Johnson, Broncos ready to fight to finish
By Adam RittenbergIan Johnson still hears the voice. Loud and clear.
Every time he touches the football, particularly on going-nowhere plays, the F-word runs through Johnson's mind.
"Finish, finish, finish," Johnson said. "I always hear it in my head. Finish."
This spring, Boise State running backs coach Jeff Choate approached Johnson, who was sidelined after undergoing hernia surgery. Choate had a simple message for the back: Rest up, then report to camp like a guy ready to carry the ball 30 times a game.
"Make sure you're ready to finish everything that you do," Choate told Johnson. "If you're not ready, don't put on this helmet."
Fast forward to Sept. 7. Boise State playing host to Oregon State. Tie game. Middle of the second quarter.
Johnson, already with two touchdown runs, takes the ball on first-and-goal from the 3. There's no room. Three Beavers defenders swarm.
In previous years, Johnson would have been satisfied to reach the 1-yard line.
"That's exactly what's supposed to happen," he said. "Then I thought, 'I'm not supposed to score right now, but what if I start driving my feet?' I started driving and I felt, 'Oh, there's an inch. There's another one.'"
He drove his feet faster and pushed into the end zone.
"Whoa," Johnson thought, "this really does work."
Minutes later, Oregon State called a perfect blitz and was primed to smother Johnson. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound sophomore cut back, only to find Beavers safety Sabby Piscitelli directly in his path.
"Hey, he's bigger than me, but why can't I hit him?" Johnson decided. "I ran at him, broke off his tackle. Two more guys jumped on, and I was like, 'No. I'm gonna finish, I'm going to get to the end zone.' It's just something I do.
"I have to finish."
Finish is the buzzword for Johnson and his Boise State teammates as they close in on an undefeated regular season and a likely BCS berth. Media attention has reached a fever pitch, and the Broncos are universally projected to reach the Fiesta Bowl.
But No. 14 Boise State (9-0, 5-0 Western Athletic Conference) must win its final three games to stamp a perfect season. The stretch run begins Saturday at San Jose State (6-2, 3-1), arguably the nation's biggest surprise.
The Broncos also finish the season at Nevada, a team still steaming from its 35-point loss last year on the blue turf.
It's time to finish.
"That's been the word since fall camp started," said linebacker Korey Hall, who ranks 19th nationally in tackles (9.44 tpg). "Toward the last part here is when we're going to have to really pick that up and make sure we finish everything."
Added Johnson: "Finish it now. If we have a chance to finish a game early like we had at New Mexico State, finish it. Don't let them come back. Don't let a stupid mistake ruin that for us. Finish it. When you let a team linger, bad things happen."
Boise State's method for success is hardly a mystery. Steadfast run defense, efficient passing from quarterback Jared Zabransky and lots of Johnson, who ranks fourth nationally in rushing (146.3 ypg).
The defense tightened up against the pass and became more polished against the run. Boise State ranks 25th in scoring defense (16.7 ypg), up from 51st last year (24.4), and only two opponents have eclipsed 100 rushing yards.
First-year coordinator Justin Wilcox has shuffled formations effectively during games, but he hasn't deviated from the Broncos' core.
"He grew up in this style of defense," coach Chris Petersen said. "That's one of the reasons he's here. We didn't have to start from scratch."
There were fewer certainties at running back. Four players had 100 or more carries last season, including Johnson, who put up sound numbers (663 yards, 4 TDs) but nothing that suggested the explosion this fall.
"We didn't know exactly how good or solid of a back he was," Petersen said.
Petersen had his answer after the Oregon State game. So did the rest of the country.
Johnson tied a school record with five touchdowns and tallied a career-high 240 rushing yards in a 42-14 win on ESPN.
He hasn't looked back since. In the last three games combined, Johnson has accounted for 511 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
"He finds the seam in the blocking schemes," said San Jose State cornerback Dwight Lowery, the nation's leader in interceptions (eight in as many games). "He's also shifty, so that [contributes] to his success."
Added SJSU coach Dick Tomey: "He fights for every yard. You think he's down, and all of a sudden he gets four more yards."
Johnson's emergence on an unbeaten team has placed him in an unshakable spotlight. But the well-adjusted Johnson, from San Dimas, Calif., insists he hasn't changed.
He was never a big partier to begin with, and he still rarely goes out.
"I've done nothing special," he said. "I'm no one special."
His fans beg to differ. Consider a recent exchange Johnson had on his way to class.
"Hey!" someone yelled. "Will you sign my car?
"What?" Johnson replied. "I'm not going to deny you a signature. I'll definitely help you out, but make sure this is OK. You really want me to sign your car with a permanent marker?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Johnson actually has autographed four or five cars in recent weeks.
"One of them was a brand-new truck, a Dodge 3500," he said. "Expensive truck."
The bizarre autograph requests aren't reserved for Johnson, either. Hall recently signed a wall in someone's room (he wisely decided not to elaborate).
"When we look back on the season, we can enjoy all that stuff," Hall said.
Boise State's attempt at tunnel vision makes them outwardly numb to the polls. In a week where Louisville moved up to No. 3 in the AP poll and the BCS standings, Boise State remained No. 14 in both rankings.
The Broncos have moved up only one spot since the initial BCS standings were released.
"If we get leapfrogged by Western Michigan State, we won't care," Johnson said. "We'll get what we deserve, if we deserve it."
Boise State won't deserve a BCS bid if it loses to San Jose State. Two years removed from a 2-9 record, the Spartans are gunning for their first postseason appearance since the 1990 California Raisin Bowl.
Quarterback Adam Tafralis has stabilized the offense, and running back Yonus Davis ranks 13th nationally in rushing (107.6 ypg). Behind Lowery, the Spartans have shut out four opponents after halftime.
"Every time we had downer or something where the team could break apart, we've come together," Lowery said.
Hall noticed a vast improvement when he watched the Spartans on tape.
"It's a total turnaround from last year," he said. "Their coaches have got everybody believing. We don't want to overlook anybody.
"We don't want to get too big before we finish this thing out."
Adam Rittenberg covers college football for the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald.
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