On a night of turnovers, tension and miscues, Broncos ‘found a way to win’ vs. Nevada
Boise State fans have been accustomed to neat and safe play this season, and runaway victories.
Heading into Saturday’s prime-time game against Nevada, the Broncos had turned the ball over just four times.
Then they increased that total by 50% in the first half alone, and it could have been worse on the night.
No. 12 Boise State (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West) toughed out a 28-21 win over big underdog Nevada (3-8, 5-0) at Albertsons Stadium, in a game that featured two turnovers for both teams, as well as three total fumbles that were recovered by teammates to prevent giveaways.
Redshirt sophomore Maddux Madsen threw a first-half interception that sailed high over the intended receiver’s head, and superstar running back Ashton Jeanty had a rare fumble that resulted in a Wolf Pack scoring drive.
There also was a Madsen interception chalked off for defensive pass interference, and an apparent interception at the goal line that was questionably overturned by replay review after the Nevada defender seemed to make the catch and get an elbow down in bounds. That review allowed Boise State to keep the ball and score a touchdown.
Redshirt senior Latrell Caples dropped a punt near midfield that was recovered by teammate Cole Miller, and there was a muffed kickoff return from freshman Dylan Riley to start the second half.
“We didn’t play our best football consistently tonight, but we found a way to win, and that’s a testament to our players,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said. “We will build more from this game because of the hard-fought battle than we would on a blowout.”
Boise State forced two fumbles out of Nevada, including getting a fourth-quarter recovery right at the goal line when Wolf Pack running back Sean Dollars coughed up the ball immediately after the handoff. In a one-score game, that proved critical.
That fumble came on the drive after Madsen’s apparent interception was overturned. With the Broncos leading 21-14, Madsen threw to his left toward redshirt junior receiver Chase Penry. Defensive back Chad Brown tipped the pass and bobbled it, including it hitting Penry’s helmet, before hauling it in right as his left elbow and lower back hit the ground inbounds.
During the timeout on the change of possession, replay officials overturned the call on the field. Jeanty then scored from 2 yards out to provide what turned out to be the winning points.
Nevada first-year head coach Jeff Choate, a former Boise State assistant, said he thought it was an interception. Danielson said that he didn’t see the play but that the officials told him during the timeout it was being reviewed. He said he wasn’t told why the call was overturned, but it saved Madsen from making a poor game worse.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback was just 9-for-20 passing on the night for 119 yards.
“This was probably the worst game I’ve played,” Madsen said. “I’m obviously not happy with it, but at the end of the day, it’s a team sport, and when we win the game, I can sit there and smile and say we won.”
The other game-defining moment came about five minutes after Jeanty’s third TD of the night. Nevada drove down the field methodically and found itself first-and-goal from the Boise State 1. What should have been a walk-in touchdown was fumbled by Dollars, allowing junior cornerback Jeremiah Earby to fall on the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
“Winning that turnover battle is always huge to win a game,” said redshirt junior linebacker Marco Notarainni, who also recovered a fumble. “So especially in a goal line like that, situationally, putting them away, and then our offense just going out and running the clock out was huge.”
The Broncos gave up a touchdown on a 36-yard pass after the end zone fumble, making the score 28-21, but all the Wolf Pack could do was try an onside kick at that point. Boise State recovered, and Jeanty picked up a pair of big first downs to set up victory formation.
Notarainni’s fumble recovery came early in the second quarter, when he jumped on another fumble by Dollars, who had 54 yards of offense but two huge miscues.
“There’s gonna be a lot of things we need to look at and improve in,” Danielson said. “But I’m really proud of our team.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2024 at 11:57 PM.
