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There are many great Bronco Football plays, but there are some that rise above the rest. There’s the obvious two from the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, but does Kellen Moore’s game winning TD against Virginia Tech and ‘Murica compete with any any of the 2007 plays?

We want YOU to decide for us in our “Greatest Play in Boise State Football Bracket.”

We have the No.1 seed, the 2007 Statue of Liberty play against the updated version of Lady Liberty in “‘Murica” at No.4 seed.

The other side we have the No.2 seed with the Hook and Ladder against the No. 3 seed, Kellen Moore’s game winning TD to Austin Pettis.

At the end of our brief rundown of the plays, vote to see who makes the final cut in our last round.

No. 1 Seed – 2007 Statue of Liberty

If you don’t remember this play, you may not be a college football fan, let alone a Boise State fan. This is the play that put BSU on the map, the “play seen ‘round the world”, if you will.

The Situation: It’s the first overtime of Tostitos the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against number 8 ranked Oklahoma at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The number 9 ranked Broncos have just scored the tying touchdown, and have lined up for the two point conversion. If they score, the Broncos are Fiesta Bowl champions. If the try is unsuccessful the Broncos go home empty-handed and forgotten by the rest of the nation.

The Play: QB Jared Zabransky lines up under center at the three yard line with running back Ian Johnson behind him at the ten yard line, while three wide receivers are lined up out wide to Zabransky’s right in a bunch formation. Zabransky takes the snap, fakes a quick pass to the right, and hands the ball behind his back to Ian Johnson with his left hand. Johnson takes the ball, runs to the left corner of the end zone, and scores. Johnson throws the ball into the stands. Proposes to his girlfriend. She says yes. Broncos win.

Why You Should Vote For This Play: This is the play that defines Boise State football history. Anytime someone not directly affiliated with Boise State, or the city of Boise in some way knows about the program because of this play and the 2007 Fiesta Bowl upset over Oklahoma. “Oh wow, Boise huh? Yeah, I remember watching them in that game against Oklahoma a few years back. Craziest game I’ve ever watched”. Enough said.

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No. 4 Seed – ‘Murica – 2015 Vizio Fiesta Bowl

The Situation: The No. 20 ranked Broncos are up against the number 10 ranked Arizona Wildcats in their third Fiesta Bowl appearance. With 5:24 left in the first quarter, the Broncos are up 14-0.

The Play: The Broncos are on the 16 yard line, with QB Grant Hedrick lined up in the shotgun with running back Jay Ajayi to his right and running back Jeremy McNichols to his left. Before the snap, Hedrick motions McNichols out to his right. Hedrick then takes the snap, fakes the throw to his right, and hands the ball off to Ajayi behind his back with his left hand. Ajayi takes the ball and runs to the left, bouncing off defenders and stiff-arming a man to the ground on his way to the end zone. The Broncos go up 21-0 in the first quarter. Fiesta Bowl magic for a new generation.

Why You Should Vote For This Play: This Statue of Liberty was not a game winner, but was still just as exciting. It was a nod to the programs Fiesta Bowl history, and Jay Ajayi scoring on the play while running over defenders just made it that much sweeter. Also, if you watch the play closely, you’ll see the nation’s “top defensive player,” Scooby Wright falling at Ajayi’s feet after missing the tackle. Also, this Fiesta Bowl win came 8 seasons after the Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, and 5 seasons after the Fiesta Bowl win over TCU. 8 years ago, freshman at Boise State were ten years old, many of which probably didn’t even watch the game. If you came to Boise State in the last 5 years, this is the play you should consider voting for.

Which play was greater? No. 1 vs No. 4 #1 Ian Johnson's Statue of Liberty (89%, 328 Votes)

#4 Jay Ajayi's 'Murica (11%, 42 Votes) Total Voters: 370

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No. 2 Seed – 2007 Hook and Ladder

This play once again comes from arguably the top game in Boise State football history.

The Situation: There are 18 seconds left in the 4th quarter of the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners. The score is 35-28 in favor of the Sooners. The Broncos are lined up for a 4th-and-18 play at the 50 yard line. If they don’t get the first down, the Broncos go home losers in their first ever Fiesta Bowl appearance.

The Play: The ball is placed at the 50 yard line with QB Jared Zabransky standing in the shotgun on his own 45 yard line. Running back Ian Johnson is to the right of Zabransky’s, three wide receivers are lined up to Zabransky’s right with equal splits, and one receiver is split out to the left.

Before the snap, Zabransky shifts Johnson to stand on his left rather than his right. Zabransky takes the snap, drops back, and throws the ball to his left, hitting receiver Drisan James, who catches the pass at the 35 yard line. James, who is running across the field from left to right, then takes three steps and laterals the ball back to receiver Jerard Rabb, who is running roughly four yards behind James across the field from right to left. Rabb takes the lateral and scampers to the left corner of the end zone, tying the score (after kicker Kyle Brotzman kicked the extra point, of course).

Why You Should Vote For This Play: Without the Hook and Ladder, the Statue of Liberty play to win the 2007 Fiesta Bowl doesn’t even happen. It could be argued that this play was equally as clutch as the Statue of Liberty to win the game. On top of that, the play took place on a 4th and 18 rather than from three yards away like the Statue of Liberty did. To pull off this play, there had to be a perfect throw by Zabransky, catch by James, and successful lateral from James to Rabb. It could be argued that this play took much more skill and planning than the Statue of Liberty.

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No. 3 Seed – Moore’s Game winning TD vs Virginia Tech

Moore to Pettis Game Winning Touchdown in Allstate Kickoff in the Capitol 2010

The Situation: The number 10 ranked Hokies of Virginia Tech are up 30-26 with 1:14 left in the game. It is the opening game for both the Hokies and number 3 ranked Broncos. The game is being played at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, in front of a sold out crowd. While it is a neutral site, the game is basically a home contest for Virginia Tech.

The Play: The Broncos are lined up at Virginia Tech’s 18 yard line in an offset I formation. QB Kellen Moore motions receiver Austin Pettis from left to right behind the line of scrimmage before the start of the play. When Pettis gets to the right hash, Moore takes the snap. He then fakes a handoff to the right to running back Doug Martin, drops back, and hits Pettis in the back of the end zone on a go route. The Broncos proceed to go up 33-30 and win the game. More Kellen Moore magic.

Why You Should Vote For This Play: While this play didn’t take place in a Fiesta Bowl and doesn’t have a flashy trick play name, it was still just as clutch and exciting as the one and two seeds. Kellen Moore showcased his talent to the nation on this night, in a game in which most expected the Virginia Tech running game and suffocating defense to shut down the Broncos. Although the Broncos were ranked seven spots higher than the Hokies, they were considered the underdog. As usual, the team embraced the role and played their game, ignoring everyone on the outside. If you like an underdog story, and overcoming an opponent without having to involve trickery, this is the play for you. Also, if you are a Kellen Moore fan, this is the play to vote for as this is the only time he shows up in our bracket.

Which play was greater? No. 2 The Hook and Ladder (77%, 281 Votes)

No. 3 Kellen Moore's game winning TD against Virginia Tech (23%, 85 Votes) Total Voters: 366

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Our polls will be closing on Friday August 8th, make sure to cast your vote for the finals!

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