Boise State Knocks Off Utah State

Friday, November 25

Boise. Idaho

10 a.m.

Boise State

9-3 , 8-0

Utah State

6-6 , 5-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Utah St.

Boise St.

11/25/2022 3:55:00 PM | Football

Box Score

BOISE, Idaho – Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylen Green threw four touchdown passes and dashed 91 yards for another score as Boise State pulled away late for a 42-23 victory over Utah State, Friday morning at Albertsons Stadium.

The 31,402 in attendance arrived early and stayed late as the game kicked off at 10:08 a,m. Mountain and was not decided until the final two minutes of play.

The Broncos (9-3, 8-0 MW) were leading 28-23 when redshirt sophomore linebacker Gabe Hunter intercepted Utah State's Cooper Legas at the 10-yard line to put the ball in Boise State's hands with 1:28 remaining.

Two plays later, Green raced down the left sideline for the longest run from scrimmage in program history to put the game out of reach.

The final points came courtesy of a 48-yard pick six from sophomore safety Seyi Oladipo with 31 seconds left.

Boise State defeated Utah State (6-6, 5-3) for the seventh-straight season.

The Broncos' victory on Senior Day capped a perfect regular season in conference play for the third time in four seasons. Boise State was 8-0 in 2019 and 5-0 in the 2020 season shortened by COVID-19.

Boise State and Utah State traded punts early, as both offenses were stagnant in the first quarter. Following a missed field goal attempt by the Aggies to conclude the sixth series, Green connected with redshirt senior wide receiver Billy Bowens on a 40-yard pass to set up a Bronco first-and-goal with seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The nine-play 65-yard drive was capped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Eric McAlister. The Azle, Texas native also accounted for the Broncos' third touchdown of the second quarter, hauling in a 25-yard catch with 4:37 left on the clock.

After a Utah State three-and-out, Boise State put together a four-play 63-yard drive in 1:43 that resulted in Green throwing a 50-yard strike up the middle to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Latrell Caples for six points.

Redshirt senior defensive tackle Scott Matlock commenced the scoring for the Broncos in the second half, hauling in a 1-yard touchdown pass to cap off a 10-play 65-yard drive. It marked the second-consecutive season Matlock found the end zone against the Aggies.

Top Broncos

Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylen Green threw four touchdown passes – a career-high – and was 14-of-23 for 222 yards and no interceptions. Green added 91 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Redshirt junior running back George Holani cracked the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time since his true freshman season in 2019. Holani concluded the regular season with 1,059 yards on the ground.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Eric McAlister hauled in two touchdowns receiving in the second quarter. He ended the day with three receptions for 40 yards.
Redshirt senior linebacker DJ Schramm tallied 15 tackles. He notched double-digit tackles in five games this season. Schramm had four tackles-for-loss.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Andrew Simpson's 10 tackles were a career-high.
Seyi Oladipo and Gabe Hunter both had interceptions on the day – Oladipo returned his 48 yards for a touchdown.

Notables

The Broncos won their seventh-straight game against the Aggies.
Boise State held every conference opponent to 23 points or less for the first time since 1980 when the Broncos went 6-1 and won the Big Sky and NCAA Division I-AA National Championship.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Latrell Caples' 50-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter marked the longest scoring reception by a Bronco this season.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylen Green is the first Mountain West quarterback to throw for four touchdowns and run for a touchdown against an FBS opponent since Chevan Cordeiro did so against New Mexico (Nov. 7, 2020). It is only the 17th time this season a quarterback has recorded the stat line in 2022.
The Broncos had two interceptions to bring their season total to 13, including five over the last two games. It extended Boise State's streak of consecutive games with a takeaway to eight — the longest since an 18-game streak during the 2014-15 seasons.

Up Next
Boise State hosts the Mountain West Championship, squaring off against West Division Champion Fresno State on The Blue, Saturday, Dec.3. The Broncos and the Bulldogs are slated to kick at 2 p.m. MT, and the game will be nationally televised on FOX.