Tag: boise state broncos

Mountain West Championship Preview: UNLV-Boise State, The Trilogy

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mountain West Championship
UNLV (10-2, 6-2) at Boise State (8-4, 6-2)
Friday, 8 p.m. ET (Las Vegas)

UNLV and Boise State will meet for the Mountain West title for the third consecutive season, thanks to a composite average of four nationally recognized metrics used to settle a four-way, first-place tie with San Diego State and New Mexico.

The Broncos, who won this game last year, 21-7, in Boise and 44-20 in 2023 in Las Vegas, lead the series, 12-3. Boise State has won 10 in a row against the Rebels dating back to 1976. It’s the fifth time in 25 months the two teams have played. Boise State scored 28 consecutive points to start the second half en route to a 56-31 victory on Oct. 18 in their last matchup to improve to 7-0 all-time against the Rebels on their blue home turf.

After losing back-to-back games to the Broncos and visiting New Mexico, the Rebels and first-year head coach Dan Mullen rallied to close out the season with four straight wins over Colorado State, Utah State in double overtime, Hawaii and Nevada to hit 10 wins. It marked the first time in school history the Rebels registered double figures in victories in back-to-back seasons.

Boise State, meanwhile, rebounded from back-to-back losses to Fresno State and at San Diego State to close with wins over Colorado State and at Utah State, the latter by a 25-24 score when Dylan Riley scored on a six-yard touchdown run with 2:26 remaining. Redshirt sophomore Max Cutforth, filling in for injured starter Maddux Madsen, threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns in the win and garnered Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors.

–Players to Know:
UNLV
QB Anthony Colandrea — The junior dual-threat transfer from Virginia was named conference Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, the first Rebel to earn that honor since Hall of Famer Randall Cunningham did it in both 1983 and 1984 in the Big West Conference. Led the conference in passing yards (3,050), touchdown passes (22) and total offense (300.42 ypg).

RB Jai’Den Thomas — Explosive runner who led the nation in yards per carry (7.43) while rushing for 944 yards and 12 touchdowns.

DB Aamaris Brown — The transfer from South Florida set a school record with interceptions in four consecutive games, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

BOISE STATE
QB Maddux Madsen — Boise State coach Spencer Danielson announced Monday that Madsen would be back in the starting lineup after missing the final three games of the season with a lower-leg injury suffered in the first quarter of a 30-7 loss at Fresno State. Threw for 1,994 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games, including 253 yards and four TDs in the Oct. 18 win over UNLV.

RB Dylan Riley — Earned second team all-Mountain West honors after rushing for 1,016 yards on 164 carries (6.2 avg.) and 10 touchdowns. Rushed for a season-high 201 yards and one TD on 15 carries in the first meeting with UNLV.

OT Kage Casey — The 6-foot-5, 316-pound junior is a two-time first team all-Mountain West pick and anchors the top offensive line in the league. Has made 40 consecutive starts at left tackle and is considered a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

-Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and quarterback CJ Carr (13) sing the alma mater after beating the Purdue Boilermakers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

High-powered offenses clash as No. 21 Notre Dame faces Boise State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Boise State coach Spencer Danielson knows his team might need some time to absorb its first trip to Notre Dame Stadium.

Danielson feels the same way as his players. That is why he is going to lead a tour of the stadium one day before Boise State (3-1) kicks off against No. 21 Notre Dame (2-2) on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

“As a football fan, which we all are, and even me growing up in Southern California, Notre Dame’s a team that you watch consistently year in and year out,” Danielson said. “I mean, from ‘Rudy’ to South Bend to Touchdown Jesus, there’s so much amazing history tied to Notre Dame. And I’ve never been there. I’m fired up as a coach. …

“And so, we’re going to be able to see the stadium the day before and go through it. Because I want, by the time we get to kickoff, it’s time to go play football. They’ve got really good players. I believe in our players, too.”

The Broncos will look for the upset win after tallying three wins in a row against Eastern Washington, Air Force and Appalachian State. Boise State’s lone loss so far this season was on Aug. 28 at South Florida.

