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This Day In Sports…September 28, 2013:
Another underappreciated performance by Boise State quarterback Joe Southwick, who goes 19-of-23 for 268 yards and three touchdowns in a 60-7 rout of Ole Miss at Bronco Stadium. Two weeks earlier, Southwick had set the Boise State record for completion accuracy in a game at 91.1 percent (a mark that still stands), and his 82.6 percent night against the Golden Eagles put him in the school record book again at No. 10. Star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence did the rest on defense and special teams, with a sack, a forced fumble and two blocked field goals.
Playing quarterback for Boise State is no easy task. Just ask Maddux Madsen. But imagine what it was like back then. Southwick had the thankless job of succeeding Kellen Moore as the Boise State starter. Nothing was going to be good enough, yet he led Boise State to a share of its first Mountain West championship in 2012 and helped the Broncos beat Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl. They went 12-2, with their only losses by four points at No. 13 Michigan State and by two at home to co-champion San Diego State.
Two weeks after the rout of Southern Miss, Southwick broke his ankle in a 34-17 win over Nevada. Backup Grant Hedrick took over as starter and got the Broncos through in what would be Chris Petersen’s final season as coach. Southwick worked frantically in rehab to get back on the field, and just six weeks after his injury, Petersen started him on Senior Night against New Mexico. Southwick was far from 100 percent, but Coach Pete had him play the first series and called safe plays for him, like a screen pass to Jay Ajayi that covered 64 yards, followed by a quick throw to Matt Miller for a one-yard touchdown.
Petersen resigned the following week to go to Washington, with Boise State sitting at 8-4 and headed to the Hawaii Bowl against Oregon State. Southwick continued to rehab and was healthy enough to start without restrictions on Christmas Eve against the Beavers. But he was sent home for his alleged involvement in an incident on a hotel balcony in Honolulu. Southwick vigorously proclaimed his innocence and even took a polygraph test. But Boise State stood by its decision. (Bottom line: I don’t think he did it.) Southwick originally wanted to go into business in the Boise community after graduation. But he did not stay.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
