Petersen: Competition key in spring drills

BOISE - Boise State opened spring workouts Monday with all but three starters returning from a team that went undefeated a year ago, upset Texas Christian in the Fiesta Bowl and finished No. 4 in The Associated Press poll.

A lineup rich in veterans with big-game experience might be a relief to some coaches heading into off-season drills.

Not Chris Petersen. Touting a talented and hungry pool of underclassmen, the Broncos coach has put his first stringers on notice, warning that most of their jobs are up for grabs - starting now.

"There is no sense of entitlement here," said Petersen, now 49-4, including two Fiesta Bowl victories, in four seasons as the Broncos' head coach.

"There are a lot of good players here who are going to push some people. If one of our young guys can beat out an older guy, I think that's how we want it here," he said. "I hope the lineup looks much different than it did in the Fiesta Bowl."

That's not to suggest the Fiesta Bowl starters were a bunch of slackers.

The Broncos finished 14-0, won their second straight Western Athletic Conference title and defeated previously unbeaten TCU - a team thought by some worthy of national title consideration - 17-10 on one of college football's biggest postseason stages.

The offense led the nation in scoring, averaging 42.2 points per game, and finished 10th in total offense, piling up an average of 450 yards per game. The defense also shined, allowing just 17.1 points per game and 300 yards per game, good enough to rank among the nation's top 15 defenses in both categories.

But there are new expectations to meet and a schedule that is shaping up to be the toughest ever, featuring a Labor Day showdown on the road against Virginia Tech and a Sept. 25 matchup with Oregon State on the blue turf in Boise.

"If we think we're going to repeat because of the guys we have coming back, because of what we did last year, I promise you we won't," Petersen said. "I think everyone needs to be extremely paranoid and have an edge."

Barring injury, it's unlikely junior quarterback Kellen Moore has any serious job security issues. Moore emerged as one of the nation's most accurate and prolific passers last year, throwing for 3,356 yards, 39 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also finished second in the nation with a passer rating of 161.6 and completed 64.3 percent of his passes.

Despite those impressive numbers, coaches have an offseason to-do list for Moore. The agenda requires Moore to focus on mechanics, stepping into the pocket with more authority and improving accuracy on deeper throws.

"There were some guys open in the Fiesta Bowl that could have changed the game," said Petersen. "That didn't get done."

Elsewhere, heated battles for starting spots should play out on the offensive line, at linebacker and in the defensive secondary. One spot on the offensive line is open due to the medical redshirt of guard Kevin Sapien, who started 12 games last season.

Petersen is also hoping some new faces emerge to challenge receivers Kirby Moore and Mitch Burroughs, who earned starting assignments late last season.

There should also be plenty of competition to carry the ball as D.J. Harper returns from a knee injury that cut his season short a year ago. Petersen said Harper will miss the spring drills, but should be ready to compete for carries this fall with Jeremy Avery, Doug Martin and Matt Kaiserman.

The Broncos have 15 practices, including two scrimmages, scheduled over the next six weeks. The workouts wrap up with the annual Spring Game at Bronco Stadium on April 17.