LOGAN, Utah — Boise State combined for a season-high 352 rushing yards behind its two-headed monster of George Holani and Ashton Jeanty in a dominating 45-10 win over Utah State on Saturday night.
The Broncos earned bowl eligibility for the 26th straight season – the second-longest active streak in the country – with the victory in Spencer Danielson's debut as the interim head coach following the dismissal of Andy Avalos.
Boise State rallied around Danielson this week and celebrated his accomplishment with a Gatorade bath as time expired in Logan, followed by a swarming during his live TV interview. Despite the mid-season shakeup, the Broncos (6-5, 5-2 MW) put together arguably their best performance yet on Saturday.
After falling behind 10-0 early and totaling just 44 yards of offense in the first 15 minutes, Boise State exploded to generate 31 points and 208 rushing yards in the second quarter alone. The 45-point performance is the Broncos' best scoring output this fall.
The Aggies (5-6, 3-4 MW) went scoreless Saturday following a 34-yard field goal with 14:55 remaining before halftime. Boise State limited Utah State to its lowest point total through 11 games and forced a season-high four turnovers.
Holani rumbled for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in the win, while Jeanty added 85 rushing yards and a score in his first game back from injury since Oct. 28. Despite his absence, Jeanty surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark and upped his receiving total to 419 yards.
Freshman Jambres Dubar also found the end zone against the Aggies for the second time this season, and the Broncos averaged an eye-opening 7.3 yards per attempt on the ground. Davon Booth led Utah State's rushing attack with 12 carries for 125 yards.
With quarterback Maddux Madsen out for the season due to an injury suffered in last week's win over New Mexico, Taylen Green stepped back into his starting role behind center. He finished 8-of-17 passing for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 26 yards.
After Holani broke the shutout with a career-long 75-yard touchdown, Green found tight end Matt Lauter for a 26-yard score halfway through the second quarter to give Boise State a 14-10 advantage. From there, the blue and orange never looked back.
The Broncos scored on six consecutive drives starting with the Holani house call. The Lauter touchdown was set up by a forced fumble from defensive lineman Braxton Fely – his first of two on the night – recovered by Rodney Robinson.
Utah State responded with a 14-play, 54-yard drive that consumed more than six minutes to make its way to Boise State's 2-yard line. On 4th-and-goal, A'Marion McCoy stepped in front of Terrell Vaughn's toss on a trick play for an interception in the end zone to end the promising possession.
Four plays later, Holani put the Broncos up 21-10 with a 33-yard touchdown carry with 6:27 left in the second quarter. On Utah State's second offensive play on the ensuing possession, Fely forced his second fumble on a sack, this time recovered by nose tackle Herbert Gums.
Set up at the Aggie 25, the Broncos handed it to Jeanty three times in a row, before Green threw his second score to Lauter from two yards out. The touchdown came less than two minutes after Holani's 33-yard strut, quickly putting Boise State up 28-10.
Standout Ahmed Hassanein was a force in Saturday's Mountain West matchup, forcing another Utah State three-and-out with a sack as it tried to respond to the scoring surge. Boise State's nine sacks tied an FBS-era program record and is its most since the 2014 Fiesta Bowl win over Arizona.
Jonah Dalmas put the icing on the cake with a 44-yard field goal as time expired to send the Broncos to the locker room leading 31-10 just 15 minutes after it trailed 10-0.
Safety Alexander Teubner led the team with eight total tackles, while true freshman Ty Benefield impressed with seven tackles, two sacks and a pass breakup. Benefield, Hassanein and Schramm each posted 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
Boise State marched 71 yards in seven plays to open the third quarter, with Jeanty scoring from five yards out to extend the lead to 38-10. The drive featured a 31-yard connection from Green to freshman wide receiver Prince Strachan, who made his way into the starting lineup Saturday.
Neither team scored after Jeanty's trot, but the Broncos' defense continued to thrive in the frame. Robinson grabbed his first interception of the season, McCoy came up with a sack, and Fely and junior Seyi Oladipo combined for another sack.
Dubar's 10-yard touchdown came with just over six minutes to play, widening the margin to 45-10. Freshman quarterback CJ Tiller, who became the No. 2 following Madsen's injury, made his college debut with Boise State up big.
Boise State hosts Air Force at Albertsons Stadium on Friday, Nov. 24, in its final regular season contest of the season. The game kicks off at 2 p.m. MT and airs on Fox Sports 1.
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