Nevada vs. Boise State: Wolf Pack Beats The Broncos On The Blue, 41-31
Quarterback pressure and a strong running game decided the battle between preseason favorites on Saturday.
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A breakthrough road win for the Pack, a reminder of plenty to fix for the Broncos.
The Nevada Wolf Pack went into Idaho on Saturday afternoon and bested the Boise State Broncos, 41-31.
Nevada wasted no time getting to work offensively. Carson Strong connected quickly with Cole Turner for a seven-yard touchdown. Nevada took the early 7-0 lead with over ten minutes left in the first quarter. Boise State didn’t hesitate to answer, scoring on their first drive, as well, when Hank Bachmeier threw a 25-yard pass to Stefan Cobbs to tie things up at seven. Following a 38-yard field goal by Brandon Talton, Khalil Shakir grabbed a 23-yard, one handed touchdown to put the Broncos up 14-10. Boise State led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Nevada and Boise State both traded a pair of scores in the second quarter. The Wolf Pack also kicked another field goal, bringing Nevada to within one. The Broncos went into halftime with the small advantage, 21-20.
Boise State struggled to corral the Wolf Pack’s running game in the second half. Toa Taua, who finished with 124 yards in the contest and scored twice in the third quarter. Talton, who finished a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal tries, kicked a 33-yarder to help Nevada extend its lead to 38-24 heading into the final quarter.
The Wolf Pack closed the book on the game following yet another Talton field goal. The 38-yard kick put Nevada up 41-24 with ten minutes left in the contest. Boise State was able to score a touchdown with three minutes left in the game, but it came far too late. The Wolf Pack went into Boise and beat the Broncos for the first time since 1997, with a final score of 41-31.
Bachmeier had a solid contest, finishing the game with 388 yards, four touchdown passes and only one interception, though he also took six sacks. Cobbs was Bachmeier’s favorite target of the day. The six-foot junior finished with 10 catches, 132 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets. Ultimately, it was the lack of a running game that hurt the Broncos as George Holani left the game after carrying the ball just four times and Andrew Van Buren and Cyrus Habibi-Likio managed only 80 rushing yards on 18 carries in his stead.
Along with Strong and Taua having huge days for Nevada, Justin Lockhart (five catches, 94 yards) and Cole Turner (six catches, 67 yards, one TD) stepped up in the absence of Elijah Cooks, who is out for the season.
Next up, Nevada (3-1) faces the New Mexico State Aggies in Reno. Boise State (2-3) travels to Provo, Utah to take on the 10th ranked BYU Cougars.
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