Notre Dame is seeking its third win in a row after knocking off Purdue and Arkansas in back-to-back weeks. The Fighting Irish scored 56 points in each of the past two games.

A big reason for the offensive surge is the performance of redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr. He has passed for 1,091 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions through his first four starts.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman praised Carr for playing so well so early in his career.

“It’s rare to be a second-year college football player playing in your fifth (career) game and performing at a level he’s performing at,” Freeman said. “It’s rare. But I think CJ Carr is rare.

“He has this unique trait that very few people have. He is … a competitive, selfless individual. It’s not about CJ Carr. He’s not so competitive that, ‘I want to be able to throw for this amount.’ It’s like, ‘Whatever we’ve got to do to win.’”

Carr is helped by the potent one-two rushing attack of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love has rushed for 341 yards and five touchdowns, and Price has produced 273 yards and six TDs on the ground.

Boise State also has thrived on offense, as it has scored 47-plus points in its last three games.

Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen has passed for 1,129 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. His top receiver, Latrell Caples, has 240 receiving yards and two scores.

Boise State also leans heavily on the run. Three players have figured prominently into the rushing attack, including Dylan Riley (360 yards, 5 TDs), Sire Gaines (245 yards, 1 TD) and Malik Sherrod (198 yards, 2 TDs).

Freeman acknowledged it will be a challenge to slow Boise State’s ground game.

“They’re going to keep fresh guys in there and make you stop the run,” he said. “We have to understand that. … We’ve got to be aggressive, and we’ve got to tackle well because those running backs, if you miss them, they’ll go the distance.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) during the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty (226 yds), No. 11 Boise State roll past Oregon State

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Ashton Jeanty rushed for 226 yards and one touchdown on 37 carries and No. 11 Boise State moved closer to earning a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff with a 34-18 victory over Oregon State on Friday at Boise, Idaho.

Jeanty topped 200 yards rushing for the fifth time this season and raised his season numbers to 2,288 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground as the Broncos (11-1) won their 10th consecutive game. Jeanty’s rushing yardage this season ranks fifth all-time in FBS history.

Maddux Madsen completed 17 of 33 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for one score for Boise State, which will host No. 24 UNLV or Colorado State on Dec. 6 in the Mountain West title game. Austin Bolt and Latrell Caples had touchdown catches.

Ben Gulbranson completed 21 of 37 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown for Oregon State (5-7), which lost six of its final seven games. Darrius Clemons caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.

Beavers running back Anthony Hankerson ran for 110 yards and a long touchdown on 11 carries to end the season with 1,082 rushing yards.

Oregon State pulled within 27-18 with 11:51 left in the game when Gulbranson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Clemons and the duo also teamed up on the ensuing two-point conversion throw.

But the Beavers couldn’t get any closer and Madsen sealed it with a 3-yard run for the Broncos with 58 seconds left.

Boise State scored two first-quarter touchdowns on Madsen’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Bolt and Jeanty’s 7-yard run.

The Broncos appeared on their way to making it a 21-point margin before Oregon State’s Skyler Thomas punched the ball out of Jeanty’s arm and teammate Nikko Taylor recovered at the Beavers’ 8-yard line with 2:15 left in the second quarter.

Two plays later, Hankerson exploded for an 83-yard touchdown run with 1:48 remaining in the half. Boise State answered quickly when Madsen hit Caples on a 6-yard scoring pass to make it 21-7 with 20 seconds left.

Jonah Dalmas booted field goals of 43 and 29 yards in the third quarter for the Broncos and Everett Hayes connected from 37 yards out for Oregon State as Boise State took a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs the ball against Nevada Wolf Pack safety Kitan Crawford (4) during the first quarter at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty paves way again as No. 12 Boise St. holds off Nevada

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Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 12 Boise State to a 28-21 victory over visiting Nevada on Saturday night in the Mountain West Conference matchup.

The Heisman Trophy candidate topped 200 yards for the fourth time this season and raised his season totals to 1,734 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. He entered the day as the national leader in both categories.

