Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday November 26 2003 — B3 Boise State among nation’s best grid teams FRESNO Calif (AP) — Andy Avalos received some razzing from his friends in Southern California when he chose Boise State for his college ftxuhull career Boise where? "When I first went to Idaho-peopldidn't know where Boise was at” Avalos recalled after the Broncos clinched at least a share of the Western Athletic Conference title last Friday with a win at Fresno State “They thought it was in Iowa I could have told them Montana and they would have believed me People thought ’Why are you going to Boise Idaho?’ When I made my recruiting trip I knew this place was going to blow up” He was right Since the junior jinebacker signed with the Broncos before the 2000 season they have record in posted the third-be- st major college football Boise State's 40-- 8 mark trails only national powerhouses Okla- and Miami (44-4- ) homa (48-These days the Broncos are known just as much for their play as they are for the blue field on' v which they play — their infa- mous "Smurf Turf” They have brought a winning attitude to Collegelfootball cold-weath- : : er ar ' 4) 18th-rank- their town with little football history And now the vagabond Bmn- cos are a possible candidate to leave the WAC and join the higher-profil- e Mountain West Conference Boise State has played in three different confer- ences in the last decade — - the WAC the Big West and the Big Sky — and has had four head coaches during that span ' Change hasn't deterred the supporters Hundreds of fans dad in blue and orange wait to greet the players after games even on the road‘‘There are a lot of things that coach ' go into it” said third-yeDan Hawkins promoted after ' three seasons as top assistant ' “We have great tradition We have kids that care and coaches that care Some of those things sound kind of fluffy But as long as you focus on the process and " not the product you're going to have success at the end "We try not to think of it in terms of accomplishments We try to think of it in terms of getting better” : The Broncos have reached this level with players over ed on-fie- ld looked by schools in the prestigious Pac-- 1 0 Conference The quarterback is Ryan Dinwiddie considered by many programs to he too small when he came out of Elk Grove High School in the Sacramento Calif sub- urbs He is deceptively mobile a fearless gunslinger who quiet- ' il ly wracks up games Dinwiddie is one of college football's most impressive quar- terbacks despite his low profile He directs an offense that's tied with Texas for third in the nation in scoring at 425 points per game and the Broncos even put up 77 points in a win over San Jose State last monthThe team's latest wiri31-I- 7 at Fresno State for its 6th con- secutive conference Victory-’- 7 caused many of the loyal home fans to leave early — a rare sight at Bulldog Stadium Boise State has spoiled Fresno State's conference title hopes for three’ straight seasons now Asa sophomore in 200 Din- - He just got a good vibe It was his first and only recruiting trip despite interest from New Mexico Slate UNLV and Hawaii Dinwiddie signed on the spot His top three receivers are 192-pou- walk-on- really fell in love with the players and coaches It felt like a family and the program was on the rise” The veterans of this team understand the heartache this program has seen in the past losing seasons the tough transi- tion from Division to' 300-yar- ’ ' s " bought into the offensive system” Dinwiddie said “I Division and even the death of former coach Pokey Allen to cancer in late1996 at the age of 53 only 19 days after the illness forced him to resign That's why what they're doing now is so special A ' ' 1 widdie led the Broncos to a monumental upset road win over then-N- o 8 and unbeaten Fresno State in Hawkins' first season Much like Avalos Dinwiddie immediately liked Boise State - Vet what they are accom- plishing hasn't quite set in "I think at the end of their career when they look back they'll have a good idea" spe: ciaj teams coach Kent Riddle said "It's kind of an old cliche that you can't measure heart and you put a premium on hard work Some people underesti- mate their physical abilities" ' AP before the 2000 season they have posted a 40-- 8 record Marlins IB sent to Cubs CHICAGO (AP) — The' breakup of the Florida Marlins has begun: ' The World Scries champi- ons traded first baseman Der- - v rek Lee to the Chicago Cubs on TuCsdayina measure getting Hee Seop v Choi and a minor leaguer to be named More deals could follow “There were two main rea-sons for the move One is obviously we heed to achieve our goal of operating within our payroll” Marlins general man- ager Larry Beinfest said “Two we wanl tomakesure we have: the appropriate allocations to it retain our core pitching” The Marlins insist their changes won’t be as drastic as the ones after they V won their first Worid Series title in 1997 That team wasn't just v cost-cuttiri- jg ’ - "’ Mall Store Hours May Vary off-seas- on - MLB broken up it was blown up with the best piedes stripped and sold to the highest bidder like so many spare parts Biit Florida does have to ' watch its budget It won the World Series with a $54 million payroll and it would cost more than $80 million just to keep the current squad intact Second baseman Luis Castillo catcher arid closer Ugueth Urbina are' all free agents Third baseman Mike Lowell right fielder Juan Encamacion and starting pitchers Brad ' Penny and Mark Redmriri are among a long list of players - eligible for salary arbitration Lee also is eligible for arbi- tration and his salary is expected to go from $425 million that least $6 million By trading him the Marlins r said they were able to offer AJ Burnett a ' contract “I don't think this situation is ’anything like ‘97 We just have so many guys due for big pay jumps” Lee said“You knew there was going to be one two maybe three guys dial would have to be traded You didn't necessarily know who In fact Lee almost went to the Baltimore Orioles: He even went to Camden Yards this week to talk about a con- tract extension but the deal fell through "They’re agood organization and they're headed in the right direction” Lee said "It didn't feel right for me” That's when die Cubs came into the picture With Lee the Cubs added power speed and sure hands to their lineup "We think it makes us a lot better” said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry who has already talked to Lee's agent deal about a long-ter- : ' Q - right-hand- er J ' CNMUMMUD I 200? only TO I rtNMfeMIMtofcGdanMkoiadta(tofc Mm I torn taM Onv ew 6Ce aw i M I ata k mmh Ml KomirlMiM m 0r cr I (MiliiHdtotoMMliiiitoi WMR fiomk Imwam Mht Sdwm ' Gnp tafto MS Em SOQ Sfwgk onwt la Moti ST IJdCK Shram fcm too d MB Gohbra Ok Ej cg-z- p nsdsUB am tontow Wc ton Endnyt el ton a CapnnixatoKaDM Canal to antra! nto ay atoi mi antaH to iMtof ' t-- ' toanaadBaltoBMd tetomwSMn teso a Wnf tawnra TMm Gal UK raxtanche h 0 &B t SO He : m I IhuredK Mwmar27 d photo' Boise State's Andy Avalos runs on the team’s 'Smurf Turf" during practice recently Since the linebacker signed with the Broncos cb n w-ysi- nr iaic3fc tona otomp ' |