Instant Analysis: Special teams ace Williams brings Boise State to life again
Final score: Boise State 40, Hawaii 32
Records: Boise State 4-1, 4-0 Mountain West. Hawaii 2-3, 2-3.
Why the Broncos won: The defense shut down Hawaii in the first half and the offense did just enough early to force the Rainbow Warriors to play catch-up. The Broncos limited the Warriors to 119 yards of offense in the opening half, and Hawaii managed just 50 yards through the air. Hawaii’s offense found some traction in the second half, putting up 29 points, but quarterback Hank Bachmeier moved the chains with a late scramble, allowing the Broncos to run out the clock.
Main takeaway: Even when its offense isn’t firing on all cylinders, Boise State has enough star power in all three phases of the game to turn things around and get into a rhythm. After punting on its first two drives and watching a third end with an interception in the first half, the Broncos scored on five straight possessions in the second and third quarters. Those points proved to be vital as Hawaii scored on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter and cut the Broncos’ lead to 40-32 with less than 5:00 to play.
Player of the game: Avery Williams took another big step toward locking up his second straight Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year award with his second kickoff return for a touchdown of the season and eighth career special teams touchdown. He also set up two scoring drives with long punt returns and finished with 192 all-purpose yards (120 kickoff returns, 72 punt returns).
Play of the game: Boise State had to settle for field goals on two drives in the first quarter, but Bachmeier knew exactly where to go with his only touchdown pass of the night. After Williams returned a punt to Hawaii’s 44-yard line in the second quarter, Bachmeier delivered a pass down the seam to wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who came down with it between two defenders, slipped a tackle and scored on a 38-yard touchdown pass. It was the first of his two touchdown catches on the night.
What’s next: The Broncos return to Albertsons Stadium next Saturday to host undefeated San Jose State, which will head into the game 4-0 after its game against Fresno State was canceled Thursday because of COVID-19 issues within the Fresno State program. Kickoff time is expected to be announced Sunday.
This story was originally published November 22, 2020 at 12:58 AM.
