Boise State extends series win streak to 8 with 45-10 victory over Utah State

LOGAN — Not a lot went Utah State's way in the team's eighth straight loss, a 45-10 result, to Boise State.

The Aggies led 10-0 after the first play of the second quarter. But the momentum flipped entirely in favor of the Broncos after a 75-yard touchdown run, a fumble recovery, and a 26-yard touchdown pass.

All of that took 25 seconds to take a 14-10 lead.

"We run a good play, we get a 6-yard gain, ball on the ground … and then I think little by little their run game started picking up and started becoming more and more explosive," Aggies head coach Blake Anderson said. "It's a rough night for us."

The quick turnaround was just the beginning of 45 unanswered points for Boise State, 31 of which came in the second quarter, to give Utah State its largest losing margin of the season.

Most of Boise State's offensive damage was done on the ground behind running backs George Holani and Ashton Jeanty. The two backs combined for 263 rushing yards on 27 carries as part of Boise State's 352-yard rushing effort for the night.

"I would say (defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen) exhausted every ounce of his call sheet to try to find ways to get stops, and we just, we didn't. We got manhandled," Anderson said.

It was, perhaps, Boise State's defense, though, that stepped up the most and forced four turnovers and recorded 13 tackles for loss, including nine sacks, on the evening. Eight different Broncos players recorded at least a half sack.

For the Aggies, quarterback Cooper Legas was hit and shaken up midway through the second quarter and was promptly replaced by freshman McCae Hillstead; Legas did not return to the game.

Hillstead was later shaken up, as well, on a sack late in the third quarter, which forced him to leave the game and senior Levi Williams replaced him.

Before his exit, Legas threw for 128 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-12 passing. In total, the three quarterbacks combined for 209 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Anderson said Legas' injury was a shoulder injury, but the severity and potential duration of the injury is still unknown. It was bad enough that Anderson felt Legas' throwing ability would be affected for the remainder of the evening. Hillstead re-injured his ankle that got hurt against San Diego State.

The quarterback injuries were just a sample of the slew of injuries Utah State suffered in their physical match against the Broncos. All three of the Aggies' starting running backs were banged up to some degree, as well.

"Coming in, we knew that this was going to be a super physical game, and we knew that we were going to have to be physical," said safety Devin Dye, who led the Aggies with 14 tackles. "We knew that they were going to come in and be physical."

With the win, Boise State became bowl eligible ahead of its matchup against Air Force Friday.

Utah State, on the other hand, dropped to 5-6 and will play for bowl eligibility Friday at New Mexico (1:30 p.m. MST, CBSSN). Becoming bowl eligible, according to Anderson, would mean a lot to his team after the offseason changes they faced and the strength of schedule they've played.

Related topics