THE PERFECT BOISE STATE NIGHT: BRONCOS BLOW OUT NEVADA WITH CREATIVE OFFENSE; COLORADO STATE LOSES

Posted on November 4, 2017

BY MIKE PRATER
KTIK.COM

The Boise State football team had plenty to celebrate Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium …

  • A second straight 41-14 victory, this time against Nevada after doing the same at Utah State last weekend. Boise State has defeated Nevada five straight times, and in 15 of their past 16 meetings.
  • A fifth straight victory, all by double digits (combined score of 161-63 during the streak, including four straight 14-point efforts by the defense).
  • Boise State (7-2) guaranteed its 20th straight winning season.
  • And Colorado State lost at Wyoming 16-13, meaning the Broncos have a two-game lead in the MW Mountain Division with three games remaining (at Colorado State on Saturday, home vs. Air Force on Nov. 18 and at Fresno State on Nov. 25). Boise State is 5-0 with a win in-hand against Wyoming (4-1), and Colorado State is 4-2. Boise State clinches the division title and a spot in the Mountain West Championship Game against San Diego State or Fresno State with two wins in its last three games.

Boise State trailed 14-10 after Nevada (1-8, 1-4) scored early in the second quarter, but the Broncos cranked out 31 unanswered points to finish off their most complete game of the season. Nevada had 164 yards on its first three drives (25 plays), and finished with 158 yards over its final eight drives (41 plays). The Wolf Pack produced no points and 88 yards in the second half.

Junior quarterback Brett Rypien was 20-of-27 for 258 yards and touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Cedrick Wilson (44 yards) and senior tight end Jake Roh (25). Rypien wasn’t sacked and didn’t throw an interception. Sophomore running back Alexander Mattison had 64 rushing yards and two TDs, and Wilson finished with five catches for 80 yards.

The offense had a season-high of 479 yards, and has scored 10 touchdowns in the past two games after averaging only three a game through the first seven.

On defense, Boise State had interceptions from sophomore safety Kekoa Nawahine, junior cornerback Tyler Horton and freshman STUD Curtis Weaver. Sophomore safety DeAndre Pierce had a game-high 10 tackles (six solo).

  • NEXT: at Colorado State (6-4, 4-2), Fort Collins, Colo., Saturday, Nov. 11, 8:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network, KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket.

PRATER’S POST-GAME POINTS

  • Rypien, finally, is playing with the confidence and moxey of a two-time All-Mountain West quarterback. His numbers the past two games: 39-of-54, 72.2 percent, 518 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs … and one sweet 15-yard catch (see video below). He seems more loose and relaxed off the field, and more aggressive and in charge on the field. Against Nevada, he was 6-of-7 for 101 yards in third-down situations, and even added a 14-yard run on third-and-two. Rypien has found his rhythm and was the best player on the field Saturday night. That’s comforting for the offense moving forward, with games against Colorado State, Air Force and Fresno State remaining.

RYPIEN CATCH: https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/927023599977820167

RYPIEN TD TO WILSON: https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/926960737766871040

  • A creative offense keeps getting better … and more creative. Boise State has scored 82 points in its past two games, through a variety of ways. On the Broncos’ first drive against Nevada, Rypien, Roh and backup quarterback Montell Cozart all took snaps. Rypien, Cozart and Wilson attempted passes on the same drive. Overall, Rypien and Cozart both attempted passes and caught passes, and four different players took snaps, including Mattison. Cozart was 3-of-5 for 35 yards, and Wilson was 2-of-2 for 46 yards. Eleven different players caught passes. Coaches have turned Rypien into a machine, Cozart into one of the best backup QBs in the nation, and are pushing all the right buttons. Not sure even coach Pete could have juggled this two-quarterback system the way Harsin/Hill & Co. are doing it right now.
  • Boise State’s defense gave up 164 yards and 14 points on Nevada’s first three drives (the middle drive ended in Nawahine’s interception). If not for the stingy finish over two-plus quarters, the slow start would be concerning with opponents on the remaining schedule who are capable of scoring. Bottom line: During the five-game winning streak, the defense has allowed 7, 14, 14, 14 and 14 points. That will win you a lot of games in the Mountain West.
  • It seems we have figured out the football team, which is rock-steady after a 2-2 start. Not sure what to think about the fans. The attendance for Saturday’s game was 30,858, the second lowest crowd of the season. For the four home games that started at 6 p.m. or earlier this season, the average attendance was 31,193. For the one home game that started at 8:21 p.m., against Wyoming on Oct. 21, the Broncos drew 35,565 fans. A start time for the home finale against Air Force on Nov. 18 hasn’t been announced, but I’m guessing fans are hoping for a night game. All that noise about Boise State and its fans wanting day games/earlier kickoffs seems to have backfired.


