Boise State Tops New Mexico, 31-14

Boise State Tops New Mexico, 31-14 Broncos defense clamps down on Lobos Contact/Follow @MWCwire Boise rebounds for first win After a rough opener in Corvallis, the Broncos traveled to Albuquerque for their Mountain West opener against the Lobos. …

Boise State Tops New Mexico, 31-14

Broncos defense clamps down on Lobos

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Boise rebounds for first win

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After a rough opener in Corvallis, the Broncos traveled to Albuquerque for their Mountain West opener against the Lobos.  Hank Bachmeier returned under center to start the game, winning the freshly opened quarterback competition and recovering from being benched.

The recovery didn’t seem immediate though, with the Broncos struggling for most of the first quarter, trading punts with New Mexico for the first five possessions between them.  Bachmeier and the Broncos were finally able to get rolling with a 91-yard scoring drive, getting an 18-yard touchdown pass from Bachmeier to Latrell Caples at the start of the second quarter.

Adding a 48-yard field goal by Jonah Delmas pushed the Broncos out to a 10-0 lead. The second half showed some improvement with a running game that tallied 147 yards and found the endzone two more times. With over 300 total yards, the offense did well, but still somehow felt sluggish and predictable. It’s hard to tell how much of the improvement was due to the opponent as opposed to practice and scheme.

Defensively the Broncos came out firing on all cylinders, holding the Lobos to just 64 yards in the first half on 36 plays. The second half continued that trend as they allowed an additional 59 yards, but they did allow New Mexico into the endzone when they completed a 69-yard pass for a score. Led by Ezekiel Noa and George Tarlas, Boise State tallied six sacks and 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Lobo QB Miles Kendrick only missed three passes last week against Maine but could only manage to go 9 for 28 while being consistently pressured by the Broncos.

Special teams had a much better showing as well.  They did give up a kickoff return touchdown but were able to block a punt in the endzone for a touchdown, Delmas connected on his field goal attempt, and punter James Ferguson-Reynolds averaged 45.7 yards a punt (compared to 37.4 last week).

Keys to The Game:

The Broncos went 3 for 3.  The offense was a little slow out of the gate, but the defense definitely showed up on time, they Kept Kendrick in check, and they didn’t miss their chances to get points on the board.

Final Thoughts:

It was great to win and start the conference off at 1-0. The defense was impressive, and the offense showed improvement.  Having Bachmeier return as the starter was a good sign, but the struggle to be consistent on offense is still troublesome. With injuries along the line already piling up, it’s tough to imagine the offensive line taking a big leap forward. With a couple of weaker opponents coming up, this will be the best time to get it ironed out.

Player of the Game:

Freshman running back Ashton Jeanty had 99 total yards, including 72 rushing for the game. Jeanty was able to provide a spark in the second half that allowed the Broncos to hold onto the ball productively.’

Next up:

Next week the Broncos host the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks at Albertson Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 1pm (MT) and will air on FS1.


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