Boise State ran its winning streak against Idaho to 12 and did so in dominating fashion on Friday night. And thus ends the BSU-Idaho rivalry for now, if that's what you even want to call it.
Before we say good-bye, I have some game balls to hand out to the best players, plays, and performances from Friday night's 52-14 win. Was Kellen Moore your player of the game? Which throw was Nathan Enderle's worst? And was the first quarter against Idaho Boise State's best quarter of the year? This and more, after the jump.
Reader's choice award for player of the game
Kellen Moore
And in other news, Antarctica is cold and Bill Hancock makes six figures for doing nothing.
Nathan Enderle throw of the night
The one right to Aaron Tevis
And Mel Kiper thinks Enderle has pro potential? Well, I guess that could be true, considering that the Broncos are better than most of the NFC West. He's a pudgy Alex Smith. How can San Francisco pass that up?
Punt return of the year
Chris Potter
I couldn't imagine Titus Young doing it any better, and that is probably the best compliment I can think of for Potter's 76-yard TD return on Friday night. He crashed through three different waves of Vandal defenders, breaking tackles and side-stepping as if the players around him were moving in slow motion. And then once he hit the clear, Potter was pulling away from the nearest Idaho player. It was an altogether surprising, perfect way to kick off an excellent first quarter. Speaking of which ...
Best quarter of the year
First quarter against Idaho
This one should probably be up for a vote, actually. The Broncos have played some pretty good quarters this season including the first quarter against Virginia Tech and the first, second, and third quarters against Hawaii (am I missing any others?). But to jump out to a 28-0 lead against the Vandals, in Moscow, could not have been planned any better. It was exactly what the Broncos needed to do to make a statement and breeze to a comfortable victory.
Game ball for boldest call of the night
Coach Pete's onside kick with a 14-0 lead
No, I'm not choosing either of Robb Akey's fake punt calls because those were more out of desperation and fear of punt blocks/returns than they were out of foresight. Coach Pete's onside kick was an aggressive, savvy, well-timed choice to bury the Vandals when they were reeling. Too bad the kick scurried out of bounds before a Bronco player could recover it.
Best catch by a freshman tight end
Gabe Linehan
He's like a high metabolism Tommy Gallarda, except from outside the red zone.
Cornerback of the night
Jamar Taylor, Brandyn Thompson (tie)
Both CBs made plenty of plays against Idaho's No. 4 passing game. Thompson finished with two picks and nearly had a third that would have been a sure pick-six. Taylor held his own on multiple occasions as well. Have the Boise State corners suddenly gone from a team weakness to a team strength? And why wasn't I told about this? I could have dispensed with a fair amount of worry over the past few weeks.
Best spelling by University of Idaho students maybe ever
The "inebriated" guys
H/T to Webster's unabridged dictionary, I would assume.
Mr. Cellophane
Deonte Jackson
Jackson called Bob Kustra a "blue and orange snot" in the week leading up to the game and then proceeded not to play at all, which is the exact opposite of putting your money where your mouth is.
Failure as human beings
All of us
For not getting that Doug Martin TD run over Shiloh Keo up on YouTube like yesterday.
Technical awards
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Best tempered use of Pro Combat uniforms: Boise State. The shiny blue cleats were a nice accessory to the all-white unis. Tim Gunn would have been proud if he had any idea what football is.
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Most Idaho-like play as a group: Boise State's second team offense. It should be noted that Idaho was not eligible.
- Neckroll winner: Dan Paul. I gushed about Faraji Wright's neckroll last week, so it is only fair that I do the same for Dan Paul's this week. I was having Lorenzo Neal flashbacks but in an ebony/ivory sort of way.
- Robb Akey health concern: Gout. Was it just me or did his stomach get bigger by the quarter?
Your turn
Did you vote for Kellen Moore or Doug Martin for player of the game? And why? Was the first quarter Boise State's best of the season? If not, what was? Share your thoughts in the comments.