Boise State Broncos vs Michigan State Spartans Match Player Stats On Aug 31, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Aug 31, 2012

Michigan State 17, Boise State 13: Le’Veon Bell rushed for a career-best 210 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead No. 13 Michigan State over No. 22 Boise State in a high-profile non-conference game at East Lansing, Mich.

Bell scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard run with 8:12 remaining as the Spartans overcame four offensive turnovers while the defense held the Broncos without an offensive touchdown.

Bell touched the ball 50 times - 44 rushes and six receptions - and had 265 total yards. Bell’s second touchdown run was the only score of the second half as Michigan State physically dominated Boise State by possessing the ball for more than 39 minutes.

Both teams were breaking in new quarterbacks and neither one stood out while replacing a school legend.

Boise State junior Joe Southwick was 15-of-31 for 169 yards and one interception as the successor to Kellen Moore, the winningest quarterback in college football history.

Michigan State junior Andrew Maxwell threw three interceptions and was 22-of-38 for 248 yards as he succeeds Kirk Cousins.

The Broncos, who gained only 206 total yards, traveled inside the Michigan State 10-yard line three times and came away with only two field goals.

Boise State led 13-10 at halftime after scoring the final 10 points of the opening half.

Michigan State had a 10-3 lead when Maxwell’s pass in the right flat was deflected and into the hands of Jeremy Ioane, who raced 43 yards with the interception to tie the contest with 8:53 left in the half. Michael Frisina booted a 19-yard field goal with 4:23 remaining to give Boise State the lead.

The Spartans scored on their offensive series as Bell scored on a 1-yard run. Frisina kicked a 23-yard field goal with 4:39 left in the quarter to get the Broncos on the board and Michigan State answered three minutes later on a career-long 50-yard field goal by Dan Conroy.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bell has five 100-yard outings in his career. … Four Boise State players missed the game because of suspensions – RB Jay Ajayi, WR Dallas Burroughs, QB Jimmy Laughrea and long snapper Chris Roberson. … The attendance of 78,709 marked Michigan State’s largest crowd for a home-opening game since 80,401 attended the 1990 opener against Notre Dame. … Boise State RB D.J. Harper had only 8 yards on 15 carries as the replacement for Doug Martin, a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.