 3
W 49–65,150[24]
November 151:30 pmUtah State*No. 3
  • Bronco Stadium
  • Boise, ID
L 19–4220,000[25][26][27][28]
November 22at Idaho StateNo. 7
W 20–1712,000[8]
November 29No. 5 Northern Michigan*No. 6
L 21–2417,347[10][11]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[29]

Roster
1975 Boise State Broncos football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 15 Lee Huey Sr
QB 18 Greg Stern Jr
FB Kent Hollingsworth
RB 28 Tom Sims
RB 34 Bob Cleveland
RB 40 John Smith
RB Ron Emry
WR 8 John Crabtree
WR 20 Mike Holton
WR Clarence Smith
OT Mike Gasseling
G Glenn Sparks
C Todd Whiteman
G Jim Ryan
OT Everett Carr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
RCB 7 Lester McNeary Jr
LCB 21 Gary Roslowich Jr
LLB 39 Gary Gorrell Sr
DB 43 Jim Meeks Sr
SS 46 Jeff Tryon
FS 49 Clint Sigman Sr
MLB 51 Kauhi Hookano
RLB 52 Barry Munson
LDE 86 Mark Humpheries
LDT 88 Pete Poumele
RDT 73 Saia Misa
RDE 60 Alva Liles
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K Avi Rofe
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Steve Buratto (DL/LB)
  • Tom Cruickshank (DB)
  • Dave Nickel (OL)
  • Adam Rita (RB/WR)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt
Source:[30]

NFL Draft

Three Broncos were selected in the 1976 NFL Draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (487 selections).

PlayerPositionRoundOverallFranchise
John SmithRunning back3rd75Dallas Cowboys
Gary GorrellLinebacker16th448Buffalo Bills
Jim MeeksDefensive back17th475Detroit Lions

References
  1. "BSC wants $1.4 million for stadium addition". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 1, 1973. p. 15.
  2. "Boise State Broncos -- College Football (NCAA)". college-football-results.com. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  3. Drosendahl, Glenn (October 11, 1975). "Idaho bucking Broncos in dome dedication game". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  4. Roche, Kevin (October 12, 1975). "Kibbie Dome dedication: sideshow for a 31-31 tie". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 12A.
  5. Drosendahl, Glenn (October 12, 1975). "Idaho-Boise St. brawl ends with 31-31 tie". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  6. Payne, Bob (October 12, 1975). "Vandals, Boise battle to tie". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. D1.
  7. "BSU-ISU victor playoff-bound". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 18, 1975. p. 2B.
  8. "Broncos capture Big Sky". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 23, 1975. p. 1B.
  9. "Texas A&I leads rankings". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 27, 1975. p. 2B.
  10. "Boise State braces for NMU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 29, 1975. p. 4B.
  11. "Fumbles cost Boise 24-21". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 30, 1975. p. 3B.
  12. "Winless in '74, then a title in '75". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 14, 1975. p. 10B.
  13. "Knap leaves Boise State for Las Vegas". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 30, 1976. p. 1B.
  14. "Boise's Knap off to Vegas". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 30, 1976. p. 17.
  15. "Boise St. hires UCLA grid assistant". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. February 14, 1976. p. 4B.
  16. "Boise selects Criner; ISU elevates aide". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. February 14, 1976. p. 16.
  17. "Boise State roars past Cal State-Hayward". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. September 14, 1975. p. 2B.
  18. "Last-ditch pass saves Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 21, 1975. p. 2B.
  19. "Broncos pass past Weber". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 28, 1975. p. 2B.
  20. "Boise State wins on late TD". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 5, 1975. p. 2B.
  21. "Broncos rock Rebels". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 19, 1975. p. 2B.
  22. "Boise State rips NAU 48-0". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 26, 1975. p. 2B.
  23. "Grizzlies ground game stopped cold by Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 2, 1975. p. 4B.
  24. "Montana clubs post wins; Boise romps". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 9, 1975. p. 3B.
  25. Ferguson, George (November 14, 1975). "Ag desire is big item". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. 11B.
  26. Keel, John P. (November 15, 1975). "Most Big Sky clubs in non-conference tilts". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. p. 3B.
  27. "Utah State romps over Boise State". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 16, 1975. p. 1B.
  28. Ferguson, George (November 17, 1975). "Easy time for Aggies". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. 2C.
  29. "Record book (football)" (PDF). Boise State University Athletics. 2016. p. 70. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  30. "Probable starters". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 11, 1975. p. 2B.
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