1974 Boise State Broncos football team


The 1974 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season, the seventh season of Bronco football and the second in the newly reorganized Division II. The Broncos were in their fifth year as members of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. This was the first season as "BSU" as the school had recently become a university.
Led by seventh-year head coach Tony Knap, the Broncos were in the regular season and were again undefeated in conference repeating as Big Sky champions. The only loss was by two points in-mid season at Las Vegas; the UNLV Rebels were led by running back Mike Thomas, a future NFL Rookie of the Year, and sophomore quarterback They built a 31-point lead, then hung on as Boise State answered with four straight touchdown passes from senior UNLV was undefeated until the Grantland Rice Bowl, the Division II semifinals.
Invited again to the eight-team Division II playoffs, BSU drew a road game in the quarterfinals at Central Michigan; the Chippewas won and went on to win the national title. They moved up to Division I joining the Mid-American Conference. In the regular season, the Broncos had scored at least 35 points in every game.
Following this season, Bronco Stadium was expanded with an upper deck added to the east grandstand, which increased the permanent seating capacity Part of the original design, it had been delayed for five years due to high costs.

Schedule

Roster

All-conference

Six Broncos were named to the Big Sky all-conference team:
Boise State also placed six players on the second team.
Quarterback McMillan was a first-team Little All-American; Holton, Woolsey, and Schmidt were honorable mention.

NFL Draft

Three Broncos were selected in the 1975 NFL Draft, which lasted seventeen rounds.
PlayerPositionRoundOverallFranchise
Rolly WoolseyDefensive back6th148Dallas Cowboys
Jim McMillanQuarterback14th350Detroit Lions
Ron FranklinDefensive tackle15th386St. Louis Cardinals