BOISE, Idaho — Minutes before kickoff of Boise State’s season-opening game against Washington on Sept. 4, two A-10 Warthog fighter jets roared past Albertsons Stadium. A loud music video introducing the Boise State team played on the big screen, and smoke was fired out of the tunnel from which the players were about to emerge. Large university flags were waved, and fireworks were shot into the air. It was sensory overload.

At the back of the north end zone, a 19-year-old mare named Shyann stood facing away from the spectacle. Her owner, Beth Miller, Boise State’s Bronco Girl, tried to remain calm in the saddle. But the circuslike atmosphere made this an impossible task.

“When we’re going out there, you can feel her getting excited,” Miller said. “You can really feel her heart beat. And it gets my heart racing, too.”

Finally, it was time to take off. The horse turned around and raced toward the 50-yard line. The announced crowd of 36,836 — the Broncos’ second biggest ever — was in a frenzy as Miller and Shyann sped down the field, with Beth carrying a large flag bearing Boise State’s logo.