By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com
Oregon safety Patrick Chung helped get tailback Ian Johnson a scholarship to Boise State.
The Broncos were recruiting Chung, who was a second-team All-American last year, when they saw footage of Johnson having a big game against Chung’s Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) High.
As Johnson tells it, former Boise State wide receivers coach Robert Prince asked Chung if he should take a look at Johnson.
“And he said ‘Yes, he’s definitely worth it, go down the street,’ ” said Johnson, who played for Damien High in San Dimas.
The two have never met, so Johnson will get his chance to thank Chung on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
Johnson and Chung might have been college teammates, but the Ducks weren’t completely sold on Johnson out of high school.
“I actually did want to go to Oregon,” Johnson said. “Coach (Mike) Bellotti was recruiting me. It was one of those things where they wanted me to wait until signing day before they’d let me know if I had a scholarship or not and it was one of those deals where once I got the offer from Boise State it felt like they wanted me as much as I wanted to play college football and I took that one right away.”
Bellotti has watched from afar as Johnson has been one of the most productive running backs in the country over the past three years.
“He’ll run it up inside and he’s got the finishing speed that scares you,” Bellotti said. “… He’s been around for a long, long time. He’s got a lot of experience and is a very durable back.”
•••
The Ducks plan to use two quarterbacks Saturday in place of the injured Justin Roper.
Sophomore junior-college transfer Jeremiah Masoli is technically the starter, but who starts will be determined by which play the Ducks run. They also will use true freshman Chris Harper.
Masoli has been more of a passer this season. Harper has been more of a runner. But both are dual threats.
“We’ll do certain different things with the quarterback that Boise hasn’t seen,” Bellotti said.
•••
The best line from Johnson on Tuesday came when he was asked about the possibility of the Ducks wearing green uniforms on their green field (audio of his press conference is available on our Web site): “For us, it’s going to be odd to see green. We’ve never complained about it. We’ve never gone anywhere and said, ‘Oh, man, the field is green. Oh no, the grass is green.’ So it shouldn’t be that big a deal for us.”
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Notice Bellotti did not say he wish he had signed him.... Interesting. I am sure Bellotti is a lot happier with Stewart last year, J. Johnson and Blount this year. Even your own players wish they could have gone to Oregon....
That's a good one...
That's a good point. Like the one on your head! Did you notice that Bellotti wanted to give Ian a signing-day scholarship - well, that's if Bellotti could keep track of how many scholarships he had already promised to other athletes. Hmm... so did the article really say that Bellotti didn't want to sign Ian? Good try, but I don't think you're going to earn your "junior detective" badge with your logic and deduction.
And are you really sure that Bellotti's happier with Stewart, JJ, and Blount? Did Bellotti whisper that to you during a little pillow talk? Or are you just talking out your cloaca again?
Bellotti is a COACH...not an ACCOUNTANT.
The difference is...
I bet a lot of players who play for U of I did not wanted to play for U of I, but they didn't have many choices to choose from. Now the difference is they still regret choosing U of I because they are not winning games. Who would be happy to be ranked last in the nation? I bet they regret taking that scholarship...
This much is true...
I wouldnt say Ian is the most durable back around...but Oregon didnt need him so who cares? GO BRONCOS!
PS>>>>> IWILLMAKEIT
Of course our players would want to go to Oregon, who wouldn't? You stupid Duck fans need to get over yourselves. We, who live in Boise, understand that the PAC TEN is pretty good.
well, kinda ...
it was pretty good until it met the Mountain West Conference this past weekend ....
Eugene is NICE!
Ever been there?
I HAVE
your a tool
Did you notice that he did not say that he had a scholarship for him..... Try reading it again... I will help you out
Read it again: “I actually did want to go to Oregon,” Johnson said. “Coach (Mike) Bellotti was recruiting me. It was one of those things where they wanted me to wait until signing day before they’d let me know if I had a scholarship or not
The point you may want to read was the last part... I will post it again for you: until signing day before they’d let me know if I had a scholarship or not
From the way it sounds... Belloti had bigger fish to fry and was not too sold on ian. He had others that he would much rather offer scholarships too instead of ian... that is just the way it sounds... I would guess that Oregon is very happy with the Running backs they have had over the past years and are loosing no sleep over ian...
I find it interesting that a simple statement took you straight to a visual of going to bed with older men... Have fun with that...
