Instant analysis: Boise State leans on a budding star to end the season on a high note
Final score: Boise State 35, North Texas 32
Records: Boise State 10-4, 8-1 Mountain West. North Texas 7-7, 6-2 Conference USA.
Why the Broncos won: Boise State trailed 10-6 at halftime, but the offense finally started clicking in the second half when the Broncos put the game in the hands of freshman running back Ashton Jeanty. The former star at nearby Lone Star High in Frisco, Texas, scored a 1-yard touchdown that gave the Broncos a 35-24 lead early in the fourth quarter, and he finished the game with a career-high 178 rushing yards. Quarterback Taylen Green added 119 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and he found fellow redshirt freshman Eric McAlister on a 24-yard touchdown pass that put Boise State up 21-17 in the third quarter.
Main takeaway: Boise State didn’t end the season as Mountain West champions, but the Broncos are taking the Frisco Bowl trophy home after securing their first bowl win since 2017. The win caps a season that was circling the drain after four games. Boise State was 2-2 after a loss to major underdog UTEP in late September. Offensive coordinator Tim Plough was fired, and starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier decided to transfer. Still, the Broncos found a way to rally around Green and 63-year-old interim offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and win eight of their last 10 games.
Boise State head coach Andy Avalos did an excellent job navigating a difficult season, and the Broncos’ players deserve a lot of credit for sticking together. More than anything, Boise State’s turnaround season highlights just how bright the future is on The Blue.
Running back George Holani has to decide if he’s going to test the waters in the NFL and the Broncos are going to have to replace a few starters on defense next season, but the sky isn’t falling. Green, Jeanty, McAlister and wide receivers Latrell Caples and Stefan Cobbs are all expected back next season. Add to that a 2023 recruiting class led by offensive weapons Jambres Dubar and Franklyn Jonhson, and it looks like the pieces are in place to make new offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan’s return to his alma mater a memorable one.
Player of the game: Boise State was without Holani for most of the game. He left the game in the first quarter and didn’t return, and he finished with just seven touches. That left Jeanty to carry the load, but as has been the norm this season, he didn’t look like a freshman. He burst through the line for a 34-yard run on the Broncos’ first play of the second half, sparking a drive that ended with a touchdown run by Green. Jeanty moved the chains again with an 18-yard gain on the drive that ended with McAlister’s touchdown catch, and he finished the Frisco Bowl with a career-high 178 rushing yards on 28 carries.
Stat of the game: Boise State scored just six points in the first half, but the Broncos put 22 points on the board in the third quarter. That’s more points than the Broncos had scored in a quarter of a bowl game in program history.
Play of the game: Boise State’s defense struggled to contain North Texas’ high-powered offense, but a turnover changed the complexion of the game. Redshirt freshman cornerback Jaylen Clark, playing because Kaonohi Kaniho was out with an injury, intercepted a pass early in the fourth quarter, setting up Jeanty’s touchdown run that gave the Broncos a two-possession lead with a little more than 12 minutes to play.
What’s next: Boise State’s season is over, but the Broncos are in for a hectic couple months before spring practice begins in early March. How many more players will transfer? Which seniors will be back for an extra year? Find out in our offseason tracker.
This story was originally published December 17, 2022 at 11:02 PM.
