Presented by FRANZ WITTE NURSERY.
Monday, September 22, 2014.
Boise State’s performance against the run Saturday night was not the best of the season statistically—but close enough, considering the ability of the opponent. Louisiana-Lafayette had averaged more than five yards per carry in all three of its games coming into Albertsons Stadium before being stonewalled in the Broncos’ 34-9 win. ULL had gained 5.2 yards per attempt with 193 yards on the ground at Ole Miss a week before. But on the blue turf, the Ragin' Cajuns managed just 67 yards against a ramblin' gamblin' Bronco defense and was held to 2.8 yards per try. The Cajuns had hoped to be a Top 25 team in star quarterback Terrance Broadway's senior year, but that dream has been summarily shattered.
Boise State is second in the nation in rush defense at 53.5 yards per game, four yards behind leader Penn State, and the Broncos are tied for second with Baylor in allowing just 1.84 yards per carry. Looking at recent history, one of BSU’s best defenses ever in 2010 held opponents to 104 yards per game on the ground. The numbers have crept up since then, reaching 164 yards per game last season. The Broncos have held all four of their foes so far to less than 100 yards rushing. To be sure, if that streak was extended this Saturday at all-run-all-the-time Air Force, that would be fairly monumental.
The Bronco pass defense took another step against a quality quarterback Saturday night, far better than the two Boise State faced at UConn. Broadway was just 20-of-38 for 160 yards and an interception, one that saw 5-9 Donte Deayon leap skyward to make an incredible play. The Broncos were especially good on third down, which most of the time was a passing situation for Louisiana-Lafayette. After allowing 41 percent on third-down conversions the first three games, BSU held the Ragin’ Cajuns to 13 percent (2 of 15).
It’s too bad Grant Hedrick didn’t get credit for that third quarter touchdown pass to Holden Huff, called back when Huff was lined up as an ineligible receiver. Because everything else in Hedrick’s box score looked really good. He completed his first 15 passes and threw one of the prettiest deep balls since you-know-who when he hit Matt Miller perfectly in stride for a 57-yard pick-up. Hedrick was 24-of-31, a 77 percent clip, for 237 yards with—for the second straight game—no interceptions. His night was fortified by Jay Ajayi’s bounce-back from a tough day at UConn. Ajayi rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns. In the second half he gained just 30 yards on 10 carries, but by then, who was counting?
Boise State’s supporting cast is expanding bit by bit. How about the night Devan Demas had? On only his fifth carry of the season and first of the game, he scored his first touchdown of the year. His next carry—and his final one of the game—was a 73-yard run that goes down as the longest non-scoring run in Boise State history. Otherwise, Demas and fellow backup running back Jack Fields were plugged in for one designed play each. Demas executed an awkward but successful double-pass with Grant Hedrick that connected with Huff for a 16-yard gain. Fields was inserted for a middle screen that appeared to be set up but was blown up by Louisiana-Lafayette. Elsewhere, Chaz Anderson made the first reception of the game and had the long-awaited first, and second, and third catches of his career.
The game featured one of the strangest drives in recent memory. In the first quarter, the Ragin’ Cajuns were punting from their own 30 but retained possession via a roughing the kicker penalty on Joey Martarano. On the next play, a pass interference flag on Donte Deayon moved the ball to the Boise State 40. A Broadway completion took the Cajuns to the 17, but the Bronco defense moved them backward and forced a 38-yard field goal attempt. The snap went wacko, and kicker Hunter Stover threw a Hail Mary that was complete at the Boise State seven for a first down by the nose of the football. Still, the Broncos held, and ULL settled for a 22-yard field goal.
The College of Idaho threw a scare into the nation's ninth-ranked NAIA team Saturday, but the polls count for something. Southern Oregon rallied to rout the Coyotes in Ashland, 56-28, handing them their first loss since returning to football following a 37-year hiatus. A roster dominated by freshman was exploited by the Raiders, especially on the defensive side of the ball, as SOU rolled up 661 yards of total offense, including 485 through the air. But the Yotes offense continues to impress. The Yotes rushed for 320 yards, Teejay Gordon amassed 352 yards of total offense, and former Eagle High tight end Marcus Lenhardt hauled in eight catches for 139 yards. The C of I is now 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the Frontier Conference.
Ohio scored more points against Idaho Saturday than it had in its first three games combined in beating the Vandals, 36-24. Try as it might, the Idaho offense couldn't compensate for the defense, which saw the balanced Bobcat attack top the 500-yard mark. Vandal quarterback Matt Linehan threw for 353 yards, becoming the first freshman in UI history with three 300-yard games in a season. Former QB Josh McCain was again Linehan's big-play target, averaging 30 yards on his five catches and scoring from 34 and 52 yards out. But the offense was hampered by three Linehan interceptions and a running game that managed only 64 yards. Idaho has now lost 28 of its last 30 games dating back to November, 2011.
When St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford was declared out for the season, did Austin Pettis lose his security blanket? Pettis had been Bradford’s go-to guy in the red zone last year before his 2013 season-ending injury. The former Boise State star had four touchdown catches last season, none after Bradford was sidelined. Three of the TDs came on goal-to-go plays on third and fourth down. Well, Pettis may be developing some chemistry with Bradford’s replacement, Austin Davis. After three receptions for 46 yards last week, Pettis had three for 28 yards and his first touchdown of the season yesterday in the Rams’ 34-31 loss to Dallas. The TD came on third-and-goal from the four and pulled the Rams to within three points of the Cowboys with 3:22 left. But alas, that would be it for St. Louis.
Three notables among former Boise Hawks. On Friday night, Miami’s Justin Bour hit his first major league home run in a 3-2 loss to Washington. Bour is in his second stint with the Marlins this season, batting .291. On Saturday, San Diego’s Andrew Cashner stifled San Francisco when the Giants really needed a victory. Cashner pitched the Padres to a 3-2 win, five days after he had spun a two-hit shutout versus Philadelphia. He also hit the first triple by a big league pitcher this season. Cashner is 4-2 since returning to the mound in late August following a two-month shelving due to a shoulder injury. And yesterday, Oakland’s Josh Donaldson clubbed his 28th home run of the season, a walk-off shot that gave the desperate A’s an 8-6 win over the Phillies. Oakland has been in free-fall and is hanging on for dear life in the wild card race.
Boise’s Brian Scott notched his highest finish ever in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series Saturday, placing second in the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway in his Shore Lodge Chevy Camaro. Scott has finished in the top 20 in every Nationwide race except one this season, with 17 top 10 results. Scott has climbed to No. 4 in Nationwide season drivers standings with 937 points, 55 behind leader Chase Elliott.
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September 22, 1950: The inaugural game is played in old Bronco Stadium (then new Bronco Stadium), the wooden structure that sat parallel to the Boise River overlapping the land on which the current stadium stands. A capacity crowd of over 10,000 fans watched coach Lyle Smith and the Broncos beat Modesto City College on their way to a berth in the Junior Rose Bowl. It was very cool to see the 98-year-old Smith honored before the Louisiana-Lafayette game Saturday night at what we now call Albertsons Stadium.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment Sunday nights at 10:30PM on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on 93.1 The Ticket. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
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