Instant analysis: Down year? Boise State still the flagship program in the Mountain West
Boise State racked up 527 yards of offense Saturday and won its record fifth Mountain West championship with a 44-20 throttling of UNLV.
The offense was firing on all cylinders. Quarterback Taylen Green posted 321 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone four times, and running back Ashton Jeanty added 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns. George Holani chipped in with 76 yards on the ground, and wide receivers Billy Bowens (91 yards) and Austin Bolt (72) both posted career highs in receiving yards.
The Broncos led 31-17 at halftime and never looked back, holding the Rebels to just a second-half field goal.
Defensively, the Broncos forced forced three turnovers and came up with a fourth-down stop in the third quarter, setting up a 16-yard touchdown pass from Green to tight end Matt Lauter, which put the Broncos up 41-20.
Main takeaway: No matter how many games Boise State has lost the past few years — five in 2021, five this season — or how many times it has had to overcome a slow start and adversity, the Broncos are still the flagship program in the Mountain West. They’ve played in a conference-high seven conference title games since the Mountain West began hosting one in 2013, and their five titles since 2012 are the most in conference history. TCU, BYU and Utah all won four. Among current members, Fresno State has won four Mountain West titles since 2012 and San Diego State three.
Player of the game: Green completed 12-of-15 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and added 90 rushing yards. He bobbed and weaved through UNLV defenders on a 70-yard touchdown run and found Austin Bolt on a 57-yard TD pass in the first half. He also scored on an 8-yard touchdown run in the first half.
Stat of the game: Boise State’s 31 points were a first-half record for the Mountain West title game, and more than the Broncos had scored in any half in their previous trips to the championship tilt. The Broncos also racked up 323 yards of offense by halftime. The team’s record in a conference title game had been 364 yards — in 2019 against Hawaii and 2017 against Fresno State.
Play of the game: The Broncos reached into their bag of tricks and came up with a long touchdown in the first half. Boise State went with an old-school flea-flicker, and Green found a wide-open Bolt on the 57-yard score. It’s the longest reception of Bolt’s fledgling career.
What’s next: Boise State (8-5), bowl-eligible for the 26th consecutive season, will find out its destination and matchup Sunday. The Broncos, who now have clinched their 26th straight winning season, likely will be playing in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 16, against a Pac-12 opponent.
This story was originally published December 2, 2023 at 4:24 PM.
