Western Athletic Conference News and Notes |
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - BOISE STATE: The Broncos threw everything they had at Utah State on Saturday as four different players were credited with TD passes in a 49-14 final on the blue turf, keeping BSU undefeated at 9-0. Kellen Moore was responsible for 362 yards and two TDs on 27-of-36 passing, while Ian Johnson played a conservative role on the ground with a team-best 35 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. Overall, Boise State generated 563 yards of total offense, despite losing a pair of fumbles and Moore having one of his attempts intercepted. The battle for bragging rights in the state of Idaho go up for grabs this coming weekend as the Broncos, who remained at number nine in the current AP Poll, drop in on the Idaho Vandals at the Kibbie Dome. In a series that began in 1971, Boise State has won 19, lost 17 and tied once with the Vandals. However, in more recent years BSU has been all over Idaho, winning every meeting since a 36-35 overtime loss to the Vandals in the season finale back in 1998. Last year, the Broncos whipped up on Idaho in a 58-14 decision on the blue turf.
FRESNO STATE: Tom Brandstater threw for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns on Friday night, but he was also picked off twice in a 41-28 loss to Nevada at home. The signal-caller converted 23-of-43 passes for a team that ran the ball just 16 times for a collective 106 yards. Four total turnovers and almost 38 minutes spent by the FSU defense on the field is what did the team in eventually. Fresno State tries to get back on track this weekend when it takes on New Mexico State at home. The Bulldogs have won each and every one of the previous meetings with the Aggies, enjoying a 14-0 mark in the series following a 30-23 win in last season's decision in Las Cruces.
HAWAII: Greg Alexander threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Hawaii Warriors posted a 42-30 win over the New Mexico State Aggies at Aggie Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening. Alexander converted 26-of-32 passes for 288 yards and also gained 37 yards on 13 carries, surviving four sacks, as the Warriors won for the second time in the last three outings. Hawaii, which survived 11 penalties for 95 yards, generated 447 yards of offense and converted an impressive 9-of-12 on third down. The Warriors catch a break in the action this week, their second bye of the season, but then close out 2008 with home dates against Idaho, Washington State and Cincinnati.
IDAHO: Even though the Vandals managed to do something this season that they failed to do all of 2007, one victory over a WAC opponent does not make this a successful campaign by a long shot. In fact, aside from the 20-14 triumph versus New Mexico State back on October 25th, the Vandals have just one other win to their credit, that being a 42-27 victory over Idaho State in the second game of the season. Last year, Idaho lost to every single opponent from the Football Bowl Subdivision, defeating only Cal Poly by a 20-13 score in the second game of the season as well. The team has just two games remaining in 2008, the first being a home date against nationally-ranked Boise State on Saturday afternoon. As far as the all-time series is concerned, BSU leads by a count of 19-17-1, thanks in part to a 58-14 thrashing of the Vandals a season ago in Boise.
LOUISIANA TECH: Ross Jenkins completed only seven of his 16 pass attempts on Saturday night, but one of those made it into the end zone, which was more than enough to push the Bulldogs into the win column again with a 21-0 shutout of San Jose State. Jenkins, who threw for 97 yards, was aided by the running game which accounted for another TD on a 21-yard run by Patrick Jackson, while Terry Carter intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards for a score early in the second quarter. The Bulldogs shoot for their third straight win and bowl eligibility this coming weekend as they host the Utah State Aggies in Ruston. LaTech has won three of the previous five meetings in the series, posting a 48-35 victory in last year's event in Logan.
NEVADA: Colin Kaepernick threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as he led the Wolf Pack to a 41-28 win against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Friday night in California. Returning to the area where he grew up, Kaepernick converted 7-of-17 passes for 128 yards and also ran for 118 yards on 17 attempts. Giving the offense for Nevada a huge lift was Vai Taua who gained a remarkable 263 yards on 28 carries and also scored once for a team that generated a huge 472 yards rushing on 61 attempts. The Pack gets back to business this weekend with a game against San Jose State. Heading into last season's affair Nevada had won five in a row over the Spartans, but SJSU turned the tables slightly with a 27-24 triumph at home, marking just the third win in the last 11 meetings for the Spartans.
NEW MEXICO STATE: Chase Holbrook threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-38 passing for the Aggies as they fell for the fourth straight game on Saturday, 42-30 versus Hawaii at home in Las Cruces. Chris Williams put together a career day for the team with seven catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns in the setback. Not much of a running team to begin with, the Aggies almost completely abandoned that aspect of the attack, finishing with a mere six yards on 21 attempts. Two interceptions by Holbrook and a lost fumble didn't help matters either. The test for the Aggies this weekend comes against the Fresno State Bulldogs, the fourth program on this year's schedule that has never lost to NMSU. The Bulldogs enjoy an unblemished win streak of 14 games dating back to a 49-17 triumph in the first meeting in 1972. More recently MNSU came up shy in a 30-23 decision last season.
SAN JOSE STATE: The Spartans posted a mere six first downs, 30 yards rushing on 28 attempts and 118 yards through the air in one of their worst offensive showings in quite some time on Saturday. During the 21-0 loss to visiting Louisiana Tech, SJSU quarterback Myles Eden completed only 3-of-8 passes for 11 yards and was guilty of two interceptions, one of which was returned 50 yards for a score by the opposition. Fellow signal-callers Kyle Reed and Sean Flynn combined to hit 8-of-20 passes for another 107 yards in the setback as well. Next up for the Spartans is a meeting with the Nevada Wolf Pack this weekend. SJSU claimed a 27-24 win in the most recent meeting a season ago, but the Pack still owns a 12-8-2 advantage in the all-time series nonetheless. The victory for San Jose State snapped what had been a five-game slide versus Nevada dating back to 2002.
UTAH STATE: Sean Setzer ended up taking the majority of the snaps for the Aggies on Saturday, but even though he converted 19-of-33 passes for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns, he tossed two picks in the loss to Boise State in Idaho. Setzer also led the way on the ground with a mere 18 yards on three carries, the team posting a miserable 44 yards rushing on 21 attempts against one of the tougher defensive teams in the country. Fellow quarterback Diondre Borel hit on a mere 3-of-8 passes for 35 yards and an interception. The Aggies try to get back into the win column this weekend when they travel to Ruston to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. USU trails in the series by a count of 3-2 after the Bulldogs posted a 48-35 win in last year's meeting. USU actually won the first two games in the series, but they date back to 1993 and 1994 before the school joined the WAC.
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