Dude
Your missing the point..we are happy as hell he didnt go to Oregon to be a Duck. Were sure as hell Bellotti doesnt lose sleep over it either. Both schools are blessed with running backs and were cool with it. Everywhere I go people stop and talk to me and ask about the Fiesta Bowl. Bronco fans are excited for the present and future of this solid "mid major"(your words) program. I am kinda tired of the Fiesta Bowl too, just like you, and all the Vandals out there. But it did happen, and it was one of the great games ever played. Quit trying to point out Ian wasnt good enough for your school. We get it...find something else to thread about.
Here's the Truth..........
Patrick Chung = Second Team All-American
Ian Johnson = First Team All-American
Patrick Chung known in the state of Oregon.
Ian Johnson known WORLDWIDE.
Both Great Players
Only one will be remembered forever in college football history.
Ian Johnson UNKNOWN in Upper Slobodia!
Even the Slobodh rebels minds are virgin.
truth?
first team all american?
Ian Johnson known world wide?
as big of a fan of of Oregon I am I realize that Patrick Chung is known by college football fans nation wide and mostly in the Northwest... However to say that ian johnson is known world wide is a HUGE stretch... Out side of Idaho the Fiesta bowl has been forgotten mostly...
Apparently...
... not by you, however. You are the first one to bring it up here.
thats right???
hmmmm.... I attended both schools playing this weekend and have since moved to Texas. When people find out where I went to school their first reaction for each school is "OH the Beavers!" and "The Broncos played one of the best games of all time!". Sorry, I don't really care who wins on Saturday but I do know that here in football country those are the reactions.
Mr. Iwillmakeit
Ha......I think SNOT...everywhere I've gone in the country if I wear BSU attire, first question is about Ian Johnson.
Quack.
Fiesta Bowl Forgotten?
Are you freakin serious. Do you know how many people own that DVD. It outsold the national championship game. That's a classic game that is ranked amoung the best college games of all times. Are you really a football fan? Here is link to read more about Ian Johnson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Johnson_%28American_football%29
Um....who really cares whether Ian wanted to..........
do what he wanted to do. IT'S HISTORY YOU IDIOTS!! The Statesman is again just heaping on the BS so you buttheads can "debate" it. You really need to wake up and NOT reply to some the manure the Statesman publishes.
Understand this. IJ is here! IJ is doing great! IJ will have BSU forever as his Alma Mater. Do you think he'll recommend the "ducks" over the Broncos ever?
Have a great game this weekend IJ. We'll be yelling out lungs out for all of you.
GO BRONCOS
moving on
Yes I am serious... just because the dvd sold a lot does not mean people watch it all the time and still play it every day like the do here in Boise. I will say that yes it was a great game and it was fun to watch. However it is done and over... most people outside of Boise have moved on, as I am going to now...
Enjoy the game on Saturday...
iwillmakeit = Dumas
Had Australian and New Zealand firefighters in Boise this summer. Guess who's Blue Turf they wanted to see and who's jersey they bought? They also bought copies of the Fiesta Bowl so they could watch it again. Maybe you should stick to your little world and stop trying to answer for everyone else, and stop leaving your grubby footprints in my car after you wash it!
Good for you
I am glad you had a good time with your friends, glad they had a good time and wanted to see the video and turf...
Just so you know I only speak for the people I have talked to, not for everyone. You will also notice that I say "Would Guess" and things like that.. I do not make black or white comments for others. It is called and "Opinion" Having an opinion is not wrong and just so you know.... I never cared about bsu when I moved to Boise, it was fans like you that turned me off to the program. I probably would have been a fan of bsu football if I had the opportunity to come in contact with more rational fans (which I have found a few). The bulk of fans that I have come in contact with have been, uneducated and very ignorant to the reality of the wac and bsu. I am glad they have done well and I wish the program success. I am guessing they will not have a lot of success this weekend....
by the way you may want to go get your home work done... 4th grade could be tough if you get behind...
iwillmakeit...
needs to change his handle to iwillgetowned... Please go get a life and leave the message boards to the big people.
get owned
you guys are funny...
GO Ducks
It will be a sad day...
...when Bronco fans change from being exited and a little naive to being cynical dirt bags who have to troll other peoples message boards to validate their pathetic existence. Reference the initial post. Oregon has a fine program and it will be a major victory if Boise State can pull off the UPSET (something that MOST Bronco fans would label a win in Eugene). This was a nice little tidbit about the upcoming game, its unfortunate that some people feel the need to represent their state and schools like jaded halfwits. Good luck to Oregon and Boise State, and may there be 0 injuries to either side.
