Saturday, September 8
Boise, Idaho
8:15 p.m. MT
Boise State
vs
UConn
Photo by: Boise State Photo Services
No. 22 Broncos Open Home Slate Saturday Against UConn
9/3/2018 2:15:00 PM | Football
BOISE, Idaho - The Boise State football team will open the home portion of its 2018 slate, playing host to Connecticut from the American Athletic Conference Saturday (Sept. 8), under the lights at Albertsons Stadium. Kickoff between the Broncos (1-0) and Huskies (0-1) is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. MT, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
The Broncos were ranked 22nd in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls to open the season, although updated rankings will be out Tuesday following the final games of the first full week of the college football season.
THE SERIES: Boise State won the only previously-played game against Connecticut, a 38-21 victory in East Hartford, Conn., Sept. 13, 2014. Quarterback Grant Hedrick threw a pair of touchdown passes to Matt Miller and caught one from the senior wide receiver, while the Bronco defense scored a pair of touchdowns – on a fumble recovery by Tanner Vallejo in the first quarter and an interception return by Donte Deayon in the fourth – and held the Huskies to 48 yards rushing and recorded eight sacks.
VS. THE AMERICAN: Boise State has played just one game against the American Athletic Conference – the previously-mentioned 2014 road victory over Connecticut. However, against schools that currently comprise the league, the Broncos are 9-1 all-time. Boise State is 6-0 against Tulsa, 2-0 against SMU and 1-0 against Connecticut. The only blemish came against East Carolina in the 2007 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (41-38; Dec. 23).
NONCONFERENCE HOME GAMES: Boise State is 24-1 in nonconference home games since the start of the 2006 season, the only loss during that time coming to Virginia (42-23; Sept. 22, 2017) in the last such contest on The Blue. The loss to the Cavaliers snapped a streak of 24-consecutive victories, and was the first nonconference setback at home since falling to Boston College in the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl (27-21), Dec. 28, 2005.
HORTON BRINGS THE CHAOS: Senior cornerback Tyler Horton reigned as the supreme King of Chaos in Saturday's victory at Troy, not only returning a pair of fumbles for touchdowns but also creating the Broncos' first takeaway by deflecting a screen pass that ended up picked off by linebacker Tony Lashley.
Horton, a preseason candidate for the Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Jim Thorpe Award in 2018, became one of just five players all-time in FBS history to record two fumble returns for touchdowns in a single contest Saturday. His first score came in the third quarter, as he plucked a loose ball caused by Kekoa Nawahine and winded his way 55 yards to the house, while his second came on an 11-yard return in the fourth quarter.
For his career, Horton now has four defensive touchdowns, as his first came on an 85-yard pick-six against Washington State on Sept. 10, 2016, and the second on a 21-yard fumble return against Air Force on Nov. 18, 2017.
MONSTER DAY FROM MODSTER: There were questions about the Broncos' receiving corps stepping up to replace the production of the graduated Cedrick Wilson (83 catches, 1,511 yards, seven touchdowns in 2017) in 2018, but redshirt senior wide receiver Sean Modster helped quell any fears Saturday at Troy with a career night of 167 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions.
The career day from Modster was backed up by impressive outings from sophomore CT Thomas, who nabbed a 53-yard touchdown pass, the first of his career, as part of a three-catch, 68-yard day, and A.J. Richardson, who caught three passes for 30 yards. Also contributing Saturday was junior John Hightower, a junior-college transfer who caught two passes for 15 yards, but made an impressive grab of a low slant on third down of Boise State's opening drive to gain a key first down which led to the eventual game-opening touchdown.
The Broncos were ranked 22nd in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls to open the season, although updated rankings will be out Tuesday following the final games of the first full week of the college football season.
THE SERIES: Boise State won the only previously-played game against Connecticut, a 38-21 victory in East Hartford, Conn., Sept. 13, 2014. Quarterback Grant Hedrick threw a pair of touchdown passes to Matt Miller and caught one from the senior wide receiver, while the Bronco defense scored a pair of touchdowns – on a fumble recovery by Tanner Vallejo in the first quarter and an interception return by Donte Deayon in the fourth – and held the Huskies to 48 yards rushing and recorded eight sacks.
VS. THE AMERICAN: Boise State has played just one game against the American Athletic Conference – the previously-mentioned 2014 road victory over Connecticut. However, against schools that currently comprise the league, the Broncos are 9-1 all-time. Boise State is 6-0 against Tulsa, 2-0 against SMU and 1-0 against Connecticut. The only blemish came against East Carolina in the 2007 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (41-38; Dec. 23).
NONCONFERENCE HOME GAMES: Boise State is 24-1 in nonconference home games since the start of the 2006 season, the only loss during that time coming to Virginia (42-23; Sept. 22, 2017) in the last such contest on The Blue. The loss to the Cavaliers snapped a streak of 24-consecutive victories, and was the first nonconference setback at home since falling to Boston College in the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl (27-21), Dec. 28, 2005.
HORTON BRINGS THE CHAOS: Senior cornerback Tyler Horton reigned as the supreme King of Chaos in Saturday's victory at Troy, not only returning a pair of fumbles for touchdowns but also creating the Broncos' first takeaway by deflecting a screen pass that ended up picked off by linebacker Tony Lashley.
Horton, a preseason candidate for the Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Jim Thorpe Award in 2018, became one of just five players all-time in FBS history to record two fumble returns for touchdowns in a single contest Saturday. His first score came in the third quarter, as he plucked a loose ball caused by Kekoa Nawahine and winded his way 55 yards to the house, while his second came on an 11-yard return in the fourth quarter.
For his career, Horton now has four defensive touchdowns, as his first came on an 85-yard pick-six against Washington State on Sept. 10, 2016, and the second on a 21-yard fumble return against Air Force on Nov. 18, 2017.
MONSTER DAY FROM MODSTER: There were questions about the Broncos' receiving corps stepping up to replace the production of the graduated Cedrick Wilson (83 catches, 1,511 yards, seven touchdowns in 2017) in 2018, but redshirt senior wide receiver Sean Modster helped quell any fears Saturday at Troy with a career night of 167 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions.
The career day from Modster was backed up by impressive outings from sophomore CT Thomas, who nabbed a 53-yard touchdown pass, the first of his career, as part of a three-catch, 68-yard day, and A.J. Richardson, who caught three passes for 30 yards. Also contributing Saturday was junior John Hightower, a junior-college transfer who caught two passes for 15 yards, but made an impressive grab of a low slant on third down of Boise State's opening drive to gain a key first down which led to the eventual game-opening touchdown.
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