Final: Boise State 54, UTEP 13; Broncos grab more takeaways than all of last season
This is our live blog. For complete game coverage, click on the links below:
Boise State shows off flashy offense, aggressive D in Avalos’ first win as head coach
Boise State forced only 3 turnovers last season. The Broncos doubled that against UTEP
Boise State fans drink in a blowout win at home — and for first time, a bunch of beer
Instant analysis: Boise State’s offense gets healthy vs. UTEP. Defense gets stingy
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A common refrain from the Boise State football team all summer was to be better — much better — at creating turnovers in 2021.
In Friday night’s home opener against UTEP at Albertsons Stadium, mission accomplished.
The Broncos (1-1) had six takeaways — three interceptions, three fumble recoveries — as they rolled to a 54-13 win over the Miners (2-1). In the 2020 COVID-shortened season, Boise State forced just three turnovers.
Quarterback Hank Bachmeier shined on offense, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, and the Broncos used a 31-point second quarter to turn the game into a rout.
Big 12 speculation returns on day conference expands
As Boise State was preparing for its home opener Friday against UTEP, conference expansion talk heated up once again.
A report from Dennis Dobbs of CBS Sports surfaced Friday afternoon, suggesting that the Big 12 isn’t done expanding, and Boise State and Memphis are its next targets. A second round of expansion isn’t likely to happen before 2024, though.
Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey declined to comment on the Big 12’s interest in the Broncos. He said he’s had no communication with anyone from the conference in recent weeks, but he made it very clear that he believes Boise State deserves an invitation.
“Like many other schools, we belong to be in the conversation now,” Dickey said. “From an athletic and academic standpoint, I do believe we deserve a seat at the table, and I’m going to continue to sing that from the mountain tops.”
The Big 12 Board of Directors voted unanimously Friday morning to extend invitations of membership to UCF, BYU, Houston and Cincinnati. All four accepted, and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Friday that BYU is expected to join in 2023, and the other three by 2024.
The Big 12 was left with eight members after Oklahoma and Texas announced at the end of July that they’re leaving for the SEC. A second round of expansion would leave the conference with at least 14 teams.
Having BYU — an FBS Independent since 2011 — be part of the initial wave of expansion is probably a good thing for Boise State. The Broncos joining would give the Cougars a regional rival, and at least one conference game that didn’t require extensive travel.
The football teams at Boise State and BYU have developed a strong rivalry, having faced each other nine years in a row. The Broncos are 5-4 in those games, but they’ve lost the past two, including a 51-17 setback in Albertsons Stadium last season.
WHERE TO FIND THE TV BROADCAST
Boise State is on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) this week. That’s channel 146 on Sparklight, 219 on DirecTV and 150 on Dish Network.
Follow along with our live scoring summary, news and notes, and breaking news:
UTEP AT BOISE STATE
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,387, turf), Boise
TV: FS1 (Alex Faust, Petros Papadakis)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State is 0-1 overall; UTEP 2-0
Series: Boise State leads 5-0 (last meeting: Boise State won 47-31 in 2004 in El Paso, Texas)
Vegas line: Boise State by 25.5
Weather: 68 degrees at game time, mostly cloudy, 15% chance of rain, 7 mph winds.
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
UTEP — Gavin Baechle 33 field goal, 10:36. Key plays: Three of the Miners’ first five plays went for 10 yards or more, including an 18-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:24. UTEP 3, Boise State 0
BSU — Jonah Dalmas 39 field goal, 9:08. Key plays: Khalil Shakir opened the drive with an 11-yard reception and then made a one-handed, 31-yard grab along the Broncos’ sideline to get to the UTEP 23-yard line. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:21. Boise State 3, UTEP 3
BSU — Stefan Cobbs 81 punt return (Dalmas kick), 6:42. Key plays: The BSU defense forced a UTEP three-and-out, and Cobbs evaded several would-be tacklers to score the sixth-longest punt return TD in program history. Markel Reed and Rodney Robinson provided big blocks to help spring Cobbs. Boise State 10, UTEP 3
Second quarter
UTEP — Baechle 21 field goal, 13:26. Key plays: QB Gavin Hardison hit Justin Garrett with a 31-yard pass to reach the BSU 38. The Miners kept this drive alive by converting on third-and-7and third-and-6 inside the BSU 25. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 8:16. Boise State 10, UTEP 6
BSU — George Holani 10 run (Dalmas kick), 11:33. Key plays: Khalil Shakir’s second one-handed catch of the game went for 36 yards to the UTEP 46. Holani stiff-armed a defender to get into the end zone. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:53. Boise State 17, UTEP 6
