Boise State
8-4 , 6-2
New Mexico
3-9 , 1-7
Boise State Tops New Mexico, 45-17
12/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 1, 2013
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Tailback Jay Ajayi scored two touchdowns while amassing 147 yards rushing and a career-high 105 yards receiving, leading Boise State to a 45-17 victory over New Mexico on Saturday.
Matt Miller added nine catches for 111 yards and three touchdowns for Boise State (8-4, 6-2 Mountain West), which will play in a bowl game for the 12th consecutive year.
Tailback Crusoe Gongbay had 77 yards rushing and a touchdown in the season finale for New Mexico (3-9, 1-7).
Boise State was denied a berth in the MWC Championship game when Utah State defeated Wyoming 35-7 earlier Saturday to clinch the Mountain Division title.
Senior quarterback Joe Southwick jump-started a dominant effort by the Broncos in his first action since breaking his right ankle Oct. 19. Southwick completed a 64-yard pass to Ajayi and then fired a 1-yard scoring pass to Miller just 58 seconds into the game.
Grant Hedrick took over thereafter and threw for 175 yards and three TDs.
No matter who was under center, Ajayi showcased breakaway speed, tackle-breaking power and soft hands, becoming the first Boise State player to eclipse 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game since K.C. Adams in 1995.
After the Broncos' opening-drive touchdown, New Mexico briefly tied the game on Gongbay's 18-yard, first-quarter TD run. But a 33-yard punt return by Dante Deayon set up a one-play Boise State scoring drive - a 15-yard run by freshman Devan Demas - that restored a 14-7 lead.
Boise State seized momentum for good with a second-quarter goal-line stand. The Broncos stopped New Mexico on four consecutive plays from inside the 2 and then marched 99 yards in 14 plays, capped by Hedrick's 29-yard TD pass to Ajayi to make it 21-7 at the half.
New Mexico got a 42-yard field goal from Justus Adams on the opening drive of the second half to cut the Boise State lead to 21-10, but that was as close as the Lobos would get. Ajayi scored on an 18-yard, third-quarter run and Hedrick threw fourth-quarter TD passes of 24 and 13 yards to Miller as the Broncos pulled away.
Freshman tailback Teriyon Gipson had 76 yards rushing and a fourth-quarter TD for New Mexico. The Lobos amassed 300 yards on the ground but only managed 62 yards passing and committed three turnovers. Boise State had no turnovers.
Both teams unveiled trick plays in the first quarter. New Mexico gained 13 yards on a lateral to left tackle Darryl Johnson, while Boise State punter Trevor Harman completed a 12-yard pass to Miller to convert a first down on a fake punt.
Team Stats
NM 0, BSU 7
BSU - MILLER, Matt 1 yd pass from SOUTHWICK, Joe (GOODALE, Dan kick) 3 plays, 65 yards, TOP 0:58
NM 7, BSU 7
NM - GONGBAY, Crusoe 18 yd run (ADAMS, Justus kick), 5 plays, 33 yards, TOP 2:35
NM 7, BSU 14
BSU - DEMAS, Devan 15 yd run (GOODALE, Dan kick), 1 plays, 15 yards, TOP 0:06
NM 7, BSU 21
BSU - AJAYI, Jay 29 yd pass from HEDRICK, Grant (GOODALE, Dan kick) 14 plays, 99 yards, TOP 4:46
NM 10, BSU 21
NM - ADAMS, Justus 42 yd field goal 7 plays, 51 yards, TOP 3:35
NM 10, BSU 28
BSU - AJAYI, Jay 18 yd run (GOODALE, Dan kick), 5 plays, 92 yards, TOP 1:55
NM 10, BSU 35
BSU - MILLER, Matt 24 yd pass from HEDRICK, Grant (GOODALE, Dan kick) 8 plays, 72 yards, TOP 2:57
NM 10, BSU 42
BSU - MILLER, Matt 13 yd pass from HEDRICK, Grant (GOODALE, Dan kick) 2 plays, 18 yards, TOP 0:35
NM 17, BSU 42
NM - GIPSON, Teriyon 22 yd run (ADAMS, Justus kick), 6 plays, 62 yards, TOP 2:43
NM 17, BSU 45
BSU - GOODALE, Dan 23 yd field goal 4 plays, 8 yards, TOP 2:06