Some Cold Hard Facts
In the two years ('04 and '06) that BSU dominated Oregon State in games during the four-year home and home series, OSU went on to beat Oregon in the Civil War game.
Blue
Watching some of the game sat. it seemed the new turf and the new uniforms were exactly the hue. Perhaps in keeping with that theme the travel uniforms should be the same color code to the Autzen stadium turf.
C'mon guys............
quit fighting like you are on the playground.
See you Saturday in Eugene.
I like the Broncos, but I am a Duck first.
GO DUCKS!
C'mon guys............
quit fighting like you are on the playground.
See you Saturday in Eugene.
I like the Broncos, but I am a Duck first.
GO DUCKS!
C'mon guys............
quit fighting like you are on the playground.
See you Saturday in Eugene.
I like the Broncos, but I am a Duck first.
GO DUCKS!
talon
I've been a Duck for decades. Through good and bad times (and there were plenty of bad ones). BSU's not there yet but they get a taste this Saturday of what their future may hold. I'm not talking about the team, coaches or school. I'm talking about the town...and the fans. You have to be at Autzen on a crisp fall day to really get it and bring it home to Boise. I've lived in Boise almost 30 years and watched the town change. Eugene hasn't changed much. They're "relentlessly optimistic" (UCLA's theme this year...no joke) and no matter what, they fill that stadium and put the colors out on the streets of Eugene. I don't see that here yet. The team does consistently well but there is a mean attitude toward them from the skeptics and a blind one from the true blue fans. Nothing in between that reflects broad knowledge of college football. By the way...the Ducks are the only team ever approved by Disney to be used as a mascot. I've put up with the snide jokes forever but I'm proud of a grumpy duck. Go Ducks!
Comparisons
Before anyone gets too homerish about who is better than who, lets take a look at some comparisons. Oregon usually has several 4* players, maybe a 5* or two, a bunch of 3* players and then the rest. Oregon state usually has several 3* players, maybe a 4* or two, and the rest. USC usually has a bunch of 5* players, a big bunch of 4* players, some 3* players and the rest. Boise is in Oregon State's shoes.
So Oregon State, with their lesser players manages to beat Oregon about half the time lately. Boise could do the same. Oregon, with their lesser players has beaten USC 6 out of the last 10 games. So... just because a team has the players, doesn't mean the game is in the bag.
I respect BSU and expect a good game. I wish we had Ian, but if JJ is healthy, I'll be happy with with our backs. After all, we can't have every good back on our team. We do try to hoard QB's however. This game will depend on how our backup QB's perform. If they are good, the Broncos are toast. If the Broncos manage to rattle or otherwise cause our inexperienced but very talented backup QB's problems, then BSU could be celebrating.
The anticipation/suspense is wonderful, isn't it?
I've been excited about this
I've been excited about this game for a while. My wife and I watched the Fiesta Bowl from start to finish and thought it was the best game I've ever seen that didn't involve the ducks. I hope BSU brings a ton a fans and you have a great time. Expect a lot of "boos" (and booze) but it will all be in good fun. At least it should be. I hope to have the grill going by 9:00 AM at the BMX track.
I've been a season ticket holder for 13 seasons and I'm not feeling overly confident about this game, but Oregon should win by a couple of touchdowns. Anything can happen though. I'd really like to see us play BSU on a regular basis.
I don't care for the trash talk but it's neat that it started on so early in the week. BSU fans, don't let Duck fans kid you, if we were that confident, we wouldn't be looking at your websites.
MikeB duck fan
Give me details where we can find you for the tailgate I'm a BSU fan who wants to take you up on your offer to join you at your "grill"?
That is a true football fan.
Serious..
Just don't use Walmart patties on that grill...
they have more grease than Saudi Arabia.
The BMX track parking area
The BMX track parking area is in the SE corner of the Autzen complex. It (the BMX parking area)has a gravel parking lot with a gate that leads to a grass parking area. I'm in the NW corner of the grass area with a white Ford crew cab,one to three green Oregon canopies, depending on the weather, directv and a chocolate lab and yellow lab. It's looking like it might be a little wet Saturday but you probably know that already.
We're not wild or fancy, usually brats, hamburgers and the like but you're welcome to stop by. I not a drinker but I bring plenty of water and soda. Others in our group drink but I don't want to speak for them. Even if you don't stop by, I hope you have a great time and get treated well.