Maddux Madsen completed 9 of 20 passes for 119 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Broncos (8-1, 5-0 MW), who won their seventh straight game. Matt Lauter had a touchdown catch as Boise State beat Nevada for the 18th time in the past 20 meetings.

Jeanty became the fourth Boise State running back to top the 1,700-yard mark in a single season and finished the night second on the list. Jay Ajayi set the school record of 1,823 yards in 2014, while Ian Johnson (1,713 in 2006) and Jeremy McNichols (1,709 in 2016) also topped the mark.

Brendon Lewis was 17-of-26 passing for 188 yards and one touchdown for Nevada (3-8, 0-5), which lost its fourth consecutive game.

Jaden Smith caught a 36-yard touchdown pass with 2:19 left that kept the Wolf Pack in the game.

But Jeanty’s 17-yard run on the ensuing possession gave Boise State a first down. A short time later, Jeanty scampered for 10 yards and another first down to seal it.

The score was tied at 14 at the break before the Broncos moved ahead to stay behind a dominating eight-play, 95-yard drive to start the third quarter. Jeanty went the final yard for the touchdown.

Boise State took a 28-14 advantage on Jeanty’s 2-yard run with 10:05 left in the contest. However, Nevada bounced back and was threatening to make it a one-score game when it faced fourth-and-goal from the Boise State 1-yard line.

But Lewis and Sean Dollars botched the exchange and Jeremiah Earby of the Broncos recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

Boise State jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the game was 11 minutes old.

Jeanty’s rushes moved the ball down the field on the Broncos’ first possession, which ended with Madsen’s 11-yard scoring pass to Lauter.

With 4:12 left in the period, Jeanty powered through a Nevada defender on a 4-yard scoring run.

Lewis got the Wolf Pack on the board with a dazzling 17-yard burst with 57 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Nevada tied the game on a trick play with 6:14 left in the half. The ball was handed to Marcos Bellon. The receiver tossed a short pass to Caleb Ramseur, who broke two tackles en route to finishing off a 44-yard scoring play.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for gain during the first half against the Utah State Aggies at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty, No. 17 Boise State bid to beat Hawaii

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Ashton Jeanty will get another opportunity to add to his superlative stats when No. 17 Boise State visits Hawaii on Saturday night in Mountain West play at Honolulu.

Jeanty leads the nation in rushing yardage (1,031), rushing touchdowns (16) and average yards per carry (10.9) in a top-notch, five-game run that has made him the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Broncos coach Spencer Danielson feels it’s a one-player derby for the prestigious award.

“Ashton Jeanty is the best player in the country — next question,” Danielson said. “I believe he’s going to be in New York for the Heisman. I believe that.”

Only two Heisman Trophy winners rushed for more yards through the first five games of a season than Jeanty — Southern California’s Marcus Allen (1,136 in 1981) and Texas’ Ricky Williams (1,086 in 1998).

The Broncos (4-1, 1-0) lead the nation in scoring at 50.6 points per game and rank third in total offense at 537.6 yards per contest behind their dominant big-play machine.

Jeanty has seven scoring runs of 59 or more yards and has a non-scoring run of 68 yards. He had touchdown runs of 63 and 75 yards in last Saturday’s 62-30 rout of visiting Utah State.

That contest marked the second time Jeanty sat out the second half. He had 186 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries against the Aggies before calling it a night with Boise State leading 49-17 at the break. He also sat out the second half against Portland State on Sept. 21.

“It’s all about the team,” Danielson said. “And Ashton is the same way. We protect him, and we’re going to be smart with him because of how vital he is to our team. And we need to make sure we get other guys reps.

“At that point I didn’t know what his rush yards were, but we know he had enough.”

Boise State, which won its third straight game, also received strong play from quarterback Maddux Madsen, who was 21-of-25 passing for 256 yards and three touchdowns.

The Broncos have won the past nine meetings with Hawaii and have scored 40 or more points seven times during the stretch. Overall, Boise State is 15-3 overall in the series.

The Rainbow Warriors (2-3, 0-1) are trying to rebound from a 27-24 road loss against San Diego State.

