Fiesta Bowl notebook: Boise State senior playing role as team historian

Gerald Alexander knows that few college football players get to participate in a bowl game with such magnitude as the Fiesta, so he’s making sure he documents the experience.

The Boise State senior safety walked into the team’s press conference Thursday with a HandyCam video recorder in tow, recording any and all activity surrounding him.

“I’ve gotta get my footage,” Alexander said. “This is my diary right here.”

At one point, Alexander had a member of the media take the HandyCam and record him answering questions. Later, it was pointed out that the Fiesta Bowl trophy was in the corner of the room.

“I didn’t even know the trophy was here,” Alexander said. “I’m going to get a shot of that because I’m planning on touching that real one soon after the game.”

The difference in demeanor between the two teams is noticeable.

On the Oklahoma side it was business as usual. The Sooners have been in a BCS bowl game in four of the past five years.

But this is the biggest bowl in Boise State’s history, and Alexander has no reservations about soaking it all in.

“Being a senior and having been in so many bowl games, I have the maturity to do that and concentrate on winning,” Alexander said. “It hasn’t been a hard thing (to juggle) at all.”

Will he stay or go?

With speculation running wild, Adrian Peterson remains coy about his future. The junior running back is 151 yards away from breaking Billy Sims’ Oklahoma career rushing record of 4,118 yards. Peterson is expected to be an early first-round pick if he jumps to the NFL next year.

“It’s a big decision, but I’m waiting until after the game to finalize that,” Peterson said.

It seems like the option to return to school remains open, as Peterson talked about possibly making another run at the Heisman Trophy. He finished second in the voting as a freshman.

“I’ve wanted to win the Heisman since I was young, a little kid,” Peterson said.

“It would have been a great opportunity to win that over the past few years. But who knows, maybe next year.”

Sent home

Broncos senior Jared Hunter was sent home Wednesday following a violation of an unspecified team rule, according to sports information director Max Corbet.

On Thursday, Corbet said Hunter was the only BSU player sent home.

The reserve tight end had one catch for six yards this season.

Long time

The last time Oklahoma played in a Fiesta Bowl was 1983, when it lost to ASU, 32-21, in the second game played on New Year’s Day.

—

Tribune writer Mark Heller contributed to this report.