Broncos Ward Off Wolfpack

The following is a live journal composed during the Nevada/Boise State game. All times listed are Pacific Standard Time.

PREGAME

7:00 – Pitt/West Virginia has yet to conclude, and this writer only has basic cable and a laptop that is too old to stream video, so coverage of Nevada/Boise State will begin at the conclusion of the current game.

FIRST QUARTER

7:16 – ESPN2, thankfully, did a split screen and it shows that the Broncos wasted no time in getting on the board (Titus Young—despite fumbling at the outset—returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown).

7-0 Boise State

7:24 – ESPN2’s coverage has switched over to Boise, Idaho, so this writer’s coverage to can begin.

7:25 – A quick note: Nevada went three and out on its first drive and Boise is threatening again.

7:28 – Boise’s recent problems with running the ball are in no way apparent so far (they’ve already converted a 4th and 1 on the ground); Nevada, with a poor pass defense to boot, has no chance if this continues.

7:29 – After all those running plays, fullback Dan Paul is able to slip out of the backfield and easily make it to the end zone.

7:30 – Why does Boise feel it is so necessary to try and confuse their opponent on an extra point? Just let your kicker boot it through the uprights like 99% of the other teams in the country and give yourself a two touchdown lead.

13-0 Boise State

7:33 – Too make matters worse on that 2-pt conversion, valuable wide receiver Austin Pettis—who tried to run it in on the attempt—is currently on the bench with an ankle injury.

7:37 – Colin Kaepernick’s legs are the only bright spot for Nevada so far, which means that some of the personnel around him are going to have to follow his lead.

7:41 – Young takes a simple swing pass, fakes a pair of defenders out of their shoes, and turns it into a big gain; right now, he is clearly the quickest player on the field.

7:43 – Moore for more (yardage); Kellen hits his brother, Kirby, for another big gain. When the only occasion your defense offers up any resistance is on a crazy 2-pt conversion attempt, then there is a serious problem (looking at you, Wolfpack).

7:44 – Paul catches his second touchdown on the exact same play, except no extensive rushing was necessary to set up that play action call. This has no makings of a 4 OT classic like these two teams had the last time they played on the blue turf (which, by the way, has just has much gray on it tonight—can’t this school afford to keep its field up?).

20-0 Boise State

7:53 – The Wolfpack are finally moving the ball on the ground and putting a decent drive together; a touchdown at the end of it would, at least, temporarily keep this game from getting too out of control.

END FIRST QUARTER. BOISE STATE LEADS 20-0.

SECOND QUARTER

8:00 – Nevada nearly runs out of time on the play clock…on the first play of the quarter! To add a second insult to that insult, the Wolfpack run gets stuffed.

8:01 – It’s somewhat surprising that Chris Ault is making his team kick the field goal here, but maybe he was already fearing a possible shutout.

20-3 Boise State

8:07 – Running back Jeremy Avery is making life miserable for Nevada’s defense—on both the ground and through the air; he just took a screen pass for thirty-five yards down the sideline and has had several sizeable runs as well.

8:11 – The Wolfpack have no answer for these screen passes and their going to give up another touchdown because of it.

8:12 – Speaking of repetitive plays that Nevada still can’t defend, Paul gets the hat trick.

27-3 Boise State

8:19 – Nevada finally runs play action and converts a 4th and 1; as good as the Wolfpack rushing attack is (three 1,000 yard rushers this season), they can’t become one-dimensional against the Bronco defense.

8:23 – Another play action call results in Nevada keeping its faint pulse beating; at this point, fake handoffs are going to be the Wolfpack’s best friend as long as they can keep running the ball successfully.

8:24 – The extra point is missed; that’s almost as bad as running an unnecessarily wacky 2-pt play and getting one of your star players injured…but not quite.

27-9 Boise State

8:30 – All this BCS debating is getting quite tiresome; why don’t the experts wait for everyone to finish their respective seasons and then talk possibilities? Besides, some of these at-large teams still have work to do.

8:36 – Nevada running back Vai Taua costs his team a potentially big gain by slipping and going down without being touched; let the “Smurf Turf” conspiracy theories recommence.

