BY KTIK STAFF AND BSU MEDIA SERVICES
BOISE – The Boise State football team, which hadn’t lost a game in nearly two months, lost twice Saturday.
In Orlando, Florida, UCF (12-0) overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to beat Memphis 56-41 to claim the Group of 5’s spot in the Fiesta Bowl.
In Boise later in the day, which turned into a snowy evening, the Broncos lost to Fresno State 19-16 in the first Mountain West championship game decided in overtime. Fresno State (11-2) heads to the Las Vegas Bowl to face a Pac-12 team, while Boise State (10-3) learns its postseason fate Sunday.
Boise State kicker Haden Hoggarth, who missed a 43-yard field goal and had a late PAT blocked that could have won the game, made a 23-yarder in OT after the Broncos’ first drive stalled. Ronnie Rivers scored the 1-yard game-winner as Fresno State won the fourth game between these teams in 372 days (split 2-2, with Fresno State owning a 78-74 overall scoring advantage).
Boise State senior quarterback Brett Rypien, who lost a fumble that led to Fresno State’s first TD, finished 15-of-31 for 125 yards and a 10-yard TD pass to Sean Modster in the first quarter. It was his final game on The Blue – unless Boise State ends up in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Rypien lost three games in each of his four seasons as a starter at Boise State.
Boise State junior running back Alexander Mattison, who has an opportunity to declare for the NFL Draft, had 200 yards on a school-record 40 carries. His 34-yard run with 8:01 left in regulation tied the game at 13-13, before Hoggarth had his PAT blocked.
COACH BRYAN HARSIN ON SPECIAL TEAMS WOES
From Saturday night’s post-game press conference: “I don’t know the answer, or we would have fixed it if we did. We worked on it. Those guys, the one thing, offensive and defensive players get a series. The specialists get one shot and that’s the reality of it. Now that one shot you’ve got to go out there and execute it and it needs to be successful and tonight they weren’t. Some of it too was the weather. Trying to kick off the ground there. I kind of felt that early in the first half and we went for it and we weren’t able to make it in the second half. Now the extra point that’s disappointing. I wouldn’t call it automatic, we never think that way, but in that situation there it was our operation. Not to take any credit from Fresno but we’ve got to be able to make those plays. … Unfortunately, at the end of the game that becomes a big point when you have a chance to be up by one and you might be able to do some things differently.”
- NEXT: Boise State (10-3) learns its bowl fate Sunday, Dec. 2. The Broncos have scheduled a 3 p.m. press conference.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Click HERE to see top plays from the game
- PRESS CONFERENCES: Click HERE to hear from BSU players, coach Harsin
POST-GAME NOTES …
It was the first overtime of the season for Boise State, and first at home since a 69-67 win over Nevada in four extra periods Oct. 14, 2007. … Mattison was named the game’s Offensive MVP. He rushed for 200 yards and one touchdown on 40 carries (ties with Jeremy McNichols in 2016 for most by a Bronco in a game). … Mattison moved into Boise State’s single-season top 10 in rushing yards (1,415, seventh in Boise State history). Mattison is the fourth Boise State player to have three 200-yard games in a career (only Cedric Minter in 1977-80 has more with four). Mattison and Minter (1979) are the only BSU players with back-to-back 200-yard games. … Wide receiver Sean Modster led the Broncos with four catches for 45 yards, including his 10-yard score in the first quarter. … Wide receiver A.J. Richardson had a team-high five receptions. … Linebacker Tyson Maeva tied his career high with 11 tackles (six solo).. He had two TFLs, including a sack and forced a fumble. … The entire Bronco team ran onto the field with The Hammer before the game.
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