BOISE STATE FOOTBALL: BRONCOS WIN MW DIVISION & BEAT AIR FORCE, BUT CAN THEY BEAT FRESNO STATE TWICE?

Posted on November 19, 2017

BY MIKE PRATER
KTIK.COM

Boise State junior quarterback Brett Rypien, embattled and confused for the first third of the season, had his fourth consecutive monster performance Saturday night as the Broncos wrapped up their regular season home schedule and a busy day of college football with a landmark victory at Albertsons Stadium.

  • Boise State smothered Air Force 44-19 to snap a three-game losing streak to the Falcons, who were held to 181 yards rushing. Air Force came into the game averaging 310 yards on the ground and finished with three lost fumbles.
  • Earlier in the day, Boise State clinched the Mountain West Mountain Division championship – its primary offseason goal – when Fresno State beat Wyoming 13-7 in Laramie. It is the Broncos’ first division title since 2014, and now they have a chance at their first undefeated conference season since going 8-0 in the WAC in 2009.
  • After the Air Force victory, Boise State put tickets on sale for the Mountain West Championship Game on Dec. 2. The game against West Division champion Fresno State is Dec. 2 in Boise or Fresno, Calif. (ticket info listed below). The site will be determined after the Broncos and Bulldogs meet next Saturday, Nov. 25, for the regular-season finale in Fresno.

Rypien was the difference against Air Force, passing for 300 yards with touchdowns to junior AJ Richardson (87 yards, fourth longest pass play in school history), junior Sean Modster (8) and freshman Octavius Evans (7). The Broncos, who produced points on their first four offensive drives and outgained the Falcons 428-296, won their seventh straight game.

Richardson finished with three catches for 123 yards, and Cedrick Wilson caught five passes for 107 yards. Wilson was one of 14 seniors honored before the game. Junior kicker Haden Hoggarth made 3-of-4 field goals, and junior cornerback Tyler Horton added a 21-yard fumble recovery for a TD in the second quarter as the Broncos took a 27-10 halftime lead.

  • NEXT / REGULAR SEASON: Boise State (9-2, 7-0, MW Mountain Division champion) at Fresno State (8-3, 6-1, MW West Division champion), Fresno, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 25, 1:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network, KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket.
  • NEXT / POSTSEASON: Boise State vs. Fresno State, Mountain West Championship Game, site TBD, Saturday, Dec. 2, 5:45 p.m., ESPN, KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket.

PRATER’S POST-GAME POINTS

  • Boise State-Fresno State I on Saturday should come down to the Broncos’ offense (averaging 38.3 points a game in MW play) against the Bulldogs’ defense (allowing 12.6 ppg in MW play). Both teams are good with turnovers, and well-coached, but the Broncos have a better quarterback and more offensive playmakers. I can’t see this Boise State offense losing to a Fresno State offense that has 80 points in four games since upsetting San Diego State in October. As for who’s favored in Boise State-Fresno State II on Dec. 2, it would be ridiculous to predict back-to-back games in eight days, although here is something to think about: Boise State and Fresno State played twice in 2014, with the Broncos winning a regular season game 37-27 and the MW title game 28-14, both in Boise about seven weeks apart.
  • Speaking of ridiculous, the Mountain West must tweak its regular season scheduling ASAP so this doesn’t happen again. Simple tweak: Keep the final weekend of the regular season open to divisional games only.
  • San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny will win the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year award, but Rypien might be the best QB in the MW right now. Colorado State’s Nick Stevens (152.4) and Rypien (146.1) are 1-2 in the MW in passing efficiency, but Stevens has lost three of his last four games, tossing four interceptions in the process. Rypien had a miserable start to his season, but in his last four games, he has completed 78-of-119 passes (66 percent) for 1,149 yards, 12 TDs and one pick. Fresno State junior quarterback Marcus McMaryion, a graduate transfer from Oregon State, is third in the MW in passing efficiency (144.9) and seems to be getting better with five TD passes in his past two games.
  • If Boise State is going to win its final three games, it must fix its red-zone issues. The Broncos scored on all six chances Saturday, but three possessions ended in field goals. Boise State is 55th in the FBS in red-zone scoring; Fresno State is 39th.
  • Boise State has done a nice job of developing depth with its offensive playmakers over the past four games (averaging 46.3 points during those games). Nine different offensive players have scored TDs, seven have carried the ball, and 11 have caught at least one pass. Rypien’s stats are impressive, but the way he’s distributing the ball might be even more impressive.
  • Boise State averaged 32,228 fans in six home games this season, down 2,045 from last year’s average (34,273). Two primary reasons: Ticket prices and lack of a marquee opponent (definitely not late kickoff times, as we learned this season). Before this year, the Broncos had two straight seasons of average attendance growth.