BSU — Andrew Van Buren 3 run (Dalmas kick), 11:15. Key play: On first-and-10 from his own 13-yard line, UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison was sacked by BSU DE Shane Irwin, resulting in a fumble. Boise State DT Scott Matlock recovered the fumble on the 3-yard-line. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:04. Boise State 24, UTEP 6
BSU — Cobbs 61 pass from Hank Bachmeier (Dalmas kick), 8:43. Key play: On the first play of the drive, Cobbs beat his defender on a slant, caught a bullet from Bachmeier in stride and took it all the way to the end zone. Drive: 1 play, 61 yards, :10. Boise State 31, UTEP 6
UTEP — Jacob Cowling 48 pass from Gavin Hardison (Baechle kick), 6:21. Key plays: UTEP capitalized on a BSU facemask penalty and several missed tackles on Cowling’s reception to reach the end zone. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:22. Boise State 31, UTEP 13
BSU — Dalmas 27 field goal, 3:00. Key plays: Bachmeier threw two completions of 20-plus yards to Shakir (29 yards) and Octavius Evans (22 yards). UTEP was also flagged for pass interference. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:15. Boise State 34, UTEP 13
BSU — Van Buren 1 run (Dalmas kick), 0:14. Key plays: BSU safety Seyi Oladipo snagged his first career interception to set up this drive. After a 35-yard reception from Bachmeier to Shakir, the Broncos got all the way down to the UTEP 7 courtesy of a roughing-the-passer penalty. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 0:55. Boise State 41, UTEP 13
Third quarter
BSU — Tyneil Hopper 23 pass from Bachmeier (Dalmas kick), 13:50. Key plays: CT Thomas returned the kickoff 47 yards and then UTEP was flagged for a personal foul, putting BSU on the UTEP 38-yard-line for the first play of the second half. Drive: 3 plays, 38 yards, 1:02. Boise State 48, UTEP 13
BSU — Dalmas 29 field goal, 4:19. Key plays: The Broncos collected their sixth takeaway of the game to set up this drive when JL Skinner forced UTEP receiver Tyrin Smith into a fumble and BSU’s Ezekiel Noa recovered. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:52. Boise State 51, UTEP 13
Fourth quarter
BSU — Dalmas 34 field goal, 4:20. Key play: With backup Jack Sears in at QB, Taequan Tyler took his first handoff of the game 21 yards to the UTEP 29-yard line. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 3:23. Boise State 54, UTEP 13
NEWS & NOTES
Igiehon takes leave of absence
Boise State will be without nose tackle Scale Igiehon for the foreseeable future.
The senior has taken a leave from the program, a spokesperson for the team confirmed about 45 minutes before kickoff on Friday.
“Boise State senior Scale Igiehon will take a leave of absence from the Broncos’ football team while dealing with a personal matter. No additional details will be released at this time,” according to an official statement from the program.
Igiehon transformed his body the past couple of years, going from a 348-pound high school senior to a 290-pound specimen, who looks the part of an NFL defensive lineman.
He didn’t play in last week’s season opener at UCF until the third quarter and finished with just one tackle. On Tuesday, defensive line coach Frank Maile said Utah transfer Jackson Cravens is the starter at nose tackle.
Boise State also announced one player will miss tonight’s game because of COVID-19 protocols, which could mean a positive test or contact tracing.
Two Broncos out vs. UTEP
The Broncos are without two starting offensive linemen against the Miners.
Right guard Jake Stetz — one of seven super seniors on the field for the Broncos — is inactive after he left the season opener in the second quarter with what looked like a shoulder or arm injury.
Redshirt junior Garrett Curran will start at right guard against UTEP, with Texas Tech transfer Will Farrar at left guard.
Sixth-year senior Donte Harrington will also start at center for the second week in a row. Redshirt junior Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez is inactive for the second straight game with an undisclosed injury.
Quick hits
The Broncos wore blue jerseys, white pants and white helmets. ... Team captains Khalil Shakir and Kekaula Kaniho were joined by Hank Bachmeier and Ezekiel Noa as game captains. ... Boise State won the coin toss and deferred. ... Boise State was led onto the field by linebacker Brandon Hawkins, who carried the Dan Paul Hammer. ... RT Ben Dooley carried the American flag and NT Jackson Cravens carried the Bleed Blue flag.
THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE
Boise State looks to extend winning streak in home openers; injury update on top receiver
Ask a UTEP writer: Boise State will face another talented rushing attack in home opener
Keys to victory, betting line and prediction for Boise State’s home opener against UTEP
Idaho ties in the NFL: Former Boise State LB Vander Esch ‘itching’ to face QB Tom Brady
This Idaho-raised Boise State defender (and blocker) found his ‘why’ via personal tragedy
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 6:31 PM.
