GAME PREVIEW
Even though these 2 teams havn't played each other since 2000, there is still some heated rivaly between these 2 teams, as WSU holds the honor of being one of only 2 teams to win on the "Blue" in the past 10 years. (42-35). Now the question remains can Coach Dodge pull off the Mircle in Season 2 with the Cougars on the "Blue" vs #5 BSU.
GAME RECAP
Boise State won the toss and elected to kick. WSU would strike early as Jeff Tuel hits Isiah Barton on a 60 yd bomb. Barton would run through 2 defenders on his way to the endzone as WSU goes up (7-0) The rest of the 1st Quarter would belong to Derick Martin as the HB scores 2 TD's (10 yds and 4 yds) as BSU takes a 14-7 lead.
WSU would score to tie the game as Tuel finds Barton again on a 4yd slant (14-14). Boise State however would score back to back TD's after a Tuel INT as Kellen Moore hits his brother Kirby for a 21 yd TD and TE K. Efaw on a 6 yd score (28-14) WSU wasn't ready to give up though and would score with 58 seconds to play as Tuel hits G. Simone on a 4yd pass. (28-21) However the play everyone will remember for the next several years is what happened next. Coach Dodge caught BSU off guard by going for a Onside kick in which the Cougars would recover. Again Tuell would go to the air and find I. Barton on a 12 yd pass over the middle for the TD tying the game with 9 seconds to play in the half.
(28-28) (The TD catch by I. Barton was his 3rd of the game)
Boise State would open the 2nd half with another TD pass from K. Moore (3rd TD pass) to TE K. Efaw (7 yds, his 2nd). (35-28) The 3rd Quarter would belong to BSU was they picked off J. Tuel 2 times. Derik Martin would run his 3rd TD of the game (7 yds) and J. Guidry would tack on a 38 yd FG to make it (45-28) going into the 4th.
BSU would open the 4th Quarter with another TD run by D. Martin (5 yds) as the JR dominated the Cougars run "D" (52-28), but Jeff Tuell wasn't done. Unfazed by his 3 INT performance, Tuell would continue to fire the ball down field and with SR J. Kartsetter on the sideline with bruised ribs and back spasms, Isiah Barton continued to be his favorite target. Barton would catch 2 more TD passes breaking the WSU school record (34 yds and 69 yds). WSU would go for 2pt conversions and each TD and with 1:32 to play the score as (52-44) Down by 8 the Cougars would go for the Onside kick but this time BSU was ready and recoved the kick. With no timeouts left most assumed BSU would just run the ball, but Coach Pete was fired up over the Onside kick from the 1st half and would instead have his offense go down the field and kick a 21 yd FG as time expired causing a uproar among WSU fans in the stands and laugher and cheers from the Bronco faithfull.
FINAL SCORE WSU-44 BSU-55
KEY PLAYERS
QB J. Tuell-26/48 522 yds 6 TD's 3 INT's
RB L. Mitz-12 carries 22 yds (1.8 Avg)
WR I. Barton-14 rec 378 yds 5 TD's
(2 new school records)
WR J. Kartsetter-5 rec 70 yds
WR G. Simone-5 rec 53 yds 1 TD
QB K. Moore 30/39 427 yds 3 TD's
HB D. Martin 30 carries 124 yds 4 TD's
WR K. Moore-7 rec 124 yds 1 TD
WR T. Shoemaker 6 rec 105 yds
TE K. Efaw 5 rec 54 yds 2 TD's
Bronco D-3 INT's
POST GAME INTERVIEW
Coach Dodge "We knew our pass "D" was suspect and Kellen showed why he won the Heisman last year and is a front runner to repeat. 30/39 is just amazing.
I was very disappointed in our run "D" as well though. D. Martin was like a miniture bulldozer running over our LB's.
I was very proud of how Jeff played today. BSU has a great defense and even though he threw 3 picks, he still make some huge plays. I knew we had a future NFL player in J. Kartsetter but who knew that I. Barton could play like this. The kid was running past, over and through defenders!! It was a beautiful thing..
I really wish we can get L. Mitz more involved next week against Idaho. We really need to get at least 20 carries a game and a 1.8 Avg isn't going to cut it."