Hawaii scored two consecutive touchdowns to hold a four-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Aztecs drove 87 yards on eight plays for the winning points.

“For sure, it’s tough,” Rainbow Warriors coach Timmy Chang said. “But we have to keep going, we have to keep running. We have good players. And if we play well, we’ll give ourselves a chance.”

Quarterback Brayden Schager passed for 272 yards and three touchdowns against the Aztecs. He has thrown for 1,328 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

“He’s a great leader,” Hawaii receiver Nick Cenacle said of Schager. “He rallies the offense. He’s always trying to pick us up. He’s able to take the lead. When nothing’s open, he’s able to scramble, and that’s huge for us.”

Schager is just 167 yards away from becoming the fifth Hawaii quarterback to reach 8,000 career passing yards. The person atop the list is Chang, who ranks second in NCAA history with 17,072 career yards.

Schager’s top target is Pofele Ashlock, who has 40 receptions for 428 yards and four touchdowns.

The Rainbow Warriors figure to put the ball in the air a lot as they lack a solid rushing attack (120th nationally at 93.6 yards per game), and Boise State ranks 123rd nationally in passing defense at 278.8 yards allowed per game.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) and quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) celebrate during the second quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Utah State looks to end skid vs. bruising No. 21 Boise State

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As badly as Utah State needs a win, the Aggies clearly have their work cut out for them when they visit the revitalized No. 21 Boise State Broncos on Saturday to open Mountain West Conference play.

Not only have the Aggies (1-3) lost three straight games, two of them against ranked opponents, but they’re giving up 36.3 points per game and 196.8 yards per game on the ground.

Lying in wait are the high-scoring Broncos (3-1) and hard-charging running back Ashton Jeanty, who is coming off a 259-yard, four-touchdown game in a 45-24 rout of visiting Washington State.

“He plays this game only one way, and that’s violent and explosive,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said, according to CBS Sports. “Defenders are constantly in conflict when they are trying to tackle (him).

“If you don’t come in with low pads to brace, he’ll run you over. If you come in too high, he’s going to make a move and he’s gone; you won’t catch him.”

Jeanty, who led the conference with 1,347 yards rushing last season while averaging 6.1 yards per attempt, has amassed 845 yards this season and is averaging 10.3 yards per carry — both figures ranking at the top of the Football Bowl Subdivision. He also leads the nation with 13 rushing touchdowns.

Boise State is enjoying its return to national prominence. The Broncos’ ranking is their highest 2020, and also the first time since that season that they have cracked the Top 25 in consecutive weeks. They are averaging 47.8 points per game, sixth best in the FBS.

Then there is Utah State, which has lost to the Broncos eight straight times and hasn’t won in Boise since 1996.

After dropping back-to-back games to ranked teams Southern California and Utah, the Aggies took a less-expected 45-29 loss to Temple in Philadelphia on Sept. 21. Utah State led 21-14 late in the first half before the Owls outscored them 31-8 the rest of the way.

A bye week followed, and interim head coach Nate Dreiling acknowledged the challenge of keeping his team’s confidence up despite the run of high-powered opponents.

“At the end of the day, it is still about us,” Dreiling said. “Every single one of our games, other than SC, we’ve been up, we’ve been moving and we’ve been looking really good. Now it’s about finishing. And that needs us to instill that mindset in our players, to have the confidence to win.

Petras, who threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns against Temple, said, “The good thing is the majority of the season is still in front of us, all of Mountain West play, and we are excited to get back out there.

“The bye week came at a nice time, a good time to recover physically and also get away a little bit mentally.”

Utah State is in the bottom third of the FBS with an average of 21.5 points per game, but Boise State is also in the bottom third in points allowed at 30 per game.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass warming up before the game against the Idaho Vandals at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

No. 7 Oregon braces for Boise State running game

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The Oregon Ducks escaped with a season-opening win but dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Oregon (1-0) defeated FCS powerhouse Idaho, 24-14, last week in Eugene, Ore. This Saturday, another team from Idaho comes to Autzen Stadium, the Boise State Broncos.

