1974 Boise State Broncos football team

1974 Boise State Broncos football
Big Sky champion
Division II Quarterfinals, L 6–20 vs. Central Michigan
Conference	Big Sky Conference
1974 record	10–2 (6–0 Big Sky)
Head coach	Tony Knap (7th year)
Home stadium	Bronco Stadium

1974 Big Sky football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Boise State $^	6	–	0	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Montana State	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Idaho	2	–	2	–	1			2	–	8	–	1
Montana	2	–	3	–	1			3	–	6	–	1
Northern Arizona	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Idaho State	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Weber State	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – Division II playoff participant Boise State advanced to Div. II playoffs.

The 1974 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season, the seventh season of Bronco football (at the four-year level) and the second in the newly-reorganized Division II. The Broncos were in their fifth year as members of the Big Sky Conference (and NCAA) and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. This was the first season as "BSU" as the school had recently become a university.

Led by seventh-year head coach Tony Knap, the Broncos were 10–1 in the regular season and were again undefeated in conference (6–0), repeating as Big Sky champions.^[1] The only loss was by two points in-mid season at Las Vegas; the UNLV Rebels were led by running back Mike Thomas, a future NFL Rookie of the Year, and sophomore quarterback Glenn Carano. They built a 31-point lead, then hung on as Boise State answered with four straight touchdown passes from senior Jim McMillen.^[2] UNLV was undefeated until the Grantland Rice Bowl, the Division II semifinals.

Invited again to the eight-team Division II playoffs,^[3] BSU drew a road game in the quarterfinals at Central Michigan; the Chippewas won 20–6 and went on to win the national title. In the regular season, the Broncos had scored at least 35 points in every game.

Following this season, Bronco 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.^[4]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
Sep 14		at Cal Poly-SLO*	Mustang Stadium • San Luis Obispo, CA [5]	W 41–21	5,700
Sep 21		Chico State (CA)*	Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID	W 41–7	14,686
Sep 28		at Montana State	Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT [6]	W 40–37	9,100
Oct 05		Nevada-Reno*	Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID [7] (rivalry)	W 36–16	14,258
Oct 12		Idaho State	Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID [8]	W 61–3	14,310
Oct 19		at Nevada-Las Vegas*	Las Vegas Stadium • Whitney, NV [2]	L  35–37	18,631
Oct 26		at Northern Arizona	Lumberjack Stadium • Flagstaff, AZ [9]	W 45–13	8,000
Nov 02		Weber State	Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID [10]	W 42–14	13,252
Nov 09		UC Davis*	Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID [11]	W 41–20	14,608
Nov 16		at Montana	Dornblaser Field • Missoula, MT [12][13]	W 56–42	6,000
Nov 23	1:30 pm	Idaho - (Div. I)	Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID [14][15][16][17] (rivalry)	W 53–29	14,486
Nov 30		at Central Michigan*	Perry Shorts Stadium • Mt. Pleasant, MI [18][19] (Div. II Quarterfinal)	L   6–20	9,913
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. All times are in Mountain Time.

Source:^[20]

References

1. "Boise State Broncos -- College Football (NCAA)". college-football-results.com. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
2. "Las Vegas nips Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 20, 1974. p. 14.
3. "Boise State makes playoffs". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 19, 1974. p. 1B.
4. "BSC wants $1.4 million for stadium addition". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 1, 1973. p. 15.
5. "Boise State takes 41-21 debut win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 16, 1974. p. 16.
6. "Broncos nip Montana State 40-37". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 29, 1974. p. 7, sports.
7. "Boise State rolls past Reno 36-16". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 6, 1974. p. 16.
8. "Boise blasts way to 61-3 victory". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 13, 1974. p. 13.
9. "Boise State shells Lumberjacks, 45-13". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 27, 1974. p. 14.
10. "Boise State wallops Weber State 42-14". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 3, 1974. p. 17.
11. "Boise romps; Idaho State rallies". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 10, 1974. p. 17.
12. "Boise State clinches crown". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 17, 1974. p. 1B.
13. "BSU's McMillen running away with offense honors". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 19, 1974. p. 1B.
14. Emerson, Paul (November 23, 1974). "Vandals-Broncos". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
15. Emerson, Paul (November 24, 1974). "Boise State roars past Vandals 53-29". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
16. "Boise State rips Idaho in shootout". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 24, 1974. p. 1, sports.
17. "Boise heads for playoffs". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 25, 1974. p. 16.
18. "Boise beaten". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 1, 1974. p. 9D.
19. "CMU whips Boise St.; meet Louisiana Tech next". Ludington Daily News. (Michigan). UPI. December 2, 1974. p. 5.
20. "Record book (football)" (PDF). Boise State University Athletics. 2016. p. 71.

External links

• College Football Data Warehouse – Boise State (1970–74)