CONGRESSIONAL STATEMENT HONORS BOISE STATE

Washington, DC â?? Boise State Universityâ??s victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has now been preserved for history in another national forum: the United States Congress. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today introduced a Congressional Record Statement applauding the Broncosâ?? efforts, singling out team members, Coach Chris Petersen and President Robert Kustra. Crapo noted how the teamâ??s effort has been mirrored by Boise being named as one of the most inventive cities in the nation over the past year. Crapo visited the Boise State campus in 2003 to present a previous Congressional statement regarding the teamâ??s undefeated season. The text of todayâ??s Fiesta Bowl Congressional Statement reads as follows:â??Mr./Madam President, if a football victory on New Yearâ??s Day is a harbinger of things to come, 2007 looks to be a thrilling year marked by success and celebration. Most of my colleagues here know that Boise State University won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on New Yearâ??s Day. This bowl victory completes an undefeated football season (13-0), thanks to the hard work, dedication and love of the game by the Boise State football players, fans, Coach Chris Petersen, his staff, the athletic department and the University Administration. They all worked very hard to reach this remarkable achievement, and they have not only my congratulations, but the congratulations of Idahoans and Americans everywhere. â??Idaho is home to just over a million people and has some surprising secrets, not the least of which has been the five-time defending Western Athletic Conference Champion Boise State Broncos football team. It is a source of tremendous pride to see the team make national headlines, once again, for Idaho in this incredibly positive manner. The victory that barely eluded them in last yearâ??s MPC Computers Bowl came riding home, and riding home hard. The Fiesta Bowl game against traditional football powerhouse the University of Oklahoma was college football at its best and the BSU players and coaches came through with some stunning plays. While Boise dominated the first three-quarters of the game, the Sooners came roaring back. The last two minutes of the game were as good as college football gets. When the game went into overtime, the Sooners didnâ??t waste a playâ??they immediately scored a touchdown to temporarily take the lead. With the game on the line, the Boise State players came through and scored a touchdown along with a thrilling two-point conversion to bring the final score to 43-42, Boise State. Earlier in 2006, Boise was named the 8th most inventive city in the nation. That creativity and innovation was certainly the Spirit of Idaho at its best on the field of play at crunch time and made this dreamed Bronco victory a reality. â??The BSU Broncos are committed to excellence both on and off the field. The players take the energy they generate on the field and spread it throughout the community and state. The extraordinary progress and development of the BSU football program and the entire University stand as a testament to what can be accomplished with leadership, commitment, determination, and, most importantly, teamwork. â??As the nation marvels at the â??hook and lateralâ?? and â??Statue of Libertyâ?? plays that sealed the victory, I congratulate Coach Petersen, President Bob Kustra, Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier, the entire team, loyal students, alumni and fans on their collective victory which all Idahoans enthusiastically share. I offer a friendly condolence to my colleagues from Oklahoma and Iâ??m confident that their fine program will continue its tradition of excellence. And, I offer this statement as a friendly notice to my colleagues from states that are home to traditional college football powerhouses: that thunder you hear is from our charging Broncos. I look forward to another great season this fall when the Broncos will run again.â??