The Ducks have plenty of work to do in practice this week to fix some of the issues they had against the Vandals. Procedural and holding penalties on the offensive line nullified big plays. Idaho was able to get pressure on new Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was sacked three times and lost a fumble.

The Ducks were 1 of 3 on fourth down, and their normally potent rushing offense averaged just 2.9 yards a carry. Oregon surrendered only five sacks in all of 2023.

Of course, Idaho deserves a good deal of credit for making it difficult on the Ducks, but Oregon didn’t finish drives the way they have so often done in recent program history.

On the flip side, Gabriel finished 41 of 49 for 380 yards with two touchdown passes. Jordan James gained 95 yards on 15 carries and ran for a touchdown, and the Oregon defense was solid. It held Idaho to 2 of 12 on third downs, allowed 217 total yards, tallied two interceptions and gave up only 10 first downs.

The opportunities were there on offense, but Oregon didn’t take advantage as often as Ducks fans are accustomed to seeing.

“We didn’t play well enough,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “There were some miscommunications we had to clean up. But certainly, room for improvement. They know they didn’t play to the standard we want, and we can be better there.”

The Broncos (1-0) bring a potent rushing attack that features Ashton Jeanty, who gained 267 yards on 20 carries and scored six touchdowns against Georgia Southern last week on the road. Boise State won 56-45 and ran for 371 yards as a team.

Jeanty set a new Boise State program record in both single-game rushing yards and touchdowns. His six rushing TDs also tied the Mountain West record, and he became just the 10th player in FBS since 2013 with six rushing scores in a game, according to Boise State sports information.

Jeanty was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week.

The Broncos won their last four regular season games of 2023, including the Mountain West championship game, before falling to UCLA in the LA Bowl.

Boise State racked up 651 yards of total offense against Georgia Southern, including 280 passing yards for Maddux Madsen, but had trouble stopping the Eagles.

They will have to be ready for an Oregon team eager to atone for a disappointing showing last week.

“We’ve got to get better at what we do. We’ve got to get ready for formations, the shifts, the movers and the different plays,” Broncos defensive coordinator Erik Chinander told the Idaho Statesman.

Boise State is 3-0 against Oregon, notching victories in 2008, 2009 and 2017.

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2022; Boise, Idaho, USA; Former Boise State Broncos head coach and now new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter on the sidelines during first half action at Albertsons Stadium against the San Diego State Aztecs. Boise State defeats San Diego State 35-13. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Boise State to hire Dirk Koetter as OC

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Dirk Koetter is again joining the coaching staff at Boise State, this time as offensive coordinator under first-year coach Spencer Danielson, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

Koetter coached the Broncos from 1998-2000 and returned to serve as an offensive analyst and interim OC in 2022.

In his first stint with the Broncos, he finished with a 26-10 record and led the team to two Humanitarian Bowl wins (1999, 2000).

In his second stint, after stepping in to call plays for then-head coach Andy Avalos in 2022, the Broncos won eight of the last 10 games to reach the Mountain West Conference title game and earned a 35-32 win over North Texas in the Frisco Bowl.

In between his times in Boise, Koetter coached Arizona State for six seasons (2001-06) and spent time as OC for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2007-11), Atlanta Falcons (2012-14, 2019-20) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2015). He served as head coach of the Bucs from 2016-18, posting a 19-29 record.

Koetter replaces Bush Hamdan, who left to be the offensive coordinator at Kentucky.

Spring practice at Boise State begins March 11.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Taylen Green (10) passes against the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

UFC edges Boise State thanks to last-second field goal

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Colton Boomer kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired as Central Florida eked out an 18-16 win over host Boise State on Saturday night.

The Knights (2-0) used their ground game to march down the field quickly, gaining 26 yards on four straight plays after Kobe Hudson’s 11-yard catch got them across midfield.

After calling its final timeout, Central Florida won it when Boomer’s fourth field goal curved through the uprights.

Before Boomer’s game winner, the Broncos took a 16-15 lead with 1:49 remaining on Stefan Cobbs’ 28-yard TD catch on third-and-10 from Maddux Madsen, but Boise State missed the two-point conversion.

