Petersen's Broncos have thoroughly dominated the rivalry since he took over as head coach in 2006, scoring at least 51 points in each of the last four blowout wins. But Petersen was quick to correct fans who believe a team's success has to do mainly with the coaching. Instead, he said he's lucky to be at a university like Boise State, where he's got the support of not only the administration, but a loyal fan base as well.
"There's no doubt you have to have the right coach but you've gotta have the other things in place," Petersen said. "You've gotta have that administration that is doing everything they can possible do to support you. The financial backing and the fan base, it all works together. "And California, that area has been hit hard. And I know [Hill's] financial situation has been going backwards for the last few years and it makes a difference. There's no question about it. So you feel bad for him because he's a heck of a coach."
