Boise State stands tall on fourth down; the catch of the year; Holani chasing 1,000
The Boise State football team went into Saturday’s Mountain West championship game with one of the top fourth-down defenses in the country, and that played a role in the Broncos’ 31-10 victory over Hawaii, which clinched their second conference title in three years.
With the game tied 3-3 early in the second quarter, Hawaii drove to Boise State’s 1-yard line, where the Warriors faced a fourth-and-goal. Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald called his own number on the play, but he ran into Broncos defensive tackle Sonatane Lui and linebacker Riley Whimpey, who dropped him a yard shy of the goal line.
The Warriors drove to the Broncos’ 5-yard line again early in the third quarter, but McDonald threw four straight incompletions and Hawaii was again turned away with no points.
[Related: Boise State gets title game redemption; Bowl projections: Boise State could face its former coach; Instant Analysis: Boise State has become a dominant force in MW; scoring summary]
“In those key moments, those critical moments, and we talk about those all the time, those guys rose up,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “I’m very proud of our defense tonight and the huge momentum swings because of the defense.”
Boise State went into Saturday’s game allowing opponents to convert fourth down just 28.6 percent of the time, which ranks No. 2 in the nation. The Broncos knocked the Warriors off the field on another fourth down in the fourth quarter thanks to Lui’s second sack of the night. That was their 18th fourth-down stop of the season.
“Coach Harsin always tells the D-line that we’re the tip of the spear,” Lui said. “When you have fourth-and-short yardage, most teams want to run it up the gut trusting their running back to get extra yardage or have the quarterback keep it.”
Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich said after the game that the Warriors had to be aggressive to have a chance in the game. He believed so strongly in those words that before McDonald was stopped short of the end zone, Rolovich chose to take three points off the board after the Broncos were called for an offside infraction on a field goal. But Rolovich admitted those fourth-down stops inside the 5 were all but impossible to shake off.
“I didn’t think field goals were going to win this football game,” Rolovich said. “The fourth-and-1 at the goal line when we didn’t get anything, I think that was a big turning point.”
Catch of the year?
In last week’s regular-season finale at Colorado State, Harsin called wide receiver CT Thomas’ grab on the sideline the play of the game.
In Boise State’s win Saturday, wide receiver John Hightower may have made the catch of the year.
Late in the first half, Bosie State quarterback Jaylon Henderson fired a pass toward the sideline. It was high and Hightower had to leap for it, and he was undercut by a defender as he did. Somehow he managed to land on one leg, keep his balance and take off for a 36-yard touchdown.
Harsin made a point after the game to say there’s no practicing such an acrobatic move. It just comes naturally.
“That’s what those guys do. That’s the ability they have,” Harsin said. “I would say this about John, too. He has the competitiveness that I’m not going down and I’m going to find a way. If you throw me the ball, I’m not going down and I’m going to do something with it.”
Hightower finished the game with three catches for 64 yards. He also took a couple snaps and threw his second pass of the season, which almost turned into a touchdown strike to Akilian Butler, but he couldn’t get both feet down in bounds in the back of the end zone.
Hightower leads the Broncos this season with 923 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He’s second on the team with 48 catches.
Fake Statue of Liberty
Before Boise State’s goal-line stand in the second quarter, Hawaii tried to borrow a page out of the Broncos’ playbook.
On third down from the Broncos’ 2-yard line, Hawaii faked a Statue of Liberty play. McDonald motioned like he was throwing a pass with his right hand and with the ball in his left, he extended it behind him. McDonald held on to the ball and tried to find an open receiver but couldn’t connect in the end zone. One play later, he was stopped a yard shy of the goal line.
Holani still chasing 1,000
Boise State freshman running back George Holani went into Saturday’s game needing just 88 yards to extend the Broncos’ streak of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher to 11 straight. He moved the chains with a couple of critical second-half runs but finished the game with 67 yards on 16 carries.
Holani heads into bowl season needing just 21 yards to hit 1,000.
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, who also did not play on Saturday.
After missing the past two games, offensive lineman Eric Quevedo returned for the Broncos at right guard.
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 story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 11:32 PM.
