For bowl game, Boise State does the unspeakable

Oh. So this is why reporters in 2008 dubbed that postseason college football game in San Diego "The Limited Access Bowl."

Boise State was involved.

The Broncos ended that season losing by a point to Texas Christian in the Poinsettia Bowl, and it appears it still takes an Act of Congress to speak with some of their players and assistant coaches this time of year.

There was a media gathering for the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas on Sunday and Boise State officials brought one media guide.

I am going to check for a copy on WikiLeaks, because I have to believe once that Australian activist fellow gets done posting all those videos and documents from the war in Afghanistan, his next project will be to uncover the bios of all Boise State team managers.

The moratorium on not allowing selected ones wearing blue and orange to talk this week as Boise State prepares to play Utah on Wednesday includes senior kicker Kyle Brotzman, who while the best at his position in school history, had two misses against UNR that were painted nationally as critical blunders.

Here's a different take: They define how dominant Boise State has been of late.

It would have been good to run this theory by Brotzman, whose head coach probably still thinks is too spent from that exclusive sit-down interview with ESPN just days after the UNR loss.

You know, nearly a month ago.

But think about it: Boise State since 2006 is 60-5 and has won 35 games by 20 points or more. In those 65 games, just 12 have been decided by single digits. The Broncos beat people silly and are 17-point favorites to whip the Utes.

(Who, by the way, made everyone available to talk Sunday).

Brotzman in becoming the all-time leading scorer at Boise State and in Western Athletic Conference history has faced as many game-winning kick situations as Ian McEwan has negative book reviews.

People don't notice if you miss field goals in 50-14 or 61-10 or 63-25 games, not that Brotzman has missed many. He is 65-of-89 over four seasons and is also the team's punter.

He also threw the pass off a fake punt against TCU last year that led to the Broncos winning the Fiesta Bowl. Few college kickers have been better or as versatile since the former walk-on arrived on the college scene.

But you can't simulate in practice what happened to Brotzman at UNR. You can't line up after a long day of drills and have players start screaming and clapping and create the pressure and intensity that comes from facing two kicks within minutes of each other that had a Bowl Championship Series game and millions of dollars attached to them.

He missed from 26 yards to end regulation.

He missed from 29 in overtime.

His team lost, 34-31.

"Kyle is fine," said Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who coach Chris Petersen, along with himself, allowed to speak Sunday. "We're so far past all that Nevada stuff If this game (Wednesday) comes down to a field goal, we want him out there and he's going to make it."

It's the kind of support Brotzman received from thousands following the UNR game. You had your resident lunatics with no lives making threats against him and posting hateful remarks on message boards and other social networking sites, but thankfully they were drowned out by those with a clue who appreciated the kicker's terrific career.

One Facebook page, named The Bronco Nation Loves Kyle Brotzman, had nearly 45,000 "Likes" as of Sunday evening.

I'm sure Brotzman appreciated such backing and that, if allowed to speak, would offer an educated, thoughtful response on the UNR game and playing here this week.

Just a guess, but perhaps something like this:

"We're very happy to be here. I've put the UNR game behind me. We lost for many reasons and not just those kicks. It is true our football program in Boise isn't just a big fish in a small pond, but more like a whale shark in a bead of sweat. Kellen Moore is treated like Justin Bieber at a concert for middle schoolers. A lot of control comes with being such a popular team. I suppose that's hard to give up, even during a week that is supposed to be defined by fun. Please don't print any of this until I first run the quotes by Coach Petersen. He likes to be in charge of and control everything."

Obviously.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can also be heard from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday and Thursday on "Monsters of the Midday," FOX Sports Radio 920 AM.