1971 Boise State Broncos football team

1971 Boise State Broncos football
Camellia Bowl,
W 32–28 vs. Chico State
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 13 (small college)
APNo. 7 (small college)
Record10–2 (4–2 Big Sky)
Head coach
Home stadiumBronco Stadium
Seasons
← 1970
1972 →
1971 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Idaho $ 4 1 0 8 3 0
No. 7 Boise State 4 2 0 10 2 0
Montana 3 2 0 6 5 0
Weber State 3 2 1 7 2 1
Idaho State 2 3 0 6 4 0
Northern Arizona 1 3 0 5 5 0
Montana State 0 5 1 2 7 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP small college poll

The 1971 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State College during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season, the fourth season of Bronco football (at the four-year level) and the second as members of the Big Sky Conference and NCAA. In the College Division (now Division II), they played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

Led by fourth-year head coach Tony Knap, the Broncos were 9–2 in the regular season (4–2 in conference),[1] and were invited to the Camellia Bowl in Sacramento, California.

Boise State opened the season with a stunning 42–14 upset of Idaho in the first meeting between the two teams,[2] creating an instant rivalry game.[3] This was actually an Idaho "home game" moved to Boise, because their new stadium in Moscow was not completed.[4] A member of the University Division, Idaho had frequently played one home game per season in Boise in the old wooden Bronco Stadium (and its predecessors) from 1920 through 1968; this ended when Boise State joined the Big Sky. Despite the opening loss, Idaho won the conference title in 1971,[5] as the Broncos lost twice on the road.

Knap was named coach of the year in the West for the College Division.[6]

  1. ^ "Boise State Broncos -- College Football (NCAA)". college-football-results.com. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. ^ Bacharach, Sam A. (September 12, 1971). "Broncos kick Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 15.
  3. ^ Payne, Bob (September 12, 1971). "Boise stuns Idaho". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 1, sports.
  4. ^ "Vandals switch home to Boise for opening game against Broncos tonight". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. September 11, 1971. p. 15.
  5. ^ "Boise State accepts bid". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. November 23, 1971. p. 15.
  6. ^ "Boise State's Tony Knap wins grid coaching honor". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. December 3, 1971. p. 16.