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BOISE, ID - No. 4 Boise State lived up to its billing with a 57-14 victory over Toledo at Bronco Stadium Saturday night. Boise quarterback Kellen Moore, heralded as a Heisman candidate, completed 16-of-22 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns before coming out of the game in the third quarter. Senior Jeremy Avery added three rushing touchdowns.
Toledo moved the ball throughout the game, but was hurt by five turnovers, three in the first half. "When you are playing a Boise ... you can't hurt yourself that way," UT head coach Tim Beckman said. "They are a good, physical football team."
The Rockets gained 287 yards of total offense. Sophomore Austin Dantin completed 13-of-18 passes for 167 yards before leaving the game on a stretcher early in the fourth quarter after sustaining a hard tackle.
Dantin also scored a first-half TD on a four-yard run. Junior tight end Danny Noble scored Toledo's other TD on a seven-yard pass from redshirt freshman Terrance Owens. Sophomore Eric Page caught 11 passes for 120 yards.
Boise State's high-powered offense got in gear quickly, scoring on drives of 73 and 42 yards in its first two possessions to jump out to a 15-0 lead. Toledo answered with a seven-play, 58-yard drive of its own to cut the BSU lead to 15-7 with 4:41 to play in the first quarter. Dantin was 4-of-4 passing on the drive and finished it off with a four-yard TD run.
In the second quarter, Boise State showed its quick-strike capability, as the Broncos scored on two drives of only three plays each. Boise's final drive of the half covered 90 yards in seven plays in just 41 seconds, capped by a five-yard rush by Avery with 30 seconds left in the half to make the score 36-7.
"They play the game for 60 minutes the way it's supposed to be played," said Beckman, who is keeping his eyes open for playmakers on his own squad. ""If you have opportunities to make plays and you don't, we're going to the next guy."
Dantin then drove the Rockets into field goal position, but junior Bill Claus' 42-yard attempt hit the left crossbar.
The second half was more of the same with Boise State scoring on three of its four possessions in the third quarter, one off of a 36-yard interception return by defensive end Tyler Shoemaker. The other scores were a 33-yard pass from Moore to Tyler Shoemaker and a one-yard run by Matt Kaiserman.
The Rockets host Kent State next Saturday at the Glass Bowl. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. "We still have our No. 1 goal, and that is to be MAC champs," Beckman said.
NOTES:
- Sophomore QB Austin Dantin was injured and left the game on a stretcher early in the fourth quarter. He may have sustained a concussion, but will need to be evaluated, according to head coach Tim Beckman. Dantin finished the game 13-of-18 for 167 yards.
- Redshirt freshman QB Terrance Owens split time with Dantin, entering the game for the first time in Toledo's third possession of the first quarter. He finished the game 8-of-11 for 55 yards.
- Sophomore Eric Page racked up season highs in receptions (11) and yardage (120).
- On Toledo's first touchdown, the Rockets converted a two-point conversion but the play was wiped out due to an illegal procedure penalty.
- Toledo moved the ball well in the first half, gaining 176 yards, but was hurt by three turnovers
- Freshman walk-on Andrew Elchert handled the kickoffs in his collegiate debut. Elchert averaged 62.7 yards on three kickoffs.
- Freshman RB David Fluellen left the game with a sparined knee in the first quarter and did not return. Beckman said he could miss two to three games.
- Sophomore DE T.J. Fatinikun suffered a high ankle sprain in the second half and did not return. His status for next week's game is not known.
- The loss snaps Toledo's streak of three straight road victories.
- Toledo is now 4-5 vs. WAC schools.
- Boise State (#4 in both polls) is the highest ranked team the Rockets have faced since a 49-0 loss to No. 1 Ohio State in 1998.
- Toledo and Boise State will meet next year at the Glass Bowl on Sept. 17, 2011.
Courtesy of Toledo Athletics |
