Boise State looks ‘smooth’ running roughshod over Fresno State to tune of 316 yards
The Boise State football team enjoyed a night of firsts Saturday at Albertsons Stadium.
Quarterback Taylen Green threw the first touchdown pass of his career on the Broncos’ opening drive. His target on the 9-yard scoring strike was wide receiver Billy Bowens, who hauled in his first touchdown reception.
Boise State also had two players rush for at least 100 yards in back-to-back games for the first time in program history, helping fuel a 40-20 win over Mountain West foe Fresno State.
And the team racked up 316 rushing yards for the second week in a row, the first time that had happened since 2000.
“The run game opens everything up,” Boise State coach Andy Avalos said. “That’s where football starts. Teams that win championships are able to win at the line of scrimmage.”
A Mountain West championship seemed like a lofty goal just two weeks ago. The Broncos lost at UTEP, a 15-point underdog in the game. Former offensive coordinator Tim Plough was fired less than 24 hours later, and a couple of days after that, four-year starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier entered the transfer portal.
A conference title now seems like a very real possibility for the Broncos (4-2, 3-0 Mountain West), who registered a second straight dominant performance. Boise State knocked off San Diego State 35-13 last Friday behind a powerful second half — something that happened again against Fresno State.
“One of the best things about it was you saw the team get stronger as the game went on,” Avalos said. “That’s a true sign of coaches coaching and players playing to be their best.”
Boise State’s running game was at its best for the second week in a row.
Running back George Holani surpassed 100 yards on the ground for the second week in a row, finishing with a season-high 157. Freshman Ashton Jeanty (109 yards) recorded the first 100-yard rushing performance of his career and got into the end zone twice.
The Broncos also got 22 yards on the ground from Green and 28 from reserve running back Elelyon Noa. Green completed 10-of-18 passes for 127 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
“I think when we as an offense get in rhythm, we can really look smooth out there in the running game,” Holani said.
Holani sparked a scoring drive with a career-long 59-yard run late in the second quarter after Fresno State (1-3, 0-1) took a 14-13 lead on a 5-yard touchdown run by Nikko Remigio. Jeanty capped the drive with a 13-yard score, putting the Broncos up 20-14.
Boise State led 20-17 at the half, but Fresno State tied the game with a field goal early in the third quarter.
Then the Broncos came alive with an impressive second-half run. Holani put them ahead for good after hauling in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Green late in the third quarter. Jeanty help seal the win with several physical runs in the fourth quarter, including one that went for a 12-yard touchdown in the final minute.
“He does a great job of not giving defenders a whole lot of body to tackle,” Avalos said of Jeanty. “You’re pretty much just getting shoulder pad.”
As good as the running game was, the Broncos’ night of firsts wasn’t limited to the offense.
Linebacker Ezekiel Noa — a sixth-year senior — snagged the first interception of his career to set up one of Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas’ four field goals.
Noa also recorded a sack and forced a fumble, becoming the first Boise State player to be credited with all three in a game since former defensive back Kekaula Kaniho did it in the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl.
“He was extremely active and we’re really excited how he’s playing right now,” Avalos said of Noa, who finished the game with six tackles and two tackles for loss.
Boise State safety Rodney Robinson also snagged the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter, setting up another field goal from Dalmas.
“The defense did a great job of executing in the second half, and they just played cleaner in the second half,” Avalos said. “They were better with their eyes, they were better tackling in the second half and they found their rhythm.”
Fresno State kept the game close prior to that. Quarterback Logan Fife, who was standing in for an injured Jake Haener, scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the score 7-7 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs also held Boise State to field goals despite two drives that ended inside Fresno State’s 10-yard line in the first half.
But the Bulldogs couldn’t hang in the game’s final 20 minutes. The Broncos held the Bulldogs to three points in the second half and limited them to 99 yards on the ground — only 10 in the second half — and 134 through the air. Bulldogs running back Jordan Mims managed just 61 yards rushing.
All those statistics are impressive, but they pale in comparison to keeping the Milk Can Trophy in Boise for another year, Noa said. It goes to the winner of this contest each season, and in 2021 the Broncos posted a 40-14 victory.
“That was the first thing we thought of this week,” Noa said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight, and it’s a true blessing to be able to keep it on our side.”
Boise State is off next week and will come out of the bye with a road game at Air Force on Oct. 22. The Falcons (4-2, 1-2) lost Saturday at Utah State (2-4, 1-1), which had lost four straight games.
This story was originally published October 9, 2022 at 2:14 AM.