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

  • With Fresno State’s 13-7 victory over Wyoming earlier Saturday, Boise State has clinched the Mountain Division and is guaranteed a spot in the 2017 Mountain West Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5:45 p.m. MT.
  • In the likelihood that Boise State is hosting the championship game at Albertsons Stadium, season ticket holders can log into their ticket account to purchase their same seats and print them at home.
  • Tickets are also on sale to the general public at BroncoSports.com/tickets. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at (208) 426-4737 or in person at the athletic ticket office on the west side of Albertsons Stadium. The quickest way to get your tickets is to purchase online and print at home, though the ticket office will be open from noon-4 p.m. Sunday (Nov. 19). The ticket office will also be open from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday (Nov. 20-22), and closed on Thursday (Thanksgiving) and Friday.
  • If Boise State does not host the Mountain West Football Championship Game, purchases will be refunded to the credit card used. Tickets are $40 in the main stadium and south end zone, and $20 in the north end zone. Student tickets are free, and student guest tickets are available for $9. Student ticket reservations will begin Monday, Nov. 27 at 8 a.m. For complete details, visit BroncoSports.com/mwchampionship.
  • The Broncos’ 44-19 victory over Air Force snapped a three-game losing streak to Air Force, putting the series record at 3-3.
  • The Broncos have started conference play 7-0 for the first time since 2009, when the Broncos were 8-0 in WAC play.
  • Boise State has scored at least 40 points in four straight games. The last streak of four straight games of at least 40 points scored was 2015: four-game streak from Sept. 28-Oct. 10.
  • Boise State rejoined the national rankings this week, checking in at No. 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The last time Boise State was ranked in the CFP was Nov. 22, 2016, when the Broncos checked in at No. 19, their highest ranking. Boise State played Air Force that week, falling 27-20, and then dropped out of the ranking until this week.
  • With this week’s CFP ranking, Boise State has a streak of 16 consecutive seasons with being nationally ranked.
  • The Broncos held Air Force’s offense to its lowest rushing output vs. Boise State (181). The previous low was 188 (2013), and they’ve averaged 276.2 rushing yards in the previous five games.
  • Rypien finished the game 16-for-22 passing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. It was Rypien’s 13th career 300-yard passing game, putting him one behind Ryan Dinwiddie (2000-03) for second place in Broncos’ history, and three back of all-time Boise State leader Kellen Moore.
  • Richardson’s 87-yard touchdown reception was his career-long, and is tied for the fourth-longest in program history. It’s the longest touchdown reception since Lawrence Bady’s 98-yard touchdown reception at SMU on Oct. 18, 2003.
  • Richardson finished with three catches for a career-high 123 yards and a touchdown, posting his first career 100-yard receiving game.
  • The Boise State defense had four forced fumbles (Sonatane Lui, Kekoa Nawahine, Jabril Frazier, Tyler Horton), recovering three. The last time the Broncos had three fumble recoveries in a game was the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl against Northern Illinois (three).
  • Lui and Nawahine had fumble recoveries in the first quarter, the second time each have collected fumbles in the same game this season (Sept. 2 vs. Troy).
  • Wilson’s 39-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter was his 57th catch of the season, a career high. He finished with 107 receiving yards, the eighth 100-yard game of his career. He is over 1,000 yards receiving on the season, sitting at 1,008.
  • Richardson and Wilson each had more than 100 yards receiving, finishing with 123 and 107, respectively. The last game with two Boise State 100-yard receivers was at Air Force on Nov. 25, 2016, as Wilson had 193 and Thomas Sperbeck 123.
  • Modster’s eight-yard touchdown reception was his third touchdown of the season.
  • Evans made his second touchdown reception of the year. Evans becomes the first true freshman wide receiver since Kirby Moore (2009, two touchdowns) to have multiple touchdown catches in as season.
  • Frazier tallied a strip-sack, his sixth sack of the year and second forced fumble. His previous strip sack of the year came at Washington State, resulting in Curtis Weaver’s 55-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
  • Horton’s 21-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown is the third this season for the Boise State defense. Weaver had a 55-yard score at Washington State (Sept. 9) and Kekaula Kaniho had a 34-yard fumble recovery and score at San Diego State (Oct. 14).
  • SLB Desmond Williams collected the first sack of his career, while Weaver tallied his team-leading eighth sack of the season. Frazier, Weaver and Kayode Rufai also had sacks.
  • Hoggarth went 3-for-4 on field goal attempts, converting from 22, 28 and 21 yards, but missing from 51 yards. Hoggarth is 15-of-17 in field goal attempts this season.
  • True freshman Benton Wickersham got the start at MLB, the first start of his career (regular starter Tyson Maeva was injured). He is the 22nd Bronco to start his first career game this season. Boise State entered the game with 21 first-time starters, a mark that ranked tied for the seventh-most nationally.
  • The Broncos honored 14 seniors prior to the start of the game: Daniel Auelua (DT), Brock Barr (WR/LS), Austin Cottrell (WR), Montell Cozart (QB), Alec Dhaenens (TE), Mason Hampton (C), Cameron Hartsfield (S), Archie Lewis (RT), Gabe Perez (SLB), Jake Roh (TE), Austin Silsby (DT), Andrew Tercek (LG), Cedrick Wilson (WR) and Ryan Wolpin (RB). Eight of the student-athletes came in as true freshmen: Dhaenens, Hampton, Hartsfield, Lewis, Perez, Roh, Silsby and Tercek.
  • The offensive line led the Broncos onto the field with The Hammer, defensive end Austin Silsby carried the Bleed Blue flag and wide receiver Austin Cottrell carried the American flag Saturday night.
  • Roh joined Rypien, Wilson and Leighton Vander Esch as game captains.

Courtesy of Boise State Athletics

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