San Jose State Spartans vs Boise State Broncos Box Score on Nov 04, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 5, 2016

BOISE, Idaho -- Boise State's perfect season was spoiled last week, but the No. 24 Broncos got back on track and kept their Mountain West Conference title hopes alive with a 45-31 win over San Jose State on Friday night.

Jeremy McNichols rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and junior receiver Cedrick Wilson also scored twice as the Broncos rolled at Albertsons Stadium.

Boise State (8-1, 4-1 Mountain West) improved to 13-0 all time against San Jose State (3-7, 2-4).

Sophomore QB Brett Rypien threw three touchdown passes for the Broncos and Wilson caught six passes for 102 yards.

Senior quarterback Kenny Potter led San Jose State with 278 yards passing and 67 on the ground. Malik Roberson (12 carries, 109 yards) and Justin Holmes (six catches, 106 yards) had big nights for the Spartans, but it wasn't enough to overcome an early turnover and another big night for McNichols, who now has 20 touchdowns this season.

Freshman tailback Alexander Mattison added 100 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries for Boise State, which rushed for 298 yards and outgained San Jose State 517-495.

Boise State used some of its trademark trickery to take a 24-16 lead at the break, with San Jose State hanging tough.

The Broncos got three first-half touchdown runs. The second score was set up by a perfectly executed fake punt, with Boise State punter Sean Wale taking off up the middle for 29 yards on fourth-and-12.

It was an ominous beginning for San Jose State, as quarterback Kenny Potter's first pass was picked off by Dylan Sumner-Gardner near midfield. Four plays later, Boise State cashed in the turnover on a 19-yard touchdown run by McNichols.

San Jose State closed the gap with consecutive scoring drives, as Bryce Crawford booted field goals from 21 and 39 yards to make it 7-6.

Wale's fourth-down scamper came on the final play of the first quarter, and the Broncos capitalized three plays later on another 19-yard TD run, this one by freshman Alexander Mattison, to make it 14-6.

Potter rallied the Spartans, making plays with both his arm and his feet on a 75-yard scoring drive. He capped it by making a magnificent scramble and finding Rahshead Johnson in the end zone for a 12-yard strike that cut the deficit to 14-13.

Tyler Rausa kicked a 34-yard field goal to extend the Boise State lead, and the Broncos tacked on another score, with McNichols plowing in from the 7 to cap an eight-play, 73-yard drive. It was McNichols' 20th touchdown of the season.

Crawford added a 39-yard field goal just before halftime to make it a one-possession game.

NOTES: Coming into the game, Boise State was 12-0 all time versus San Jose State, winning by an average of 29 points. The Broncos were favored by 29 points on Friday. ... San Jose State played without starting LT Nate Velichko (illness). ... Boise State junior LB Joe Martarano played two seasons (2014, 2015) of minor league baseball for the World Series-winning Chicago Cubs' organization. Martarano did not play baseball this summer, opting to focus on football.