Boise State breaks through big time against Georgia, wins going away 35-21

The Broncos now have an SEC win, pole position on that BCS berth, and a whole lot of confidence after rolling the Georgia Bulldogs 35-21 in the Chick-fil-a kickoff game. Kellen Moore tossed three scores to three different receivers, the Bronco defense shut down Aaron Murray and the Georgia running game, and the Broncos scored 28 unanswered points to take control and take home the W.

Join me after the jump for some highlights and stats from the game, or just head to the comments and rejoice. Or both. Go Broncos!

Top Five plays

1. Kellen Moore to Matt Miller. The 100th TD pass of Moore's career and the first (of 100?) TD catches for Miller came as a perfect answer to Brandon Boykin's 80-yard TD run. Even better, what seemed like our first chance to sweat out a Dan Goodale field goal try after back-to-back lost yardage plays turned into a tie ballgame on a slick catch and run by Miller. Nicely done, Montana youth football system.
2. Brandon Boykin 80-yard TD run. Technically, it was a top five play of the game and a bottom five moment for my stomach. Blocked beautifully, there wasn't much Boise State could do after Boykin turned the corner on Byron Hout.
3. Kyle Efaw TD catch. Efaw is not known as a mauler, but he bulled his way into the end zone on his second quarter touchdown catch. Nice of the O-line to give Moore until the day after Labor Day to find a receiver, too.
4. Chase Baker and Jamar Taylor sack Aaron Murray to force a 55-yard field goal. After Boise State went up 21-7, Georgia responded with an actual, composed drive inside the Bronco 30. And that was about all the universe could handle as Taylor and Baker combined for a 3rd down sack to push Georgia into 55-yard field goal range and a big ol' wide left.
5. Tyler Shoemaker's TD catch from Kellen Moore. Shoemaker deserved a primetime Emmy for his role as fake blocker-turned-TD catcher on Boise State's second score of the third quarter. Shoemaker got open just enough for Kellen Moore to find him in the back of the end zone.

It was over when ...

Aaron Murray's fourth-down pass fell incomplete with three minutes to go in the game. A score there would have put the Bulldogs down by only seven, and had they stopped BSU on the next drive ... ah, who am I kidding? I watched the same game you did. I know that wouldn't happen.

Game recap

Boise State beat Georgia 35-21 and they also beat them in every way that mattered - in the trenches, in the gameplan, one-on-one, and stars to stars.

Boise State found its footing on offense when it started finding its tight ends, first Gabe Linehan (in a small way) and then Kyle Efaw (in a big way). After an 80-yard TD run from Georgia's Brandon Boykin (his only offensive touch of the game) broke the scoring, Boise State ran off 28 straight and took a 28-7 lead late in the third quarter. The Broncos did it on the strength of their up-tempo offense, which opened the second half with an unstoppable no-huddle drive. The defense did its part, holding Aaron Murray to bad-WAC-quarterback numbers and forcing an INT, which Boise State turned into points.

The final scoreline does not do Boise State's performance justice. Georgia scored on an 80-yard run, a 4th-and-2 busted coverage (after electing to punt only to have second thoughts after a Tyler Jackson penalty), and a 51-yard catch and run. Other than that, it was all Boise State.

Hopefully the thoroughness of beating of an SEC school will buy the Broncos some respect. We've got the next three months to find out.

Statistics

Passing

Kellen Moore 28-of-34, 261 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Aaron Murray 16-of-29, 235 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing

Doug Martin 24 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD

D.J. Harper 8 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD

Isaiah Crowell 15 carries, 59 yards

Richard Samuel 7 carries, 12 yards

Receiving

Kyle Efaw 6 catches, 53 yards, 1 TD

Matt Miller 5 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD

Orson Charles 6 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD

Knee-jerk reactions

I will have more to say on the Boise State defensive gameplan in days to come and blog posts to come and murals to paint to come, but suffice it to say, Pete Kwiatkowski is a wizard ... Super job by the two new starters on the Bronco O-line, Charles Leno and Jake Broyles. Add in the work Spencer Gerke did as Joe Kellogg's fill-in, and I think O-line coach Chris Strausser deserves a raise or a Blizzard or both ... The two best defensive linemen of the night for me were Chase Baker and Shea McClellin, but I'm open to adding guys to that list ...

Say good-bye to the redshirts of Blake Renaud, Dallas Burroughs, and Tyler Horn ... That Grant Hedrick pistol read option package is growing on me ... The Wild Hamster? Not so much ... The Broncos' solution to replacing Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe was to not replace Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe. BSU went with Billy Winn, Chase Baker, and Mike Atkinson almost exclusively ... Georgia's second touchdown of the night looked like a blown coverage by Travis Stanaway playing Cedric Febis's spot (not the first of the night from that position) ... My prediction for SEC homer reaction of the night: Well, Georgia is no LSU ...

Thanks to everyone who spent time in the comments. 1,520 of 'em! Looks like my Labor Day weekend reading list is set.

Your turn

What are your thoughts on the game? Impressed by Boise State's performance? Not going to be able to sleep tonight due to excitement and/or partying? Share your thoughts in the comments.