The more the Vandals change, the more they remain the same. Boise State dominated Idaho, 63-25, forcing five turnovers and making Idaho look downright awful for most of the game. Kellen Moore had five TDs, Austin Pettis caught 4, and Jeremy Avery rushed for over 100 yards in the win.
What did you think of the Broncos' big victory? What players, plays, and performances stood out? Leave your postgame thoughts in the comments. Back in a bit with more analysis.
Austin Pettis in a league of his own against the Vandals
Seriously, is Pettis not the best wide receiver in Boise State history? He was downright dominant against the Vandals today, finishing with 8 catches for 123 yards and four scores, numerous huge catches in the early stages of the game, and oh yeah a school record or two.
As crazy as it sounds, Pettis might not actually get as much credit as he deserves. People praise him for his amazing hands and his prolific TD streak, but he makes an impact in so many other ways, too. He has saved multiple INTs by snatching balls that were destined for defenders (including at least one today) and turning them into big gains. He extends drives by coming up big on third downs. In short, he is awesome. And I want to be his best friend.
No mercy! If it takes a hated rival to run up the score, then I'm okay with that
Yes, that was the Boise State Broncos you saw calling a RB pass with 49 points already on the board. And yes, Kellen Moore was still in the game with the outcome already in doubt decided, throwing a TD pass to Pettis. I felt a true killer instinct in this game for the first time in a long time with these Broncos. They wanted to make a statement against the Vandals, and a statement they made. It's comforting to know that Boise State is capable of putting a team away. And it's absolutely wonderful to have it happen against the team I hate the most.
The Idaho defense is bad
Epically bad. There were wide open players and huge holes on about half of Boise State's offensive plays. Is this the worst defense in the WAC? In college football? In the history of this rivalry? It sure looked bad today.
The Boise State offense is good
On the other hand, the Broncos had perhaps their best game of the season on offense. Looking for an answer on offense? Here you go.
- Red zone difficulties: Fixed. After that initial 3rd down conversion on the opening drive (a Kellen Moore whirling sweep sneak for the 1st down), the Broncos resembled a team that hasn't struggled in the red zone all season. Could've fooled me. What a difference it makes when you score TDs instead of FGs.
- Jeremy Avery running the ball: Super. Avery had 110 yards on 14 carries and a TD yards, and he looked like the dynamic back that Bronco fans have wanted all season long. What made the difference? Avery runs better when he has a clear hole to hit and a chance to accelerate. He had that and more on Saturday.
- Offensive line: They're good. Bronco running backs had huge holes to run through, which is kind of a rarity this year. Kellen Moore was hit a couple times, but the O-line in the running game was solid all game long.
Play of the game: Titus Young's kickoff return TD?
The Broncos were great in the first half, but they almost had another LaTech experience after the Vandals scored in the waning seconds to cut the lead to 35-17. A 25-point halftime lead would have been nearly insurmountable, but an 18-point lead was eerily similar to the margin that the Bulldogs recovered from a week earlier.
Enter Titus Young. On a kickoff return you'd expect him to normally take a knee, he brought it out and took off on a dead sprint 106 yards for the touchdown. A huge block by Doug Martin started things, and good blocking from the rest of the kickoff unit let Young turn on the jets and turn the tide of the game.
Would the outcome have been different if Young didn't get the TD return? Thankfully we never have to know.
Fast starts are easy with turnovers
An Aaron Tevis FR and a Derrell Acrey INT helped the Broncos jump out to an important 14-point lead before the game was even five minutes in. Of course, scoring in the red zone helps, too. The fast start helped keep the crowd in it, stopped any momentum that the Vandals might have hoped to get, and put a mark on the Bronco blowout.
Boise State's defense gave up a lot of rushing yards, but it came to play in the turnover department.
Speaking of the Vandals on the ground ...
Call me crazy, but didn't the Vandals give up on the run way too early? They would go on long drives pounding the ball on the ground (209 yards total), but then they would turn around and go pass-pass-pass with Brian Reader. Why? I understand that Boise State was scoring in bunches, but the Vandals had the ability to change the pace of the game, control the clock, and move the ball. And they didn't even bother with it.
Am I alone in thinking this? Let me know in the comments.
Couldn't they have saved the power outage for KTVB's postgame wrap?
ESPNU viewers were left in the dark for a good portion of the first quarter thanks to a Bronco Stadium power outage. Is Bronco stock going to pay the power bills?
Godspeed, Matt Kaiserman
Kaiserman's ankle injury looked bad. Really bad. I'm not a doctor, but I'd say it was a severe sprain or a break. Here's to a quick recovery if not in time for the team's bowl game then definitely for next season.
Other observations
- Winston Venable's hit on Brian Reader was the closest I have ever seen to one man killing another.
- Kyle Wilson is looking really good. I'm a little scared for Colin Kaepernick.
- Did Kellen Moore quietly throw for five TDs? Has that ever happened before?
Your turn
There were so many amazing moments from today's win over the Vandals; there's no way I could touch on them all. What was your favorite? What stood out to you?Leave your thoughts in the comments.