Instant analysis: Second-half collapse leaves Boise State out of title game running
Final score: No. 22 San Diego State 27, Boise State 16
Records: Boise State 7-5, 5-3. San Diego State 11-1, 7-1.
Why the Broncos lost: Boise State started fast, jumping out to a 16-3 lead, but the offense went dormant late in the second quarter and the Broncos couldn’t recover. They managed just 54 yards of offense in the third quarter, while San Diego State was busy completing a 24-0 scoring run that began with a 29-yard touchdown catch by Jesse Matthews just before halftime. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier was intercepted twice and almost had three more passes picked off. He also took a beating. The Aztecs sacked him three times and hit him more times than he or his coaches care to count. Jack Sears came into the game in the fourth quarter and was sacked on his first play. Sears also threw an interception.
Main takeaway: The loss officially takes Boise State out of the running for the Mountain West championship and leaves the team with more questions than answers as the regular season ends. The Broncos struggled in the second half of games early in the season, but seemed to have to that problem licked during a four-game winning streak that followed the bye week. Those old issues crept up again in the regular-season finale, though. Boise State still has a bowl game to look forward to and the team can take some solace in the growth it showed after opening the season with a losing record for the first time in two decades and losing three games at home. But there is much work to be done if the Broncos want to be regular contenders for the New Year’s Six spot in a bowl game.
Player of the game: San Diego State made a change at quarterback in the second quarter, and it made all the difference. Jordon Brookshire replaced starter Lucas Johnson and immediately sparked the Aztecs’ run of 24 unanswered points. Brookshire scored on a 16-yard touchdown run to give San Diego State a two-possession lead in the third quarter and broke a 34-yard run that was negated by a penalty in the fourth quarter. He completed 11-of-15 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown, and led the Aztecs with 46 rushing yards.
Stat of the game: San Diego State went 2-for-3 on fourth-down conversions. The Aztecs’ second conversion came on 4th-and-inches from the Broncos’ 1-yard line when running back Greg Bell punched a carry into the end zone to give SDSU its first lead of the game early in the third quarter.
Play of the game: Bachmeier took a big hit as he lofted a pass high into the air that looked like it was headed out of bounds in the first quarter, but wide receiver Stefan Cobbs hauled it in with one hand near the sideline with a defender draped all over him, moving the chains with a 21-yard gain. Two plays later, Bachmeier found tight end Kurt Rafdal for the first touchdown of the game.
What’s next: Boise State needed a win and an Air Force loss to UNLV to stay in the hunt for a fifth straight appearance in the Mountain West championship game. The Broncos’ loss makes the result of the Falcons’ game irrelevant. The Broncos have qualified for a bowl game for the 24th straight season; their destination is expected to be announced on Sunday, Dec. 5.
This story was originally published November 26, 2021 at 1:58 PM.
