United Airlines Pilot Makes Emergency Landing, Then Dies

Seattle-bound United flight 1603, which took off from Houston with 161 passengers on board, landed safely and the pilot was rushed to a local hospital, Boise Airport spokeswoman Patti Miller said.

The pilot, whose name was not released, died as a result of the medical emergency, United spokeswoman Christen David said on Friday.

The Boeing 737 aircraft later continued on to Seattle, landing just after midnight local time, David said.

Herschel Walker to Deliver Game Ball at Chik-fil-A Kickoff Game

In keeping with its tradition of inviting team celebrities to deliver the game ball prior to both the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, game officials today released the names of the game ball delivery honorees for Saturday night’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Georgia and Boise State.

Three-time All-American and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker will deliver the game ball for the Georgia Bulldogs. Walker holds Southeastern Conference records for both career rushing yards (1^st - 5,259) and rushing touchdowns (2^nd - 49) and ranks eighth in NFL history with 18,168 total yards.

Three-time first-team All-WAC defensive end Ryan Winterswyk will deliver the game ball for the Boise State Broncos. Winterswyk was named a Sporting News Freshman All-American in 2007 and finished his career ranked fourth at Boise State in career tackles for loss (46.5) and fifth in career sacks (21.5). Winterswyk is currently playing in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons.

Walker and Winterswyk will ride together in a KIA Optima – provided by official vehicle sponsor KIA Motors – to midfield just prior to the coin flip to present the officiating crew with a pair of game balls from the two teams.

The pair join a list of other game ball honorees that include Natrone Means (North Carolina), Chuck Wiley (LSU), Charlie Ward (Florida State), George Rogers (South Carolina), Shaun Alexander (Alabama) and Antonio Freeman (Virginia Tech) among others.

In addition to the game ball honorees, other team celebrities will be on hand to make appearances and sign autographs at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game FanZone presented by Coca-Cola Zero including Boise State’s Jared Zabransky and Georgia’s Garrison Hearst and Lindsay Scott. Zabransky, Hearst and Scott’s appearances will precede the traditional team walks through FanZone as Boise State and Georgia make their way into the Georgia Dome.

College Bowl Play of the Day: MAACO Bowl

The MAACO Bowl tonight has one of the best matchups of the year.  I don't think Boise St. and Utah thought they would be playing in a bowl game on December 22, at the beginning of the year. 

But here they are playing in the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas.

Boise is favored by 17, at first glance that may seem like too many, but when you look at the meat and potatoes of each team, I'm not sure how Utah is going to stop Boise's passing attack. 

The Utes will be without starting quarterback Jordan Wynn, who is out because of a shoulder injury. Senior Terrance Cain is a capable backup, but to beat Boise, Utah needs to be at full strength.

Led by quarterback Kellen Moore, and the fact that the Broncos are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 Bowl games, I have to say take Boise and lay the 17.