Boise State
5-2 , 3-1
Fresno State
3-5 , 2-2
Ajayi leads Boise State past Fresno State, 37-27
10/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Jay Ajayi ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns, including a 54-yard run on Boise State's clinching drive in the Broncos' 37-27 victory over Fresno State on Friday night.
Boise State (5-2, 3-1 Mountain West) avenged a 41-40 overtime loss to the Bulldogs last season to claim the Milk Can rivalry trophy. Fresno State (3-5, 2-2), winless in Boise since 1984, squandered Marteze Waller's 164-yard rushing performance.
Grant Hedrick completed 21 of 30 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, caught a scoring pass and ran for 56 yards for the Broncos.
Fresno State overcame a 10-point deficit to tie it at 27 late in the third quarter. Boise State rebounded with a 17-play, 75-yard drive that ended with receiver Thomas Sperbeck's 9-yard touchdown pass to Hedrick.
The Bulldogs scored all three of their touchdowns on drives of two plays or less, and minus-1 yards of offense in the fourth quarter.
Dan Goodale added a 24-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to push the Broncos' lead to 10 and Donte Deayon intercepted a pass to seal the victory.
Boise State led 20-10 at halftime.
The Bulldogs leaned on its big-play capability to start the third quarter. After Waller ripped off a 38-yard run on Fresno State's first play from scrimmage, Brian Burrell connected with Josh Harper for a 32-yard scoring strike to make it 20-17.
The Broncos responded with a 12-play, 62-yard drive that included four third-down conversions. Hedrick found Williams-Rhodes in the end zone from 21 yards to push Boise State's lead back to 10.
After Kody Kroening kicked a 44-yard field goal to pull Fresno State to 27-20, Boise State fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Stratton Brown recovered at 5. Two plays later, Waller scored from 3 yards out to tie it with 1:57 left in the third quarter.
Burrell was 13 of 25 for 127 yards and ran for 41 yards.
Team Stats
FS 0, BSU 7
BSU - AJAYI, Jay 9 yd run (GOODALE, Dan kick), 5 plays, 74 yards, TOP 1:53
FS 3, BSU 7
FS - KROENING, Kody 34 yd field goal 10 plays, 58 yards, TOP 3:52
FS 3, BSU 10
BSU - GOODALE, Dan 34 yd field goal 8 plays, 50 yards, TOP 2:32
FS 10, BSU 10
FS - WALLER, Marteze 76 yd run (KROENING, Kody kick), 1 plays, 76 yards, TOP 0:18
FS 10, BSU 13
BSU - GOODALE, Dan 40 yd field goal 6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 2:15
FS 10, BSU 20
BSU - AJAYI, Jay 3 yd run (GOODALE, Dan kick), 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:58
FS 17, BSU 20
FS - HARPER, Josh 32 yd pass from BURRELL, Brian (KROENING, Kody kick) 2 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:37
FS 17, BSU 27
BSU - WILLIAMS-RHODES 21 yd pass from HEDRICK, Grant (GOODALE, Dan kick) 12 plays, 62 yards, TOP 5:10
FS 20, BSU 27
FS - KROENING, Kody 44 yd field goal 16 plays, 56 yards, TOP 6:32
FS 27, BSU 27
FS - WALLER, Marteze 3 yd run (KROENING, Kody kick), 2 plays, 5 yards, TOP 0:44
FS 27, BSU 34
BSU - HEDRICK, Grant 9 yd pass from SPERBECK, T. (GOODALE, Dan kick) 17 plays, 75 yards, TOP 7:46
FS 27, BSU 37
BSU - GOODALE, Dan 24 yd field goal 7 plays, 69 yards, TOP 2:57
