La Costa Canyon Maverick alumni and Boise State wide receiver Vinny Perretta ended his productive college career Tuesday night in the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, with an unfortunate loss to TCU; the Horned Frogs downed the Broncos in a nail-biter 17-16.

Perretta finished the game with 2 catches for 78 yards, including a 65 yard reception that began with a beautifully run post rout across the middle of the field. Although the Broncos couldn't come up with a "W," this by no means blemishes Vinny's college football career.

Vinny, the 2004 La Costa Canyon high school grad, initially aimed at playing football for St. Mary's college in northern California. After the football program folded in the summer of 2004, Vinny decided to take his chances at Boise State, at that time led by head coach Dan Hawkins.

Vinny walked on to Boise state and quickly made his presence felt, becoming well known for his blue collar work ethic. After a redshirt season in the fall of 2004, Vinny was awarded the scout team offensive player of the year award, a mere teaser of what Vinny would deliver a few years later.

On January 21, 2007, Vinny played a crucial role in what would later be debated as the most exciting game in college football history. The Boise State Broncos, representing the Western Athletic Conference, finished the season with an undefeated mark, and became one of the few non-BCS schools to ever be selected to play in a big time BCS bowl game, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

The Broncos would face the mighty Oklahoma Sooners, a historic college football program boasting numerous national titles and Heisman trophy winners from the past.

The game was an epic back and forth battle between David and Goliath. The Broncos, heavy underdogs, came out with their high flying coach Chris Peterson-led offense. On a crucial 4th and 18 yard play with 18 seconds left in the ballgame, and the Sooners up by a touchdown, the Broncos connected pulled out some chicanery and connected on an unbelievable hook and ladder play that went 51 yards for the touchdown.

At that moment, every person in America, outside of Oklahoma, if not only for a short moment, jumped on the blue and orange band wagon.

With the Sooner nation shocked, the game went into overtime, and would soon result in the most exciting finish in the BCS era. Enter "Vincenzo" Perretta.

The Sooners took the field first in overtime, and quickly scored a touchdown. With the Sooners up 42-35, Boise State lined up with Perretta in the shotgun formation behind center. As quarterback Jared Zabransky motioned out of the backfield, Perretta took the snap and ran right, as if too turn the ball up and run towards the endzone. At the last second, Vinny pulled up and lobbed a pass over the sooner defense, connecting with his receiver for a touchdown in the back of the endzone. Bronco fans went bazerk.

The play was like a replay from 2 years earlier when Vinny threw a halfback pass for a touchdown against high school football juggernaut De La Salle, except this time, it was on national TV and a Fiesta Bowl championship was on the line.

It was his flash of fame, his defining moment of glory, the play he will always be remembered for for the rest of his life, in Boise Idaho, and throughout the rest of the world. Vinny had just thrown a touchdown to put the Broncos in position to win the Tostitos Fiesta bowl - oh nelly!

Don't bust out the cheese dip yet. Things were about to get better.

Faced with a perilous decision to make, head coach Chris Peterson decided to risk prolonging the epic game, and go for the knockout punch. As the tv commentator suggested, "When you're Cinderella, at a certain point, you don't keep slugging with the big guy."


With the stadium on their feet, the Broncos lined up for the two point conversion for the Fiesta Bowl win. Runningback Ian Johnson took the handoff on the statue of liberty and ran for the game winning touchdown.

Vinny left that game in Tempe, Arizona on cloud nine. He had just written a piece of college football history.

Tuesday night's game against TCU closed a chapter in Vinny's football playbook, but hopefully not his last. Vinny will always symbolize, for high school football players, what a little hard work and determination can bring you - a Fiesta Bowl Championship.

(See the video highlights from the 2007 Fiesta Bowl below. You must come to RawHideNation.com to view)