1974 Boise State Broncos football team

1974 Boise State Broncos football
Big Sky champion
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3 (D-II)
APNo. 5 (D-II)
Record10–2 (6–0 Big Sky)
Head coach
Home stadiumBronco Stadium
Seasons
← 1973
1975 →
1974 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Boise State $^ 6 0 0 10 2 0
Montana State 4 2 0 7 3 0
Idaho 2 2 1 2 8 1
Montana 2 3 1 3 6 1
Northern Arizona 2 3 0 3 6 0
Idaho State 2 4 0 5 5 0
Weber State 1 5 0 4 7 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AP small college poll

The 1974 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season, the seventh season of Bronco football (at the four-year level) and the second in the newly reorganized Division II. The Broncos were in their fifth year as members of the Big Sky Conference (and NCAA) and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. This was the first season as "BSU" as the school had recently become a university.

Led by seventh-year head coach Tony Knap, the Broncos were 10–1 in the regular season and were again undefeated in conference (6–0), repeating as Big Sky champions.[1] The only loss was by two points in-mid season at Las Vegas; the UNLV Rebels were led by running back Mike Thomas, a future NFL Rookie of the Year, and sophomore quarterback Glenn Carano. They built a 31-point lead, then hung on as Boise State answered with four straight touchdown passes from senior Jim McMillan.[2] UNLV was undefeated until the Grantland Rice Bowl, the Division II semifinals.

Invited again to the eight-team Division II playoffs,[3] BSU drew a road game in the quarterfinals at Central Michigan; the Chippewas won 20–6 and went on to win the national title. CMU moved up to Division I in 1975, joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC). In the regular season, the Broncos had scored at least 35 points in every game.

Following this season, Bronco Stadium was expanded with an upper deck added to the east grandstand, which increased the permanent seating capacity to 20,000. Part of the original design, it had been delayed for five years due to high costs.[4]

  1. ^ "Boise State Broncos -- College Football (NCAA)". college-football-results.com. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. ^ "Las Vegas nips Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 20, 1974. p. 14.
  3. ^ "Boise State makes playoffs". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. November 19, 1974. p. 1B.
  4. ^ "BSC wants $1.4 million for stadium addition". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 1, 1973. p. 15.