The seventh ranked Boise State Broncos took their act on the road and were welcomed to Ruston Friday night to square off against WAC opponent, Louisiana Tech. The Broncos’ quest to secure a coveted spot among the nation’s elite this bowl seasons continued with a 45-35 bruising of the Bulldogs. BCS-busting Boise State has now ripped off nine straight victories. They defeated the Bulldogs for the eighth straight time for their 11th consecutive road win. BSU has been a legitimate national title contender these past few seasons of college football. Their mammoth mission to reach new heights and shatter school records has already landed them a top ranking. Head coach Chris Petersen has assembled a strong defensive to go along with reigning WAC Freshman of the Year quarterback, Kellen Moore. The signal-caller has the top pass efficiency in the NCAA. Moore inscribed three more touchdowns against Louisiana Tech to add to his 24 this season. The sophomore eclipsed the 25 touchdowns he threw as a freshman. Moore threw for 354 yards with one pick. Moore has only been intercepted three times in 2009.
The Bulldogs performed well enough against the challenging Broncos to pull within two early in the fourth quarter. Dennis Morris leaping catch in the corner of the end zone tightened the BSU lead to 30-28. The Broncos strapped together two touchdowns on consecutive drives and were helped by a stout defense. Boise State harnessed a pair of touchdown passes by exploiting the Bulldogs’ deep defenders and creating opportunities in the backfield. Moore connected with Austin Pettis for 12 yards and Jeremy Avery scored the final touchdown on a fantastic 44 yard run. Avery finished with 146 yards rushing. The Broncos have scored now fewer than 45 points in each of their WAC games this year. Titus Young was responsible for seven points for the 9-0 Broncos. Young caught a eight passes for 110 yards, including a 40 yard touchdown in the second quarter. Boise State went into halftime with a twenty point advantage. Kicker Kyle Brotzman put BSU on board with during an eight play first quarter drive. Daniel Porter’s one yard scurry gave the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead before Brotzman legged his second three-pointer to make it 7-6 Louisiana Tech. Porter rushed for 92 yards for Tech. Moore found Richie Brockel from two yards out with .44 left in the first quarter for his first touchdown pass. Young and Doug Martin aided all of the scoring during the second quarter. Boise State compiled 14 points in roughly six minutes to increase their lead heading into the locker room.
The second half was a back-and-forth shootout between the WAC foes. The Bulldogs attempted to shift momentum their way after Josh Victorian garnered a 75 yard touchdown on an interception return. Boise State exercised a 15 play drive in the third quarter but the Bulldogs held them to a field goal. Quarterback, Ross Jenkins, made it 30-21 before the final quarter. Jenkins jiggled into the end zone for a nine yard touchdown run with a minute thirty remaining in the third. Jenkins was 10-for-19 with 114 yards and one touchdown through the air. Jenkins fumbled once. The quarterback flicked the ball to a diving Morris for his solo touchdown pass in the fourth. Pettis and Avery stole the show, pouring in 14 more for Boise State from there, as the Bulldogs never regained the lead. Tech’s Myke Compton’s convincing one yard rush with under three minutes left in regulation went for naught.
Boise State outplayed the Bulldogs when it mattered most. The Broncos had 25 first downs to Tech’s 15. Their third down efficiency was only slightly batter, but Boise State was far superior in passing yards and completions. The Bulldogs special teams unit played well. The kickoff returning was exceptional but not solid enough to defeat a fifth-ranked team. Moore and company were able to finish it out and make the plays despite the Bulldogs making a game of it in the second half. Moore’s pick gave the Bulldogs new life. The home team’s first down struggles didn’t carry over to the second half. Boise State put their foot down in Joe Aillet Stadium though, and the Bulldogs failed to convert first downs as the game drew closer to an end. Last year, Moore led the Broncos to an undefeated season. The savvy quarterback helped BSU avoid the upset Friday night. Moore is close to thrashing the 2,000 yard passing mark this season. The left-hander threw over 3,400 yards in 2008 in carving up the competition. If Moore can somehow gain national media exposure, he could be a contender for the best player in college football, the Heisman Trophy winner. If his motive is to augment Boise State into a BCS bowl, Moore is well on his way to accomplishing just that.
Parting Points: I’m starting my holiday shopping season early this year. Today will be a day of shopping and apartment cleaning. A good cleaning song has to be rowdy, danceable and catchy. I’m thinking something from Gloria Estefan. Maybe “Turn the beat around”?
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