Boise State Football

It was announced on BroncoSports.com that Boise State will play a home-and-home series with the University of Virginia.

In 2015 the Broncos will make the trek to Charlottesville, Virginia and the Cavaliers will dive onto The Blue in 2017. According to the article, the teams will be guaranteed $200,000 per game, and it will be the first time these two schools will meet on the gridiron.

With the addition of Virginia in 2015, the Broncos have the beginnings of a good out-of-conference schedule that season. Boise State will also face the Washington Huskies at home and BYU on the road that year.

Boise State has played only two other ACC football teams in its history. A 27-21 loss to Boston College in the 2005 Humanitarian Bowl and a dramatic win over Virginia Tech just three seasons ago at FedEx Field.

The Broncos are certainly shopping for challenging non-conference games to fit into their schedule. In 2013 they will open at Washington and in 2014 it will be another Chick-fil-A game in the Georgia Dome, versus Ole Miss this time around.

The Rebels made a splash this year with a highly ranked recruiting class, so they should be ready to give the Broncos all they can handle.

The Huskies will no doubt be looking for revenge when Boise State travels to Seattle in 2013. It will be the first game in the newly renovated Husky Stadium, and you know Washington will want to defend its new house.

As the Broncos continue to add to their home stadium seating and once again find themselves with several nationally televised games, it should be easier to land better home-and-home competition.

Expect an announcement like this one to become the rule rather than the exception as the Boise State program continues to grow.

Boise States' spring camp should have a much different feel to it in 2013. Most Broncos fans remember how tumultuous it was just a year ago when the defense needed a massive rebuild and the vacuum Kellen Moore and Doug Martin left behind seemed to drain huge portions of hope from much of the Boise faithful.

Fast forward almost 12 months, 11 wins and another Maaco Bowl Las Vegas trophy, and you have a whole new set of expectations going into spring camp this time around.

In retrospect, last season may be the best coaching job that Petersen has done since taking over at Boise State, and while this spring will probably not be nearly as dramatic as last, there are still some intriguing story lines.

Spring Game Day Information:

Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013

Time: 5:30 MST

Location: Bronco Stadium

Television: N/A

Radio: Bronco Radio Network

Spring Practice Schedule: March 11 - April 13

What to Look for on Offense

Last season it was all about the quarterbacks in spring camp. Joe Southwick, Grant Hedrick, Jimmy Laughrea and Nick Patti battled it out for the starting job.

This year will be similar, but with one big difference.

Joe Southwick won the job last season, and although he didn't have the start Boise State fans desired, he finished strong and proved he could win.

It will be difficult for anyone to unseat Southwick this time around. His mobility and leadership in the Maaco Bowl gives him the clear edge going into to camp. However, coach Petersen loves competition, and he will not just hand the reigns to Mr. Southwick without proving he can handle them.

Still, the intrigue will be considerably less this season when it comes to quarterbacks. Running backs, on the other hand, are a completely different situation.

Jay Ajayi is clearly the odds-on favorite to win the starting job, but look for junior college transfer Derrick Thomas and a few others to make it interesting.

The offensive line will have a mild rebuild, but with a handful of experienced players coming back, the Broncos should be fine in that area. They are also loaded up at wide receiver.

The one area that could come into play is fullback. With just one official fullback on the roster (Jamal Wilson), look for the Broncos to once again utilize a tight end or perhaps a defensive player in that position.

What to Look for on Defense

The defense is in much better shape this season than last. However, losing Jamar Taylor and Jerrell Gavins will definitely be a challenge for the secondary. Add to that the early permanent departure of Lee Hightower, and you have a considerable challenge.

Look for some junior college players and a few young guys to take their shot this spring.

Linebacker will also be a key area to keep an eye on. With J.C. Percy riding off into the sunset, the Bronco defense will need another workhorse.

There are a few returning players that should step it up this spring. Dustin Kamper, Tyler Gray and Blake Renaud are three to keep in mind. There are also some young guys looking for their chance to prove they belong; this spring they will get it.

What to Look for on Special Teams

Kicking is a sore spot for most Boise State fans. The Broncos did win the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas on the leg of Michael Frisina in 2012, but the winning kick against Washington was the final kick of Frisina's career.

So, back to the drawing board.

Enter Tyler Rausa. He is a junior college transfer that has a good leg, good accuracy and seems to know what the Broncos coaching staff is looking for.

In an Idaho Statesman article written by Chadd Cripe, Rausa puts it in perspective when he is quoted as saying:

They’re not looking for a huge leg. They want someone to just be himself, to not be overwhelmed by the crowd or the situation. A guy who will work hard and do what he has to do. It’s not given. I have to come in and earn that spot. I have to work my butt off.

With Rausa in camp, the competition should be between him, Dan Goodale and perhaps Sean Wale. As far as kickoffs and punts go, the Broncos have an excellent kicker in Trevor Harman, and he will be looking to finish his senior season strong.

The other intriguing special-teams story line to watch is on punt and kick returns. Shane Williams-Rhodes made quite a splash against Washington, so look for him to be there. But, there are several others who could join him.

Overall

Spring practice and the spring game should be less stressful this year for Broncos fans, but it should also be somewhat intriguing.

With many quality players coming back, several guys from last year's recruiting class looking to step up and some junior college transfers in the mix, it could be a very interesting month of action.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all the latest news and information.

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The NCAA has proposed some new rules to take effect in time for the 2013 college football season, according to an Associated Press report on ESPN.com.

One of those rules is that if a player intentionally hits another player above the shoulders, that player would be ejected from the game. The article states:

The NCAA Football Rules Committee said it had unanimously approved strengthening of the penalty for intentional above-the-shoulder hits. The 15-yard penalty will now have an ejection tacked on, assuming the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves the plan next month

That rule seems logical, and it goes a long way in protecting players.

However, one of the proposed rule changes has a lot of people scratching their heads. The article goes on to say:

Perhaps one of the stranger rule changes, and one Boise State fans surely will notice, would require teams to have either their jerseys or pants contrast in color to the playing field. 

Huh?

Does anyone really believe blue on blue or green on green gives an advantage to a team? Wouldn't the so called "camouflage" cause the home team to have the same problem?

Could a quarterback see his own receivers if it were such a problem?

The only possible advantage to blue-on-blue or green-on-green is when it comes to game film. However, with HD and all the current technology, that kind of thing has to be minimal at best.

Still, you have to wonder where this new rule idea came from?

This is not the place to speculate, but it sure is a very suspicious rules change proposal. Does this mean San Diego State can't wear all black at night, or Penn State can't wear all white in a snow storm?

Where does it end?

No matter what happens, the one thing all of this could do for the Broncos is place another chip on their already loaded down shoulders.

Chris Petersen is a master motivator, and you know he won't let this go to waste.

This rule will be known to most at "The Boise State Rule" if it does pass, and it will serve as just one more log on the underdog fire.