8:38 – The Wolfpack passing game has come up big on the last two plays, but Brandon Wimberly should’ve gone out of bounds when he had the chance; the difference would’ve only been two or three yards and Nevada could easily take two shots at the end zone instead of one.

8:40 – It only takes one play anyway, as Wimberly comes right back to catch a fade for a badly needed touchdown. This might be another epic shootout after all…

HALFTIME. BOISE STATE LEADS 27-16.

8:45 – For awhile, it looked like Boise State was going to make an emphatic statement to the BCS, but a familiar scene began to play out. The Broncos held a big lead against Louisiana Tech earlier this month and watched it evaporate; additionally, Nevada used two pick-sixes in last year’s contest to put a second half scare into Boise. Simply put, either the Wolfpack continue to use their potent rushing attack to set up play action or the Broncos place their hoof back on the gas and put this game away.

THIRD QUARTER

9:06 – That was not the start that either offense needed; whoever makes the first statement is going to seize the momentum and have the advantage.

9:16 – That was a questionable pass interference call on Boise’s Brandyn Thompson—not bad, just questionable.

9:18 – The Wolfback are biting themselves in the paw by going backwards on these last two plays at this position on the field, which is going to make the inevitable field goal attempt that much trickier.

9:19 – It wasn’t the most emphatic statement, but Brad Langley hits the long field goal and makes it a one score game—and sixteen unanswered points by Nevada.

27-19 Boise State

9:23 – It’s just been reported that Pettis is on crutched and unavailable to return; also keep in mind that if the Broncos had kicked the extra point instead, this would not be a one score game right now.

9:25 – Boise’s offense has gone dormant; Pettis would be such an asset right now to give Moore another weapon to throw to.

9:29 – Linebacker Hunter White might have just made a momentum-changing hit; he stuck Kaepernick big time on that play.

9:33 – Doug Martin is making some big runs for Boise; with the injury to Pettis, the Bronco run game needs to get going again to not only score points, but also burn clock.

9:37 – All those Martin runs allowed tight end Tommy Gallarda to break free over the middle and haul in an easy touchdown to put the Broncos up by two scores again.

34-19 Boise State

9:40 – Well, that’s one way to respond; great run by Taua.

34-26 Boise State

9:44 – In times of crisis, you should be able to trust your family, but that ball was coming out before Kirby Moore went down; this should be overturned upon review.

9:47 – It’s Nevada’s ball and the Wolfpack are on the hunt for the tie.

9:51 – After getting shell-shocked on Nevada’s last possession, the Boise defense impressively shook it off and turned away the Wolfpack after the turnover.

END THIRD QUARTER. BOISE STATE LEADS 34-26.

FOURTH QUARTER

9:56 – So much for backing up the Broncos; that long completion to Young was the last thing the Wolfpack needed.

10:03 – Add another bite mark to the paw—Taua fumbles and the Broncos recover deep in Wolfpack territory.

10:05 – Pettis catches that ball in the end zone.

10:06 – Boise couldn’t turn the takeaway into seven points, but that Kyle Brotzman field goal should offer a bit more comfort…provided that Nevada doesn’t go on another one play drive.

37-26 Boise State

10:13 – Kaepernick needed to throw that ball away; now the Wolfpack will have to punt from their own end zone.

10:17 – Out of nowhere, Martin has gone over one hundred yards and then proceeded to turn what looked like a loss into a big gain; with respect to Dan Paul, he is the player of the game right now.

10:23 – Kirby Moore redeems himself with a great catch in the back corner of the end zone to all but ice the game for the Broncos.

44-26 Boise State

10:29 – This is the one problem with a team that relies heavily on the rush: If you fall behind late in the game, then you don’t have time to keep running the ball. Additionally, Nevada’s play action is also rendered inert because Boise is far less likely to bite on it in this situation.

10:35 – Despite everything working against them, the Wolfpack go down the field and put it in the end zone, but they’ll need some kind of miracle to come all the way back.

44-33 Boise State

10:37 – Titus Young began the night with a kickoff return for a touchdown and he finishes it with a game-clinching onside kick recovery.

GAME OVER. BOISE STATE WINS 44-33.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My final thoughts can be found in CFN’s Instant Analysis of this game.