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Oregon State Beavers @ Boise State Broncos Football Recap
Boise State 37, Oregon State 24
In recent years the Boise State Broncos have shied away from trick plays in order to appease yet another segment of national naysayers. You must, however, forgive the team for pulling a figurative rabbit from the hat to the delighted roar of a hometown crowd in the Idaho capital.
The Broncos opened the game’s scoring with a glittering and glowing shovel-pass reverse that turned into a rollout touchdown pass fewer than five minutes into the first quarter. Receiver Austin Pettis, on a delayed movement from his spot on the left side of the field, crossed to his right before throwing a 6-yard touchdown strike to tight end Tommy Gallarda, his only reception of the night. The play may have caused many people to wonder why Boise has to trick the opposition so many times, but it also made clear that this is the same Boise program that emptied the playbook while defeating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
The Oregon State Beavers, not to be outdone, responded with a punt return for a touchdown that looked nearly as gaudy as Boise State’s well-engineered bit of glitter. Senior James Rodgers – older brother of Beaver star Jacquizz – made a patient, weaving, cross-field return of 54 yards to even the score at 7. Rodgers danced along the right sideline before working his way to the left and exploding into the open.
The second quarter, however, watched Rodgers and Oregon State fade away, while the spotlight was owned by Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore. His corps of leaping, diving, one-handed-catch-producing receivers didn’t do so poorly, either. As a case in point, BSU had the ball at its own 19. Then came the rapid-fire action: Moore to Chris Potter for four, Moore to Austin Pettis for 26, Moore to Titus Young for 34, Moore to Pettis for 17. Touchdown. All it took was just 4 plays to go 81 yards and peel a mere 1:29 off the clock.
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On the next Bronco possession Young – as dynamic a receiver as there is in the country –snuck behind the entire Beaver secondary before backpedaling his way into the end zone for a 49-yard score and a 24-10 lead.
Moore finished the night 19 of 27 for 288 yards and three scores, further increasing the chances that he might have spot at this year’s Heisman Trophy ceremony. BSU running back Doug Martin put the game out of reach in the second half, putting up a 55-yard run in the third en route to a 138-yard night.
The Bronco defense kept the aforementioned Jacquizz Rodgers and his supporting cast bottled up all night, allowing 2.4 yards per carry and limiting the Beavers to 3 of 13 on third down. Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz couldn’t find a rhythm, completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes in an offensive showing for the Beavers that included five punts and a missed field goal.
While this game wasn’t a blowout, Oregon State scored almost all of its points on special teams and on a short field. The Broncos could have played a tighter and more mistake-free game, yet their inability to do so didn’t hurt them in the end. A win is a win and the debate surrounding college football’s most controversial team rages on.
It’s not likely to end anytime soon, either.
By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer