Boise State’s Petersen cautious about Mountain West entry

Many expect the Boise State football team to move into the Mountain West Conference this year and continue dominating the way it did in the Western Athletic Conference.

But Broncos coach Chris Petersen, using history as a guide, warned that his team could experience growing pains.

Petersen pointed out that in its first season in the WAC, following back-to-back Big West Conference titles, Boise State posted an 8-4 record that included two league losses in 2001.

"When you look at teams that join a new conference, that first year -- even if the team is great -- doesn't go well," Petersen said Tuesday during the MWC media teleconference.

After that initial season, though, the Broncos lost only three WAC games in the next nine years.

Once just a regional curiosity with a unique blue field, Boise State became a national sensation after its trick play-fueled upset of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl following the 2006 season. The Broncos finished that season 13-0 and ranked No. 5.

They built on that success, ending the 2008 season at No. 11 and 2009 at No. 4.

Last season, Boise State threatened to shake up the college football landscape before a late upset loss to UNR ended the Broncos' hopes for a national title shot. They finished 12-1 and ranked No. 9 after defeating Utah 26-3 in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas.

"If you look at college football in the last five years, they're as talented as anyone," Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild said.

That's not to say Mountain West coaches will simply throw up their hands and concede.

First-year San Diego State coach Rocky Long immediately took aim at Boise State's trademarked -- no upper-division schools can copy it -- blue turf. The former longtime New Mexico coach said the field creates an "unfair" advantage because "it takes about a quarter to get used to it.

"I think they ought to get rid of the blue turf," Long added.

It's nothing Petersen hasn't heard over and over from opposing teams.

"If (the turf's) an advantage, great," Petersen said when asked about Long's remarks.

Boise State's entry is part of a larger Mountain West overhaul. Utah is leaving for the Pac-12, and Brigham Young will play as an independent.

Texas Christian has one more season before it departs for the Big East, and UNR, Fresno State and Hawaii begin Mountain West play in 2012.

"I think the teams we're adding the next two years will make us an extremely strong football conference," UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.