Mike Prater, editor of The Opinionator, co-hosts Idaho Sports Talk with Caves & Prater weekdays from 3-6 p.m. on KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket and can be heard on Bronco GameNight after BSU football games on KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM. He can be reached at [email protected], and found @CavesandPrater(Facebook) and @MikeFPrater (Twitter).

POST-GAME NEWS & NOTES FROM BOISE STATE

  • Boise State’s 41-14 victory over Nevada puts the Broncos up 29-13 all-time vs. the Wolf Pack. The Broncos have won the last five meetings and 15-of-16.
  • The victory puts the Broncos at 7-2 overall and 5-0 in Mountain West play. The Broncos have started conference play 5-0 for the first time since 2010, when the Broncos started off WAC play 6-0.
  • The Broncos had a season-high 479 yards of total offense (on 69 plays) vs. the Wolf Pack.
  • The Broncos have not turned the ball over since an interception on the opening drive against BYU. The streak without allowing a turnover is at 237 minutes, 56 seconds.
  • Junior kicker Haden Hoggarth finished 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, hitting from 20 and 41 yards. His 41-yarder in the fourth quarter matched his season long. Hoggarth is 11-for-12 on field goals this season. He also converted five extra points Saturday night.
  • The Broncos’ 31 first half points were its most in a half this season, and the most since they put up 35 in the first half at Hawaii on Nov. 12, 2016.
  • Nevada running back Kelton Moore became the first opposing player to rush for 100 yards against the Broncos this season, finishing with 106 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
  • Wilson caught five passes for 80 yards and a score. He collected his sixth touchdown reception of the season on a 44-yard catch in the second quarter.
  • Wilson also went 2-for-2 passing for 46 yards, connecting with both Bronco quarterbacks. Wilson completed a pass to Rypien for 15 yards, and hit Cozart for 31 yards. Wilson is 4-for-4 passing for 130 yards and a touchdown in his Bronco career.
  • Rypien finished the game 20-for-27 for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He also made his third career reception (first of 2017) as he collected a 15-yard reception from Wilson.
  • The defense’s three interceptions marks its first three-interception game since Nov. 20, 2015 vs. Air Force.
  • Roh made his team-leading seventh receiving touchdown of the year, nabbing a 25-yard strike in the second quarter. Those seven TD receptions are the most by a Bronco tight end since Kyle Efaw’s seven in 2011. Roh finished the game with four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
  • Mattison ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, recording his second-career two-touchdown game. He previously scored twice (both rushing) at BYU on Oct. 6.
  • Ten wide receivers made at least one catch Saturday, tying a season-high that was previously set vs. Troy on Sept. 2.
  • Weaver collected his first career interception with his second quarter pick. It is the second takeaway of the season for Weaver, who returned a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown at Washington State on Sept. 9. Weaver made the only sack of the night for Boise State, bringing his team-leading total to 7.0 this season.
  • Senior running back Ryan Wolpin had his second touchdown of the season as he rushed one yard for a score in the second quarter.
  • Nawahine made his team-best third interception of the season with his pick in the first quarter.
  • Horton hauled in his second interception of the season, third of his career, and first against a quarterback not named Luke Falk.

  • In honor of homecoming, Boise State unveiled a new helmet (pictured above, courtesy of Boise State football), utilizing a throwback logo that hadn’t been used since 2001. The Broncos’ script lettering was used on helmets from 1997-2001, but never on a white helmet.
  • Wolpin led the Broncos onto the field with The Hammer, freshman offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland carried the American flag and freshman linebacker Benton Wickersham carried the Bleed Blue flag. Wolpin is the first Bronco to carry The Hammer multiple times this season, as he started off the season carrying The Hammer vs. Troy.
  • Senior offensive lineman Archie Lewis joined Rypien, junior linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and Wilson as game captains.
  • The Boise State football team hosted Jackson Bezzant, 8, from Idaho Falls, and his family. Jackson has a condition that causes facial deformities (Treacher Collins syndrome) and has been bullied at school. Jackson was part of the Bronco Walk, met with coach Bryan Harsin and watched the game with his family from the stands.

Courtesy of Boise State Athletics

Bronco Focus