PROVO — In 2005 I watched the Washington high school football state championship game between Ferndale High and Prosser High.

Both schools had terrific quarterbacks. One quarterback was an “athlete” — a big strong kid who could run. The other quarterback was a “pocket-passer” — always accurate, always smooth and always making good decisions. The “athlete” had already committed to play his college football at Washington. The “pocket-passer” was still undecided on his collegiate career.

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After a blowout victory against Miami last week, No. 24 Boise State looks to continue that momentum to take on BYU, a team that just suffered a bizarre but devastating loss to Utah last weekend to be bumped off the AP weekly poll.

I hoped that BYU would recruit the pocket-passer. His girlfriend was planning on attending BYU, and given the great quarterback tradition at BYU, I thought he was a perfect fit. In hopes of landing him at BYU, I passed his info along to BYU's recruiting coordinator. The pocket-passer’s measurables weren’t all that great, but his stats were record-breaking: 66 touchdown passes during his junior season alone.

The athlete, Jake Locker, did in fact sign with Washington. BYU did not sign the pocket-passer but signed another highly rated quarterback from Washington, Jason Munns. Meanwhile, the pocket-passer, the lowest ranked of the three quarterbacks, signed with Boise State, whom BYU faces in a nationally televised game this Thursday in Idaho.

I will always wonder how BYU would have fared in 2010 and 2011 had Kellen Moore succeeded Max Hall.

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The Boise State story is fascinating. How does a program that was playing in the Big Sky Conference in what was then known as Division 1-AA become a national, Division-1 power in just a few years?

The answer is of course not simple. Dirk Koetter, the current offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, was one of the first coaches at BSU to get the flywheel moving. After back-to-back 10-win seasons, Koetter left BSU for ASU. But at ASU, Koetter’s record was an unremarkable 40-34 in six seasons.

Dan Hawkins, who succeeded Koetter at BSU, netted a 53-11 record in Boise. But when he left for Colorado, Hawkin’s amassed a disappointing 19-39 record.

Chris Petersen, who succeeded Hawkins, has been one of the constants at BSU for the last 11 years. He first came to BSU as the offensive coordinator under Hawkins. Given that Petersen is one of the few constants, the question then arises — just how much of BSU’s success can be attributed to one person?

The answer to this question is not simple either. But in an effort to learn more about Petersen and the BSU success story, I recently asked Kellen Moore his opinion on what has most significantly contributed to BSU’s success.

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“Culture” is the one word that Moore repeatedly emphasized when talking about BSU. The program is bigger than any single coach (Koetter, Hawkins or Petersen) and bigger than any single player (QBs Ryan Dinwiddie, Jared Zabransky or Moore).

The coaches know what type of player they are looking for — blue-collar. They aren’t interested in prima donnas, and frankly speaking, prima donnas aren’t interested in Idaho. But that’s not to say that BSU doesn’t have talent: Six BSU players were picked in the most recent NFL draft, and that doesn’t include Heisman finalist Moore, who signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions.

Aside from the blue-collar mentality, the other characteristic that is endlessly emphasized at BSU is self education. The NCAA regulates the number of hours that coaches can spend teaching their players. So at BSU, practice time is just the starting point. True mastery is developed outside the coach’s gaze. “Is this person a self-starter?” the coaches ask themselves as they consider each recruit. Coaches at BSU are more interested in the person than the player.

If the “culture” leads to success at BSU, how does Coach Petersen shape that culture? “Details” is the word that Moore emphasized next. Coach Petersen is “paranoid” about the details — no trash in the locker-room and no missed classes. Just as the "Broken Windows Theory" states that maintaining urban environments in well-ordered condition (i.e. fixing all of the broken windows) reduces vandalism and crime, so Petersen reasons that if his players take care of the little things, the football will take care of itself.

When recruiting players to BSU, Petersen prefers self-selection — that the players pick BSU as opposed to Petersen convincing the players that BSU is right for them. “This is who we are. If you want to be a part of this, then come join us. Otherwise, don’t.”

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“Collaboration” is the final word that kept popping up in my conversation with Moore. There is no hierarchy when it comes to formulating game plans each week. The players are just as involved as the coaches. And come game time, the players themselves often initiate the in-game adjustments. Additionally, no one is told to do something without an explanation. The emphasis is on developing the football intelligence of each player, as opposed to securing blind obedience from players.

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As I spoke to Moore, I couldn’t help but see several similarities between Coach Petersen and BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall. It should come as no surprise, given that both coaches model their programs on the research that author Jim Collins presents in the book “Good to Great.” Admittedly, BSU has achieved greater success than BYU over the last decade. But BSU has also been pushing the flywheel in one direction for a few more years.

As for Moore? I was in Oakland four weeks ago watching the Raiders take on the Detroit Lions. In the 4th quarter, Moore came in and did what he’s always done. He smartly marched the Lions on an 11-play drive, ending in a touchdown pass —Moore’s first as a professional. Ultimately, Terrelle Pryor was the player of the game — his sheer athletic ability was superior to that of nearly every other player on the field.

Moore, by contrast looked like a technician — smart, efficient, methodical — undoubtedly a result of the countless hours spent outside of practice perfecting his football intelligence. A blue-collar guy. The epitome of a BSU recruit.

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