Mountain West Football Title Game Live Results, Updates, Score
Live updates from the Mountain West title game
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One final game and it is for the marbles
Follow along with us today as we provide updates of the biggest plays in today’s Mountain West title game between Fresno State.
Pre game
Two big questions in pregame was the attendance of this game and the other was if Boise State’s Jake Roh would play.
The former shows sellout was not the case. (Also, move the finger dude)
https://twitter.com/JeffCaves/status/937123863225278465
Roh is suited up and is available but the question of him actually playing seems unlikely.
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937125205792636928
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937125175832670209
First quarter
Special teams have been a strength for the teams this year but maybe there were some nerves. Boise State kicked the ball out of bounds to start the game to give the Bulldogs good field position.
Fresno State moved the ball down pretty well running the ball on its opening drive but the Boise State defense stopped the Bulldogs and forced a field goal that was off the uprights from 41 yards.
That led the Broncos social media team to tweet this out?
https://twitter.com/BroncoSportsFB/status/937123721520623616
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Boise State took over the ball and the big play that was not to be was when Brett Rypien threw a ball that was tipped and caught by Fresno State’s Mike Bell. Replay showed it actually hit the ground. Boise State held onto the ball but no points came of that drive.
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Fresno State punted the ball to Boise State and the Broncos nearly had flipped the field but a penalty took that field position away. The drive started at its own 25 but Boise State had its best drive of the game which saw three players play quarterback: Alexander Mattisson at the ‘wildcat,’ Rypien and Montel Cozart. The end result was a 33-yard field goal that snuck in and now lead 3-0.
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937130544885784576
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First quarter stats showed nothing extraordinary by either team.
https://twitter.com/MattK_FS/status/937132666297581569
Second quarter
This drive started late in the first quarter.
Fresno State looked to respond after that Boise State field goal and the offense started clicking and made it past midfield in just a few plays, including a key first down on a 3rd-and-1 when Jordan Mims rushed for two yards.
This drive ended when Curtis Weaver had a huge sack against Marcus McMaryion on third down. That sack allowed was just the eighth allowed by the Bulldogs all year.
https://twitter.com/OBNUG/status/937133497365381120
https://twitter.com/OBNUG/status/937133343514202113
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Fresno State forced Boise State to go three-and-out and the offense for the Bulldogs responded to move the down the field which included a nice Marcus McMaryion pass complete to Jared Rice for a 22 yard gain.
The Broncos defense tightened up when the Bulldogs got within the 5-yard line. Fresno State decided to stretch the field horizontally on an end around from the 2-yard line but the Boise State defense snuffed out the play.
Fresno State goes for it on 4th and goal from the two and a play action naked boot saw McMaryion run it in for a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937137302815498240
https://twitter.com/JeffCaves/status/937136986669834240
One note on this drive is that defensive player of the year, Leighton Vander Esch, was shaken up on that end around.
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Boise State responded on its first play after allowing that touchdown on a 40-yard pass from Rypien to A.J. Richardson.
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937138363118665728
A penalty and the Fresno State defense stopped the Broncos from getting more points. However, the Broncos special teams had a big time play and pinned the Bulldogs on its own 1-yard line.
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A turn of events happened as Fresno State could not get out of the shadow of its own end zone which saw a penalty, a missed short pass to move the ball and two deep balls which were off target.
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Boise State took advantage of the field position with Avery Johnson nearly returning the punt for a touchdown but was short at the 4-yard line. A few plays later Mattison scored from the wildcat position to give Boise State a 10-3 lead.
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937142148821954560
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Fresno State’s next chance was one that featured some big running plays as the Bulldogs chipped away at this Boise State defense. McMaryion had a huge 22-yard run on a play that broke down. The very next play, after a timeout, was a designed run by McMaryion for a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937143679352946688
Halftime: Fresno State 14, Boise State 10
Third quarter
Boise State’s drive in the second half started off great with the offense clicking, but then a series of plays ended it all. Mattison was in the wildcat and had to throw the ball which was an incomplete pass but the biggest play was when Rypien missed a very wide open Mattison which would have been a touchdown and a lead. Following that was a missed field goal from 46 yards out.
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Neither offense could get going in the third quarter. Boise State missed its chances and Fresno State’s offensive line struggled a bit against the Broncos blitz. This third quarter mimicked the first quarter with a lack of points.
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Boise State has some bad luck as running back Alexander Mattison needed help off the field after he injured his left ankle when he was tackled from behind. To make matters worse, on 4th and 1, the Broncos went for it but there was a false start so they punted.
Fourth Quarter
Alexander Mattison left the game with what looked like a left ankle/lower leg injury. Boise State does not give out injury updates but the replay showed what happened and why he needed help leaving the field.
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The Fresno State defense is coming up huge and sacked Boise State’s Rypien on back-to-back play and forced another Broncos punt. However, the next drive for the Bulldogs resulted in yet another punt.
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Boise State’s offense finally breaks through with a 59-yard gain from Rypien to Wilson for the biggest play of the game. The Broncos moved the ball in the red zone but one huge play against Fresno State was a pass interference penalty which could have been avoided had the defender turned around. Boise State took advantage and scored on a 2-yard run by backup running back Ryan Wolpin to give the Broncos a 17-14 lead.
https://twitter.com/MountainWest/status/937169992721694722
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The Boise State defense did ended up sealing the victory, 17-14, as Mountain West Mountain West defensive player of the year Leighton Vander Esch picked off Fresno State quarterback Marcus McMaryion.