Final: Boise State 31, Hawaii 10; Broncos win second Mountain West title in three seasons
The Boise State football team capped its perfect run in Mountain West play with a 31-10 victory over Hawaii in the conference title game Saturday afternoon at Albertsons Stadium.
It is the second Mountain West championship in three season for the No. 19 Broncos (12-1), who will learn their bowl fate on Sunday. It is likely Boise State will play in the Las Vegas Bowl.
[Related: Boise State gets redemption after last year’s title loss; Bowl projections: Boise State could face its former coach; Instant Analysis: Boise State has become a dominant force in MW]
Hawaii (9-5) entered Saturday’s game averaging 332.5 passing yards per game — a mark that ranks No. 6 in the nation — but the Broncos limited the Warriors to 241 passing yards and 320 yards total.
Meanwhile, Boise State senior quarterback Jaylon Henderson, who was voted the game’s offensive MVP, completed 20-of-29 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns through the air while rushing for 51 yards and another score.
Boise State senior nose tackle Sonatane Lui earned defensive MVP honors with five tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
In the American Athletic Conference championship game, No. 16 Memphis defeated No. 21 Cincinnati 29-24. The Broncos needed the Bearcats to defeat Memphis in order to move up in the College Football Playoff rankings and earn the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six bowl bid. Memphis was at No. 17, while Boise State checked in at No. 19 in the lastest CFP rankings released Tuesday.
The scoring summary and our tweets about the game can be found below:
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
UH — Ryan Meskell 47 field goal, 6:44. Key plays: Cole McDonald completed passes of 11 and 2 yards to Cedric Byrd II to turn third-and-12 into a first down. But the Rainbow Warriors were stuffed on a third-and-9 draw play, which forced the field-goal attempt. Drive: 11 plays, 35 yards, 6:52. Hawaii 3, Boise State 0
BSU — Eric Sachse 34 field goal, :30. Key plays: Quarterback Jaylon Henderson hit tight end John Bates for 10 yards on third-and-3 and scrambled for 12 yards on third-and-2. George Holani gained 6 yards on third-and-1 but a Henderson sack forced the field goal. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 6:14. Hawaii 3, Boise State 3
Second quarter
BSU — Khalil Shakir 36 pass from Henderson (Sachse kick), 1:07. Key plays: Henderson scrambled for 21 yards and hit wide receiver John Hightower over the middle for 17 yards to convert a pair of second-and-10s. The touchdown came on fourth-and-4, when Hawaii crowded the Broncos with nine guys on the line of scrimmage and Shakir got loose down the sideline. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:37. Boise State 10, Hawaii 3
BSU — Hightower 36 pass from Henderson (Sachse kick), :14. Key plays: The Broncos forced a three-and-out and used their timeouts to get another scoring chance. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, :24. Boise State 17, Hawaii 3
Third quarter
BSU — Shakir 4 run (Sachse kick), 1:09. Key plays: Wide receiver Octavius Evans drew a pass interference penalty on Hawaii, Bates made a 17-yard catch and Holani made a 13-yard reception. Henderson ran for 4 yards on third-and-4. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:54. Boise State 24, Hawaii 3
BSU — Henderson 5 run (Sachse kick), :18. Key plays: Defensive tackle Sonatane Lui swatted the ball out of McDonald’s hands and Demetri Washington recovered at the Hawaii 9-yard line. Henderson jumped over a defender at the goal line for the TD. Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, :41. Boise State 31, Hawaii 3
Fourth quarter
UH — Miles Reed 21 run (Meskell kick), 12:00. Key plays: Reed ran for 19 yards on second-and-15 and 19 more on second-and-16 before the TD. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:18. Boise State 31, Hawaii 10
NEWS AND NOTES
Happle out again
Boise State junior safety Jordan Happle was out for the Mountain West championship game. He also missed the regular-season finale at Colorado State. Happle had emerged as the starter in place of the injured DeAndre Pierce.
Quick hits
Boise State wore all black. ... Tight end Matt Pistone was the single-game captain. ... Boise State’s entire team carried Hammers during its entrance. ... Boise State won the coin toss and took the ball. ...
THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE
Why Jaylon Henderson is Boise State’s starting QB
Who has the edge, players to watch
Three keys and three score predictions
Boise State’s Shakir thrives with simple mantra
Curtis Weaver named finalist for national award
Boise State AD weighs in on New Year’s Six debate
Three Boise State players win Mountain West awards
Boise State sandwiched in CFP rankings
Last year’s championship disappointment pushes Boise State
Henderson is Boise State’s No. 1 QB for title game
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 1:39 PM.
