Colorado State Rams vs Boise State Broncos Match Player Stats On Oct 15, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Oct 16, 2016

BOISE, Idaho -- A driving rainstorm kept Boise State's high-scoring offense grounded for two quarters Saturday night. But once the clouds parted, the floodgates opened as the No. 15-ranked Broncos pulled away and then held on for a 28-23 home victory over Colorado State.

Star tailback Jeremy McNichols ran for a career-high 217 yards and two touchdowns and the Broncos shook off a slow start by scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half.

Brett Rypien threw for 207 yards and tossed a scoring pass to Thomas Sperbeck, who also threw a TD pass out of a wildcat formation for the Broncos (6-0, 3-0 Mountain West Conference). But Boise State had to weather some nervous moments down the stretch, as Colorado State (3-4, 1-2) recovered back-to-back onside kicks and scored three touchdowns in a 1:25 stretch late in the fourth quarter.

With the Broncos clinging to a 28-23 lead, receiver Cedrick Wilson recovered the Rams' third onside kick attempt. The Broncos couldn't quite kill the rest of the clock, but a desperation pitch on Colorado State's last-ditch play was ruled a forward lateral with four seconds left, resulting in a game-ending penalty runoff.

Boise State held a slim 7-3 lead at halftime, but with more favorable second-half weather conditions, the Broncos' offense came alive. McNichols capped a 10-play, 79-yard drive with a 5-yard TD run to make it 14-3.

On the next Boise State possession, McNichols burst through the line and sprinted 80 yards down the sideline to make it 21-3.

The Broncos appeared to put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter, marching 90 yards in 16 plays. On the touchdown, Sperbeck took the snap and ran an option to the right before pulling up and firing an 11-yard strike to A.J. Richardson.

But Colorado State nearly mounted an incredible comeback. It started with a long drive capped by tailback Izzy Matthews, who scored on a 2-yard run to cut the lead to 28-10 with 5:53remaining.

After a successful onside kick, Nick Stevens fired a strike to Michael Gallup, who broke a tackle and raced 53 yards for a one-play scoring drive.

Colorado State used the same double-kicker, misdirection setup on its second onside kick and recovered again. Tailback Dalyn Dawkins scored 1:13 later on an 11-yard catch-and-run to make it a five-point game, with the Rams missing the two-point conversion.

McNichols and the Broncos killed all but 15 seconds of the clock before the Rams' multiple lateral play came up short.

Boise State standout receiver Thomas Sperbeck scored the game's first touchdown just 27 seconds before halftime. His 12-yard scoring catch from Brett Rypien capped a well-executed Boise State 4-minute drill that covered 75 yards in 10 plays.

With the rain coming down in sheets, offense was hard to come by early. Boise State turned the ball over on downs to open the game when Sperbeck dropped a pass in the end zone on fourth-and-13 from the 38.

Colorado State responded with a 10-play drive, resulting in a 39-yard field goal by Wyatt Bryan. The kick gave the Rams a 3-0 lead -- and put the Broncos behind on the scoreboard for the first time this season.

That deficit nearly lasted the rest of the half, with eight consecutive possessions ending in punts. Boise State's Sean Wale was particularly effective, averaging 52.5 yards on four kicks.

Boise State outgained Colorado State 171-141 in first-half offense. Neither team committed a turnover.

NOTES: Colorado State played without true freshman QB Collin Hill, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Redshirt junior Nick Stevens started in Hill's place. ... Boise State starting WR Cedrick Wilson did not play in the first half, though he was in uniform. Wilson has 432 yards receiving and five TDs this season. No reason was given for his absence.