R.J. Harvey’s 5-yard TD run with 7:55 remaining gave UCF a 15-10, but the Golden Flashes also missed the two-point conversion.

Cobbs and Madsen also made key plays during the 13-play drive to set up the score that regained the lead for Boise State.

Cobbs had a 14-yard reception on third-and-6 to get the Broncos past midfield with about 5 1/2 minutes remaining. With 3:17 to go, Maddux converted a fourth-and-2 after getting a 4-yard gain that moved Boise State to the UCF 28.

Harvey finished with 70 yards on 15 carries and a TD that was set by Kobe Hudson’s 53-yard catch on third-and-14 about two minutes earlier. Three players after Hudson’s big grab, Harvey scored his second TD of the season and seventh of his career.

UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee completed 16-of-24 passes for 272 yards. He also rushed 11 times for 73 yards.

After rushing for 389 yards and five touchdowns in last week’s 56-6 rout of Kent State in their season opener, the Knights gained 258 yards on the ground and accumulated 530 total yards of offense.

Boise State’s Taylen Green completed 9-of-19 passes for 144 yards before injuring his right leg. He was replaced by Maddux, who was 5-for-8 for 67 yards.
Boise State (0-2) followed up its 56-19 loss at Washington by gaining 384 yards.

Boomer kicked three field goals in the first half, including a 55-yarder with 61 seconds left as Central Florida survived a rocky opening 30 minutes by trailing only 10-9.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2021; Carson, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs wide receiver Jesse Matthews (45) is defended by Boise State Broncos cornerback Kaonohi Kaniho (14) in the first half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

No. 21 SDSU rallies past Boise State to make MWC title game

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Jordan Brookshire came off the bench to pass for one touchdown and rush for another and No. 21 San Diego State clinched a spot in the Mountain West conference championship game with a 27-16 victory over Boise State on Friday morning at Carson, Calif.

Brookshire entered late in the second quarter and led San Diego State to 24 consecutive points to overcome a 13-point deficit. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 192 yards and rushed for 46 yards on nine attempts for the Aztecs (11-1, 7-1).

San Diego State tied the program’s Division I mark for victories, also accomplished under legendary coach Don Coryell in 1969 and twice under Rocky Long (2015, 2016). The program is in the Mountain West title game for the first time since 2016.

Jesse Matthews had a season-best 133 receiving yards and matched his career high of nine catches, with one going for a score. Greg Bell tacked on a rushing touchdown, Jonah Tavai recorded three sacks, Patrick McMorris intercepted two passes and Dallas Branch picked off one for San Diego State.

Hank Bachmeier completed 21 of 40 passes for 222 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Boise State (7-5, 5-3). Khalil Shakir and Kurt Rafdal caught touchdown passes for the Broncos, who were eliminated from Mountain West title game consideration.

The Aztecs outgained Boise State 408 to 319.

Brookshire replaced ineffective Lucas Johnson with 3:04 left in the second quarter with San Diego State trailing 16-3. The offense immediately emerged from hibernation.

The Aztecs traveled 78 yards on five plays with Brookshire connecting with Matthews on a 29-yard scoring pass with 1:30 left. San Diego State got the ball back and drove for Matt Araiza’s 37-yard field goal with three seconds left to trail 16-13 at the break.

The Aztecs continued the momentum on the first drive of the second half as Bell scored on a 2-yard run for a 20-16 lead. McMorris then intercepted Bachmeier for the second time and Brookshire cashed in with a 16-yard scoring run to boost the lead to 11 with 7:46 left in the third quarter.

Johnson was 9-of-20 passing for 98 yards before being pulled.

Boise State struck first on Bachmeier’s 20-yard scoring pass to Rafdal with 6:08 left in the opening quarter.

San Diego State got on the board on Araiza’s 31-yard field goal with 1:10 left in the period. But the Broncos tacked on nine second-quarter points on Bachmeier’s 13-yard scoring pass to Shakir and Jonah Dalmas’ 22-yard field goal to lead 16-3 with 8:39 remaining in the half.

–Field Level Media