Boise State fumbles away chance to represent Group of 5 in Utah State loss
Despite trailing Utah State 24-10 with 2:20 left in the first half, Boise State looked like it had all the momentum. The Broncos had just regained possession at their own 45-yard line and appeared ready to cut into USU’s lead going into halftime.
But then things went horrifyingly wrong.
Boise State turned the ball over on its next three possessions, allowing the Aggies to score three times in the final 1:25 of the second quarter to take a commanding 45-10 halftime lead en route to an eventual 52-26 USU home victory.
That final turnover, a 90-yard interception return for touchdown by Utah State’s Marwin Evans, was the seventh of the half and the final nail in the coffin on a disastrous two quarters for the Broncos.
Two first quarter fumbles and a second quarter interceptions from BSU true freshman quarterback Brett Rypien allowed the Aggies to jump out to a 24-3 lead early in the second quarter. Boise State cut the lead to 24-10 on a Kelsey Young touchdown run and after forcing a three-and-out, had a great chance to cut the lead to one possession, but Boise’s Devan Demas fumbled the ball away near midfield.
Two plays later, Utah State quarterback Kent Myers, filling in for the injured Chuckie Keeton, reeled off a 39-yard touchdown run to increase the deficit to 31-10.
The Broncos fumbled it away again on the first play of their next drive, leading to a Myers 21-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Sharp.
And when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Boise State again tried to put points on the board ahead of the halftime break, but then came Evans’ pick-six.
That sizable second half lead allowed the Aggies to effortlessly milk the clock and win the game to improve to 4-2 on the season and 3-0 in Mountain West play while snapping a 12-game losing streak against Boise State in the process.
For Boise State, which was ranked No. 21 coming into the game, the loss is a significant hit to the team’s chances to represent the Group of Five in a New Year’s Six bowl game for the second straight season.
Coming in to Friday night’s game, the Broncos offense had turned the ball over only six times in six games. That number ballooned to 14 with a whopping eight turnovers against the Aggies, giving the defense (which allowed only 334 yards) virtually no chance to keep the team in the ballgame.
Coming into the game, Boise already had wins over Power Five opponents in Washington and Virginia while completely dominating teams like Idaho State, Hawaii and Colorado State with Rypien (who became starter for the injured Ryan Finley) at quarterback. Utah State was by far the toughest test left on Boise State's schedule, with its final five Mountain West opponents having a combined record of 11-18. A win over Utah State would have (barring any unforeseen upsets) allowed BSU to coast to another Mountain West title. Now with the loss, the Broncos are 5-2 (2-1 MWC) and behind USU in the Mountain Division standings.
On top of that, the three unbeaten American Athletic Conference teams – Temple, Houston and Memphis – along with Toledo (6-0) of the MAC and even 6-1 Western Kentucky of C-USA have better resumes to represent the Group of Five conferences.
The top-ranked Group of Five team in the final College Football Playoff rankings will earn a spot in a College Football Playoff-affiliated bowl game. With Friday night’s loss, Boise State looks like a long shot.
For more Boise State news, visit Blue-Turf.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
