Broncos bust loose from UI in 3rd quarter

MOSCOW, Idaho – It was the biggest stage of the season, and the Vandals couldn’t have scripted a more perfect opening. Daniel Hardy took in a short pass, zoomed around blocker Eddie Williams and somehow spun away from a Boise State linebacker while avoiding the turf.

Surely all 17,000 fans crammed into the Kibbie Dome thought the play was over, but Hardy kept motoring down the sideline. Just like that, the ninth-ranked Broncos trailed for the first time since September.

“It was exhilarating,” tailback Deonte Jackson said of the 81-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

But the elation didn’t last. After slogging through a so-so first half Saturday afternoon, Boise State reeled off two back-breaking plays in the third quarter and pocketed an emotion-packed 45-10 victory over its archrival.

The Broncos’ 10th consecutive conquest over Idaho gave them a share of the WAC football championship they can capture the title outright next week by beating Nevada, and kept them afloat in the race for a Bowl Championship Series bid.

“I obviously wanted to see us step a little bit more and certainly make it more out of the rival game,” said UI coach Robb Akey, whose team fell to 2-9 and 1-6 in the WAC. “And obviously, the goal going into it was to get the streak broken. We didn’t play well enough in the second half to make that happen.”

Most of the suspense came in the opening seconds and the moments preceding kickoff. Players from both sidelines jawed back and forth after Doug Martin slammed a hammer into the Vandals’ midfield logo while leading BSU (10-0, 6-0) onto the field.

Officials and coaches broke up the brief melee, but short fuses on each side lingered throughout.

“I think it was disrespectful,” Idaho defensive end Taylor Rust said. “That’s why we walked out there, because that’s unacceptable. We don’t let people come in and do that to our ‘I’ and our field.”

Pumped up by the dust-up that Akey called “Mickey Mouse nonsense” and the second-biggest gathering in Kibbie Dome history, the Vandals played their most inspired football in the first half. After Hardy rolled off linebacker Kyle Gingg’s body and fooled the BSU defense for the first score, Idaho fashioned a fourth-down stand on a fake field-goal attempt.

But the high-octane Broncos slowly started taking control. Despite missing two field goals, they constructed a 17-10 lead at halftime, thanks to Kellen Moore’s accuracy and an electrifying 79-yard punt return by Kyle Wilson.

Then, on the first drive after intermission, Jeremy Avery made the first of two tide-turning plays. The slippery BSU running back popped to the outside and sprinted 57 yards for a TD less than 3 minutes into the third.

With Idaho driving a few minutes later, defensive end Byron Hout, a former Lake City star, forced a fumble while taking down UI quarterback Nathan Enderle. Ellis Powers picked up the ball rumbled 45 yards for a TD to make 31-10.

The blowout was under way.

“The big plays gave them all the momentum,” Vandals linebacker Justin Allen said. “And they built on that and we never stopped it.”

Added Jackson, “In the second half, we definitely came out fired up. … But after a while, the momentum takes a swing and it took a very strong one on us. A few guys got down and few of us kept on battling.”