Broncos’ Moore in no rush to rest on laurels
The time for rest will come later this week when Kellen Moore can make his way back to his Prosser, Wash., home.
Just not yet. Not with another city to see and another piece of business to handle.
He is in Las Vegas for the first time as a football player or visitor, wrapping up a whirlwind tour that comes along with being one of the nation’s top quarterbacks.
Though Moore didn’t win any awards while at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., or the Heisman Trophy while in New York, the fact he even was present at either place was quite a testament to his accomplishments.
And now Moore is here, leading 10th-ranked Boise State 1-1) against No. 20 Utah (10-2) in Wednesday’s MAACO Bowl Las Vegas at Sam Boyd Stadium. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.
A victory would be the final piece to a season in which Moore was a finalist for the Heisman, Maxwell and Davey O’Brien honors. He also was an All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of America, and shared Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors with UNR quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
But with such recognition comes a fair amount of travel, and players — quarterbacks in particular — have been known to lose focus in the postseason because of missed practice time.
Moore missed two days of workouts because of the awards circuit, though during a media function Sunday it was difficult to tell that he was stressed at all.
"I’m not concerned at all about it," Moore said.
"That’s the nice thing about a Dec. 22 bowl game. You don’t have that long, long layoff where you get rusty. It’s really like a bye week, and then you get back into the swing of things."
Moore, though, isn’t the only one who might need to make up for lost time. Broncos coach Chris Petersen called off a recent week of practice for the entire team because of final exams.
But he said ending the regular season so late, with a 50-14 victory over Utah State on Dec. 4, made the transition to bowl preparation easier.
"The kids needed some time off anyway," Petersen said. "It’s been a long season."
If the rest of the team follows Moore’s lead, the Broncos should be OK.
After redshirting in 2007, the talented junior began completing passes and setting records. Moore was named WAC Freshman of the Year in 2008 after passing for 3,486 yards and 25 touchdowns, and he topped 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns last season and again this year.
Those aren’t numbers expected from someone who stands just 6 feet and weighs 186 pounds.
Those are, however, the types of statistics produced by players with a passion similar to Moore’s. He studies videotape like a college student might cram all night for a final.
Even as a high school player in Prosser, Moore would buy college playbooks and videotapes and go over every detail.
It’s why Petersen probably doesn’t worry his star quarterback missed two days to see the sights at Disney and in New York in addition to the practice time missed for finals.
"Not with Kellen," Petersen said. "He’ll be ready to play."
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.