Boise State reestablishes ‘foundation’ in potentially season-altering win at BYU
READ MORE
Boise State 26, BYU 17
Boise State turned two BYU fumbles into 14 points late in the first half and never looked back, beating the No. 10-ranked Cougars on their home field in Provo, Utah. Read all our coverage here.
Expand All
It’s uncanny how often history repeats itself.
Boise State football coach Andy Avalos was a linebacker for the Broncos when they opened the 2001 season with a 2-3 record. That team went on to post a program-altering win at then-No. 8 Fresno State, which sparked a run of five straight Western Athletic Conference championships from 2002 to 2006.
The Broncos were 2-3 again heading into a rivalry contest at No. 10 BYU on Saturday — having lost two of their last three games — but an opportunistic defense and revitalized running game led Boise State to a 26-17 win at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The win snapped the Broncos’ two-game losing streak in its series with BYU. It was the first time an unranked Boise State team beat a Top 10 opponent since that win over Fresno State, and the first nonconference win by a Mountain West team over a Top 10 opponent since TCU beat then-No. 7 Oklahoma in 2005.
“This is just part of reestablishing the foundation,” Avalos said. “Reestablishing what Boise State has always been about, and that’s hard work, diligence and taking care of each other.”
Boise State (3-3) was shorthanded on Saturday. Six starters were out, including running back George Holani and cornerbacks Markel Reed and Tyric LeBeauf.
The secondary took another hit when safety JL Skinner was ejected for targeting in the second quarter, but unlike in losses to UCF and Oklahoma State earlier this season, the Broncos didn’t let a second-half lull cost them a win.
Quarterback Hank Bachmeier said that fact alone shows how far Boise State has come as a team. It also gives the Broncos momentum as they get back to their Mountain West schedule next Saturday with a home game against Air Force. Kickoff time and broadcast information have yet to be announced.
“We finally finished the second half,” Bachmeier said. “I think we’ve always been capable of doing that. We’ve played some of the best teams in the country and we should have beat them. This is the game that can turn the page for us.”
While the team planned to enjoy the win, Bachmeier knows the Broncos can’t get too caught up in it with another conference game right around the corner.
“You have to have a 24-hour rule with a good game or bad game,” Bachmeier said. “Air Force is a team that can punch you in the mouth, so we have to be ready.”
The turning point
Boise State trailed 10-0 early, but the Broncos took control of the game thanks to having a short field to work with three times late in the first half.
First, edge rusher Isaiah Bagnah forced a fumble, which defensive tackle Scott Matlock recovered on BYU’s 24-yard line. The Broncos capitalized with an 11-yard touchdown run from Cyrus Habibi-Likio, which tied the game 10-10 with 6:29 left in the half.
BYU put the ball on the ground again on the ensuing kickoff. Safety Alexander Teubner was credited with the forced fumble and Skinner recovered on the Cougars’ 23. Five plays later, 240-pound running back Andrew Van Buren powered his way into the end zone from 1 yard out for a 17-10 lead. It was the first time BYU trailed in a game this season, and things only got worse for the Cougars (5-1).
Boise State forced four turnovers Saturday — marking the third time this season the Broncos have forced at least three in a game.
Safety Tyreque Jones ended a late BYU drive with a forced fumble. Redshirt freshman Kaonohi Kaniho also snagged his first career interception with 1:59 to play, allowing the Broncos to run out the rest of the clock.
“Turnovers win games or they can lose games, as you saw last week,” Bachmeier said. “For us to have a great defense is huge and they’ve kept us in ball games all year.”
Boise State’s defense did more than force takeaways. It limited BYU to 111 rushing yards after the Cougars came into the game averaging 177.8 a game. BYU running back Tyler Allgeier scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the Broncos’ lead to 23-17 with 7:27 to play, but he finished with just 73 yards on the ground.
The Broncos’ running game also did its part, posting 140 yards on the ground, which is second only to the 149 yards they put up in a win at Utah State two weeks ago.
Habibi-Likio, an Oregon transfer, led the way with 75 rushing yards before he left with an undisclosed injury early in the third quarter. The Broncos also got 60 yards out of Van Buren.
‘The final blow’
The Broncos began a third straight drive in BYU territory late in the first half after the Cougars went for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 46 and were stopped short with 2:18 left in the half.
Boise State couldn’t get into the end zone this time, though. The Broncos drove to BYU’s 1, but Bachmeier (18-of-29, 172 yards) was long on a throw to tight end Riley Smith, who was open in the end zone, and they went into halftime with a 20-10 lead after kicker Jonah Dalmas hit a 20-yard field goal.
It was the second of Dalmas’ four field goals on the day. He also hit a 41-yard kick to cut BYU’s lead to 10-3 late in the first quarter, a 28-yarder in the third quarter and a 22-yarder to cap a game-clinching drive with 3:27 to play.
The decisive drive covered 71 yards in nine plays, and it was kept alive by an incredible catch from wide receiver Khalil Shakir near Boise State’s sideline that netted the Broncos 35 yards on third-and-2. Boise State took 4 minutes off the clock with the drive.
“That put the game away,” Avalos said. “That was the final blow, and there were some big-time plays on that drive. Hank did a good job of giving the wide receivers an opportunity to go compete (for the ball).”
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall — making his first start in three games because of bruised ribs — posted a career-high 302 passing yards, but it wasn’t enough to overcome BYU’s mistakes, Cougars coach Kalani Sitake said.
“We battled and had a chance to win the game,” Sitake said. “Defensively (Boise State) had some big plays and we had some penalties that were costly and we’ve just got to play better. We’re going to improve and get better and make sure that we’re ready for next week.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2021 at 9:05 PM.
