Boise State’s much-maligned running game comes to life in rivalry game at BYU
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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.
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Boise State running back Andrew Van Buren found a gaggle of Boise State football fans Saturday behind one of the end zones in LaVell Edwards Stadium after the Broncos’ 26-17 win over No. 10 BYU, and he trotted over to thank them for making the trip.
Boise State’s fans — and its offense — had plenty to celebrate after the Broncos’ first win over a Top 10 team since 2014 against Arizona. Van Buren and his running mates had plenty to be excited about after what Boise State coach Andy Avalos called his team’s best rushing performance of the season.
“I’m so proud of them,” Avalos said. “We have to keep growing. We can’t stop, we know that, but we’re going to celebrate the things we did well today.”
It wasn’t the Broncos’ best statistical rushing performance of the season. That was two weeks ago when Boise State racked up 149 yards in a win at Utah State.
Boise State generated 140 yards on the ground Saturday, despite starting running back George Holani missing his second game of the season. The Broncos traveled to Provo ranked last in the Mountain West and No. 127 nationally with 74.4 rushing yards a game, but they out-rushed BYU, which came into the game averaging 177.8 yards a game but managed just 111 on Saturday.
The Broncos’ much-maligned running game took such a big jump Saturday that it was obvious to Boise State linebacker Riley Whimpey, who was especially impressed with the offensive line.
“They truly came out and imposed their will on the D-line and linebackers,” he said.
Quarterback Hank Bachmeier also heaped plenty of praise on the Broncos’ offensive line, which was missing two starters again Saturday. Center Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez hasn’t played this season for undisclosed reasons, and guard Garrett Curran was out for the second straight game.
The offensive line did so well Saturday that Bachmeier said they might have a steak dinner coming to them.
“They have been criticized all year but we came out against the No. 10 team in the country and ran the rock the whole game,” Bachmeier said.
Avalos was especially pleased with Rice transfer Uzo Osuji, who started at right tackle again with Ben Dooley bumping inside to guard for the second week in a row.
“How about Uzo stepping up and playing against some of these elite players?” Avalos said. “Whether they’re standing up or they had their hand on the ground, that’s a good defense with a lot of good players.”
With Holani out, Boise State turned to Oregon transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio to carry the load in the backfield. The former short-yardage back said he’s excited to prove he can be an every-down back for the Broncos, and he did that on Saturday.
Habibi-Likio led the Broncos with 75 yards and a touchdown on the ground and tied wide receiver Khalil Shakir with a team-high five catches for 32 yards. He also did pretty much all of his damage in the first half.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound redshirt senior was on the field for Boise State’s first drive of the second half, but that was the last time he played, and he wasn’t on the sideline for the rest of the game. Avalos didn’t offer much after the game, saying only that Habibi-Likio got banged up, but Avalos said he did a good job picking up tough yards in the first half.
“He did a tremendous job running the ball and really piercing the defense and getting those hard-earned yards,” Avalos said. “It’s 3 or 4 yards, but that’s a big deal. Those runs turn into 9- and 10-yard runs when we’re persistent with it.”
Van Buren finished with 60 yards on the ground, and his 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter left BYU trailing on the scoreboard for the first time this season.
Not having a strong running game has been unfamiliar territory for the Broncos, who notched their 11th straight season with a 1,000-yard rusher in 2019. That streak was snapped last year and Boise State may not have a 1,000-yard rusher this fall. But if the Broncos can run the ball the way they did at BYU, they have a shot at winning plenty more games this season.
This story was originally published October 9, 2021 at 6:53 PM.
