Yep, this is usually a Chargers article—but then, it’s usually the Chargers who play at Qualcomm (when the Aztecs can win more than three games, I’ll start counting them, too). Yesterday as a Christmas present, my wife, my brother and I took my mom, who’s a Boise native, to see her beloved Broncos take on the TCU Horned Frogs in the friendly (if a bit industrial) confines of Qualcomm Stadium. Here’s the stands-eye view. As always, View From The Q contains uncredited and unappreciated comments and commentary from Paula “Boise-Bred” Anderson, Matt “Hey! Whoa!” Guardabascio, Ryan “Leaky Pipes” Thies, JJ “Working On Xmas Eve” Fiddler, and Shar “My Wife” Higa.
1. As I mentioned, our tickets to the game were a Christmas present to my mom—sports always make the best presents, I discovered at an early age. You end up spending time with someone as opposed to just giving them something, and you get to enjoy it too. Selfish? Sure!
2. I like that BSU fans all wear that bright, hideous orange—it’s like the field up there has caused garishness to be a part of their fandom. That’s what college sports are all about!
3. We’re feeling pretty good after the Ian Johnson touchdown. After he scores, he proposes to my mom, my wife, and his fiancée again, just for good measure.
4. At the end of the first quarter, TCU has 80 total yards to Boise State’s 132, and the score is Broncos 10, Horned Frogs 0. Feels like a rout!
5. Horned Frogs as a mascot? For real?
6. Ahem. At the end of the first half, it’s 13-7 Broncos, and they’re lucky it’s that close. A rout? In the second, BSU gained -7 yards. If not for two first-half interceptions, the Horned Frogs (for real?!) would be up.
7. The halftime show is something—there were floats in the pregame (won’t find that in the NFL, will ya?), but they shot so many fireworks off in the intermission that a cloud of smoke has descended blimp-like onto the field, where it’s sitting patiently, waiting for the game to start. Worst smoke in the Q since the wildfires.
8. I like Kellen Moore, the Broncos QB—he’s got a good presence, and though he maybe puts too much zip on his passes, he goes through his reads well. Hard to believe he’s a freshman.
8. By the way, if you’ve seen an interception return that was more fun to watch this season than Byron Hout’s, I’d like to know about it—that was worth the price of admission right there!
9. The game ends with a Horned Frog (FOR REAL?!) win, 17-16. Somebody points out there wasn’t a miracle this time, and I point out that losing by one is kind of a miracle, considering the following stats: they were outgained by 220+ yards, the Frogs had 10 times as many rushing yards, and had the ball for thirteen minutes longer. Plus, that guy lying down on the opening kickoff was pretty damn neat, even if it didn’t win the game.
10. There are few things more enjoyable than watching a good, evenly-matched football game that you don’t have a soul-crushing emotional investment in—having your mom tell you she loved her Christmas present that you get to write off as a business expense is one of them.
11. Merry Christmas!