Holani extends Boise State’s national-best streak; Lui misses Las Vegas Bowl; Hatada shines
It was of little solace to him Saturday after Boise State’s 38-7 loss to Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl, but true freshman running back George Holani achieved a goal he’s been closing in on for the past month.
Holani went into Saturday’s game just 21 yards shy of extending Boise State’s streak of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher to 11 straight. He eclipsed the mark on the Broncos’ first offensive play of the third quarter — a run behind left guard John Molchon, which went for 14 yards.
He finished the game with just 35 yards on 11 carries, but Holani completed his first college season with 1,014 yards.
“It was pretty cool, but that wasn’t part of our goal,” Holani said. “We were looking forward to winning this game and sending our seniors out the right way.”
Holani is the seventh running back to eclipse 1,000 yards during the Broncos’ streak. He joins Jay Ajayi, Alexander Mattison, Doug Martin, Jeremy McNichols, D.J. Harper and Jeremy Avery.
Boise State is tied for second in college football history at 11 straight seasons with Texas (1995-2005). North Carolina holds the record at 12 (1973-84).
Lui misses bowl, Hatada shines
The Broncos were without one of their top defensive linemen Saturday. It was announced before the game that senior Sonatane Lui would not play for personal reasons.
Lui didn’t elaborate on those reasons after the game other than to say he spent time with his wife’s family in St. George, Utah. He traveled separately from the rest of the team and joined his teammates in Las Vegas on Friday.
[Related: Emotional loss for Boise State; Chris Petersen leaves with another big win; Broncos’ big loss was all about coaching; Instant Analysis: Washington exposes Boise State flaws; Scoring summary]
“I don’t regret not playing, but I do wish I was out there at the same time,” Lui said. “I wish more than anything I could have been out there with my guys. I definitely wish I had the opportunity, but I couldn’t go out there for very good reasons and I’m proud of how my guys went out there and played.”
One of those is fellow senior defensive lineman Chase Hatada, who finished with six tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss.
“It’s not exactly how we envisioned finishing the season off, especially by that point deficit, but we’re still proud of how we left this place and the legacy we’ve left,” Lui said. “I just hope that the young guys learn from this.”
Hatada finished his final college season second on the team with 13 tackles for a loss and six sacks. Lui finished with 49 tackles, six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Butler makes early exit
Boise State wide receiver Akilian Butler’s final game didn’t pan out the way he planned.
Butler was injured on Boise State’s first drive of the game and didn’t return. Before the first quarter ended, he was on the sideline in street clothes getting consoled by a gaggle of teammates. He was replaced by redshirt freshman Stefan Cobbs, who finished with two catches for 13 yards.
After appearing in 10 games in both his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons, Butler suffered a season-ending injury just two games into the Broncos’ 2017 campaign. Last season, he appeared in 13 games and caught his first career touchdown pass.
Heading into the Las Vegas Bowl, Butler was fourth on the team with 28 catches and 316 yards, and he had three total touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 rushing).
Schools team up to honor Chris Petersen
Boise State University and the University of Washington combined on a full-page ad to salute coach Chris Petersen in Saturday’s Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Huskies and Broncos can agree on one thing this weekend: your inspiring leadership. You’ve motivated thousands of student-athletes to be ‘Built for Life’ — both on and off the field. Thank you for making an impact that goes far beyond football,” the message read.
Quick hits
Boise State was the visiting team. … The Broncos wore blue pants, white jerseys and white helmets. Washington wore gold pants and helmets with purple jerseys. ... WR Octavius Evans carried the Hammer. ... WR Khalil Shakir was Boise State’s single-game captain. ... Washington won the coin toss and deferred. ... Boise State trailed in 10 of its 14 games this season. ... Senior safety Kekoa Nawahine was called for targeting in the first quarter, but the penalty was overturned on review... Washington led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, the lowest-scoring first quarter in the Las Vegas Bowl since Utah led Boise State 3-0 in 2010. Boise State won that game 26-3. ... Boise State was shut out in the first half for the first time since Sept. 27, 2014, at Air Force.
This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 2:40 AM.
