Instant analysis: Boise State well on its way to completing improbable turnaround
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Boise State 20, Wyoming 17
The Broncos survived a wild final minute to beat the Cowboys and clinch a spot in the Mountain West championship game, which will be played at Albertsons Stadium on Dec. 3.
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‘It means everything’: Boise State clinches spot — at home — in Mountain West title game
‘Can you believe that just happened?’ Wild finish goes Boise State’s way at Wyoming
Instant analysis: Boise State well on its way to completing improbable turnaround
Live updates: Boise State survives cold, Cowboys, costly fumble to get crazy road win
Final score: Boise State 20, Wyoming 17
Records: Boise State 8-3, 7-0 Mountain West. Wyoming 7-4, 5-2.
Why the Broncos won: The Broncos couldn’t finish drives in the first half, but they leaned on the running game in the second half, made the most out of a timely interception, and Taylen Green continued his evolution as a quarterback. Green completed 20-of-34 passes for 211 yards and led scoring drives that put Boise State back on top twice in the second half, including a 38-yard touchdown pass to Billy Bowens that put the Broncos ahead for good with 7:20 to play.
Green and running backs George Holani and Ashton Jeanty combined for 272 yards on the ground, and safety Rodney Robinson snagged an interception that Boise State turned into its first lead of the game in the third quarter.
Then Boise State survived a crazy final minute. Holani fumbled while the Broncos were running out the clock in Wyoming territory, and the Cowboys returned the ball to the BSU 21-yard line. On the ensuing play, in field goal range and with 45 seconds left, the Cowboys inexplicably threw the ball, and JL Skinner got his second interception in the final minutes to ice the game.
Main takeaway: The Broncos’ season was circling the drain just a couple of months ago. They fell to 2-2 and fired offensive coordinator Tim Plough after a loss to huge underdog UTEP, but Boise State looks like a completely different team now. The Broncos have won five of their six games since. After Saturday’s win, they’re not only guaranteed a spot in the Mountain West championship game for the first time since 2020, but they’re going to host it for the first time since 2019.
This team easily could have gone the wrong way when things weren’t going its way. Instead, it’s writing one of the better comeback stories in program history. Now the Broncos have to finish the job by hoisting the conference championship trophy on Dec. 3. It would be their fifth Mountain West title since joining the conference in 2011.
Player of the game: He wasn’t the Broncos’ leading rusher, but Jeanty did all the dirty work on Saturday. The freshman sparked Boise State’s first scoring drive of the third quarter with a 23-yard burst, and he finished the game averaging seven yards a carry. Jeanty was the perfect complement to Holani. He evaded tacklers and ran over a few, and he always managed to finish runs with positive yardage. Jeanty finished the game with 91 yards on 13 carries.
Stat of the game: Boise State is now 13-0 when Holani rushes for at least 100 yards. Holani posted 132 yards Saturday against Wyoming. It was the fifth time in the past six games that he’s gone over the century mark. Holani has six 100-yard rushing performances this season.
Play of the game: With the offense struggling to produce points, the Broncos needed a spark from the defense. Cue safety Rodney Robinson. The redshirt sophomore intercepted a pass in the third quarter to end a Wyoming drive, marking the seventh straight game that the Broncos forced at least one turnover, and it sparked a scoring drive the other way. Green capped the ensuing possession with a 5-yard touchdown run, giving Boise State its first lead with 4:57 left in the third.
What’s next: Boise State ends the season at home against defending Mountain West champion Utah State on Friday (10 a.m., CBS) in a rare early morning kickoff. The Broncos are 21-5 all-time against the Aggies, and they’ve won six straight games in the series.
This story was originally published November 19, 2022 at 8:14 PM.
