Instant analysis: Boise State’s porous offensive line can’t protect Bachmeier in loss
Final score: Nevada 41, Boise State 31
Records: Boise State 2-3. Nevada 3-1.
Why the Broncos lost: The defense fell apart in the third quarter again. The Broncos led 21-20 at halftime, but they were outscored 18-3 in the third quarter, when Nevada racked up 148 yards off offense. The Wolf Pack had 113 rushing yards in the quarter, compared to 17 by Boise State. It’s the third time this season that a third-quarter lull has played a huge role in a loss. The Broncos were limited to negative yardage in the third quarter during the season opener at UCF. Against Oklahoma State, Boise State amassed 239 yards of offense in the first half and then just 3 yards in the third quarter.
Main takeaway: Due, in part, to injuries to two starters, Boise State debuted its fourth different combination of starting offensive linemen in five games on Saturday. But it didn’t matter which starting five the Broncos went with against Nevada. They couldn’t protect quarterback Hank Bachmeier. He took hit after hit and was sacked six times, and lost a fumble on one of those, which set up Nevada’s go-ahead scoring drive. Wolf Pack players brought him down five times and Bachmeier was called for intentional grounding while in the grasp of a defender, which also counts as a sack.
Boise State’s offensive line also couldn’t open many running lanes. The Broncos went into Saturday’s game ranked No. 9 in the 12-team Mountain West with 87.5 rushing yards a game. They managed just 22 net yards on the ground Saturday and were led by Oregon transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio with 46 yards on 10 carries. The negative yardage on sacks and two bad snaps made the end result worse than it would have been.
Player of the game: Nevada running back Toa Taua gained more yards on two carries in the third quarter than in the entire first half. He posted 59 yards on two carries to spark a drive that ended with a field goal. He found the end zone twice in the third quarter as well, and finished with 124 yards on only 12 carries.
Stats of the game: Nevada had managed just 15 rushing yards in the first half but racked up 113 in the third quarter alone, and finished the game with 130, to complement the strong passing of NFL prospect Carson Strong, who was 25-of-38 for 263 yards.
Play of the game: Boise State was clinging to a one-point lead at halftime and got the ball first in the second half, but the Broncos didn’t have it long. On the first play of the third quarter, Nevada’s Tristan Nichols hit Bachmeier from the blindside and caused a fumble, which the Wolf Pack recovered on the Broncos’ 18-yard line. The ensuing drive ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Taua, which gave Nevada a second-half lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
What’s next: Boise State hits the road next Saturday for a game at No. 13 BYU (5-0), which knocked off Utah State by a 34-20 score on Friday night to remain undefeated. The Broncos are 7-14 all-time against the Cougars, and Boise State has lost two in a row in the series, including a 51-17 setback at home last season.
This story was originally published October 2, 2021 at 5:08 PM.