I love college football.
Mike
BSU fans are funny
You guys claim that you're a top-notch program and how nobody respects you. Yet I keep reading about that stupid Fiesta Bowl game. Do you know that the benchmark of a good program is? Consistency. The fact that you cant get over a game that happend 2 years ago just goes to show you're still second-tier. The big programs expect to do things like that every year. Yet you still relish in the glory of that game. Do you think LSU fans are still talking about last year's national championship? Nope!! They've moved on, and you should to.
And to the guy who thinks that the world still talks about that game, news flash, nobody outside Idaho cares anymore. You got your 15 minutes of fame. Congratulations, but it's over, move on. Your firefighter friends wanted to see the blue turf because it's something to see. Just like people go to New York to see the Statue of Liberty.
Last I heard the
Statue of Liberty was a pretty big deal, so if you meant that as an insult it falls short.
I travel to several areas of the midwest frequently, including some football hotspots like Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, Notre Dame and Purdue areas, and it's amazing how much BSU gear I see people sporting. Many times I'll start a conversation, and I've only found 1 couple who used to live here and 1 woman with family here. The rest.....literally several dozen....just think the blue turf was a bold gutsy and neat move,and they still bring up "The Fiesta Bowl". So, don't be so sure it's just locals who root for BSU. As a side note, in the last couple of years there have been several Notre Dame fans who've mentioned they're glad they haven't had to play BSU.
What
Not surprised that Notre Dame wants to play anyone as bad as they are.
...
What I meant is that the Blue Turf is iconic to Boise just the same way the Statue of Liberty is iconic to New York. And people who visit each city for the first time know that's something they have to see. I live in the midwest now and I never see anyone wearing any BSU gear. They happen to be wearing Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio State, and Notre Dame stuff. And of course Notre Dame didnt want to play BSU the past few years, in the past 2 years they havent exactly been the Notre Dame of the past. Where I live, when I bring up BSU and what people say about them out there, they say they'd love to play BSU so they can be put in their place.
Bring it on!
Would love more opputunities to show up the huge, massive, overwhelming, powerful, too fast, too strong, BCS teams when ever possible.
Yeah, good point
we shoulda scheduled them in the last couple of years instead of Idaho just for the press. Outcome probably about the same.
Ian is "good," Stewart is winning games in the NFL
Ian is "good," Stewart is winning games in the NFL. It's just a different level of "good." Ian might go for two scores against Oregon tomorrow, but Jonathan Stewart went for two scores in the NFL last Sunday. I'm pretty sure any Oregon Duck fan (or any wise college football person) would take Jonathan Stewart and his 1,800 yards of Ian Johnson any day. I'm not saying Ian isn't good -- but it's just a different level. One is built for the NFL.
Now, about the game on Saturday. The Ducks aren't scared of BSU, despite what your locals are saying. If anything, BSU is shaking thinking about coming to the nations (not just the WACs) loudest stadium. When Autzen smells blood (like a new QB or a young offensive line,) it only gets louder.
Hope to see you at the game. Oregon is hospitable to opposing fans (while our team is doing their team on the field.)
Ridiculous!
just ridiculous! UO fans cmon! I'm really concerned about the pac-10 officials. I just hope they don't screw something else up. lol sorry but it happens way to often.
Don't worry about the
Don't worry about the officials they always seem to make most of their bad calls against the ducks. here is a quote "Don't worry, I know I messed up that last call, in fact it wasn't even close. But in the second 1/2 I will penalize the other team for no apparent reason and it will even out...don't worry...
Fact is you won't have to worry as the game will not be close. You will be shaking the cobwebs out of your head wondering what hit you.
DUX 45
Boise 9
My post still stands.
You would seriously take Ian over Stewart (who isn't with Oregon right now, even though he'd be only a senior)?
I mean, really. Let's get serious here. That is just silly talk.
Joey!
This is for all you UO fans posting on here!
Joey Harrington just got signed by the Saints!
Why didn't Ian Johnson leave last year?
Hmm? Couldn't he have left and been a top 25 pick?
Because he got married and needs something to get...
a better job later.
--------------------------------------------------
The government isn't planning to buy and rescue me
Thank You
Yes, because he wasn't good enough to make it in the NFL... That's why.
Go Ducks
Regardless of anything else, Stewart would be picked by any college team over Ian. It's just silly to say anything else.