This touchdown wasn’t nearly as captivating as the original, but sequels rarely meet the level of an exalted classic. The scene -- less than 10 minutes into the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, the score 14-0 -- wasn’t nearly as tense as the setup to the 2007 climax: a two-point Statue of Liberty attempt on the game’s final play in overtime. And while Boise State’s Jay Ajayi fell to the turf after scoring, Ian Johnson fell to one knee at the feet of his college sweetheart.

A good sequel stays true to its roots, however, keeping the same unique touches as homage to the original. After both touchdowns, a wide smile adorned the cunning coach underneath a bright blue cap emblazoned with a Boise State Bronco. The man who contrived the Statue of Liberty play in 2007, Bryan Harsin, was the same as on New Year’s Eve 2014. And both touchdowns helped deliver the same message, that maybe those outsiders from Boise deserve a voice in future national championship conversations.

Bryan Harsin and Boise State need to be perfect to have a chance to play for the national title. AP Photo/Cathleen Allison

"We didn’t run that play for a long time," Harsin said of the 2014 version, "but we like to have fun. That was part of the 'We’re back here [at the Fiesta Bowl] and our kids get excited about that. We’re going to run it' and it’s like 'Hell yeah!'"

The Smurf Turf swagger is back with the Broncos, the annual underdog with the funky field and funkier style of play. (How many teams run two Statue of Liberty plays in the same season?) This time, it’s under the direction of Harsin, who was the offensive coordinator under Chris Petersen in that 2007 game.

There was a belief Boise State would lose its status as the BCS-busting and now Group of 5 darling without Petersen, who left for Washington in 2013 following the Broncos' worst season in almost two decades. Harsin's 3-2 start didn't do much to alleviate concerns and even had him admitting that if he were a fan he would "jump off the bandwagon." But Harsin turned it around and punctuated a 12-2 season with Fiesta Bowl hardware.

As a former Petersen assistant, the two have similar coaching styles that have led to similar results. But maybe just as important when coaching in the Group of 5, Harsin has the personality and the plays to make the Broncos that beloved Boise program once again. Trends are cyclical, and the Broncos looked poised to be one of the hip teams in 2015.

As spring camp closes for the Broncos on Saturday, they find themselves in the familiar position of preseason Group of 5 favorite. Boise State is poised for a run at another undefeated season, which is the only way the Broncos sniff the playoff picture. The entire offensive line returns, as does receiver and Fiesta Bowl offensive MVP Thomas Sperbeck. Defensively, the Broncos will look similar to last season. The lofty preseason expectations are back.

The biggest concern is at quarterback after Grant Hedrick's graduation. Four players will compete into fall camp for the starting job, although redshirt sophomore Ryan Finley has first crack.

"Everything really feels the same. You think there’d be a drop off but everything feels the same and the offense is clicking on all cylinders," Sperbeck said. "... [Finley] is doing a good job because he knows the offense so well, and it’s carrying over this spring."

The quarterback situation will be the biggest question within the football complex’s walls. Outside of Boise State, the same offseason question posed at Boise State for much of the past decade will likely be reignited this summer.

Can the Broncos play for a national championship?

The Boise State debate reached a saturation point in 2011 amidst another Broncos run toward a potential BCS berth. The consensus was it was fine for the polarizing Broncos to crash the BCS party; they were welcome as long as they were happy standing behind the red velvet ropes. Discussions of anything more than entry to the BCS -- such as inclusion in the championship game -- caused a schism among college football observers.

Now under a new playoff format, the Broncos have reintroduced themselves as potential participants following their first Fiesta Bowl win since the 2008 season.

"Will [the champion] come from the Power 5? Probably and that’s how it’s been," Harsin said. "But if a good Boise State team shows up in 2015, wins every game and does it decisively, is fun to watch and we put ourselves in the conversation then I don’t know why [Boise State can’t make the playoff] if the goal is to find a true champion."

Strength of schedule weighed heavily with the committee in the first year, and the 2015 season begins with three Power 5 opponents among the Broncos’ first four games. They are also hoping the Fiesta Bowl win -- all of three of them in fact -- will still hold weight in the committee’s minds.

"All three Fiesta Bowls should open eyes to people that we can compete with the top programs," Sperbeck said.

Harsin believes the committee will give his team a fair shake come December if the Broncos are knocking on the door.

"I got to believe at some point they’ll have the option of taking Boise State and say, 'Let’s take Boise State and see what they got. They played Oklahoma and TCU and Arizona and won.' That’s the opportunity for a team like Boise State to play for a national championship," Harsin said. "A lot of things have to happen the right way, but things happened for Ohio State.

"And if we win and Boise State is playing in the national championship, think about that, how awesome would that be? That’s what college football is about -- opportunities like that."

That opportunity would come at the University of Phoenix Stadium, site of the 2016 national championship -- and Boise State’s Fiesta Bowl wins.

Would Lady Liberty find itself on loan to the Broncos in the Arizona desert a third time? Harsin said, "it’s part of who we are."

Added Sperbeck: "And it usually does pan out perfectly."