The combination of Boise State’s blue turf and Washington State’s quirky head coach Mike Leach was bound to produce a memorable game Saturday night that would serve as a flashback to WAC shootouts from yesteryear.
Mission accomplished.
Boise State scored an 85 yard pick-six on the first series of the game, had an 88-yard touchdown drive on their first offensive drive and then blocked a field goal in the first half but failed to put away Washington State in a wild 31-28 game that always seemed to have one of the two teams making a crazy play every few minutes down the stretch.
The Cougars managed to regroup coming out of halftime and make a serious run at the win before ultimately falling just short. Wazzu scored two touchdowns in the 4th quarter to cut it to a one score game with four minutes to go but couldn’t quite force overtime or find a game-winner.
Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien, the nephew of ex-Washington State star Mark Rypien, threw for 299 yards and a touchdown but tossed two late interceptions in the 4th quarter that nearly put the victory in jeopardy. Luckily the sophomore was able to hand the ball off to tailback Jeremy McNichols for most of the night as he rumbled his way to 116 yards and two scores but the two turnovers were decidedly un-Boise like.
The Broncos’ normally reliable defense did not have a second half to remember either on their way to giving up 480 yards through the air to quarterback Luke Falk. Still, they came up big on the final play of the game to knock down his Hail Mary attempt and secure the program’s first win over their Pacific Northwest rival.
Boise State isn’t done with the Pac-12 after that one either, as they’ll travel to Oregon State next week looking for their second straight victory over a Power Five opponent. Washington State, meanwhile, will have to regroup after starting 2016 with an 0-2 record and an uphill battle to make a bowl game.
