The Bronco Defense led the way once again for the Broncos, as the 1st team
defense held Utah State to just 3 points, and those points a gift off of a
Vinnie Perretta fumble in the second quarter. Little used and former
walkon Senior RB Brett Denton led the way for the Broncos, rushing for 125 yards
on 17 carries and 2 TD's on the ground. He was the recipient of some great
blocking by the OLine, but also ran through, around, and over many would be
Aggie defenders on his way to a memorable final home game.
The other star of
the day was Jared Zabransky, the longtime starter for the Broncos was more than
effecient as he hit on a remarkable 21-23 for 236 yards and 3 TD's.
Zabransky led a Bronco offense that started out scoring at will but who ran into
some kinks in the second quarter before righting the ship. "Z"
ended his day before the start of the 4th quarter, giving way to backup QB's
Taylor Tharp and Bush Hamdan.
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Kevin Robinson hauls in a long
reception between Marty Tadman and Quintin Jones for one of Utah State's
lone highlights.
(AP Photo/Troy Maben)
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Another storyline on today's victory is the
performance of some under-utilized Bronco seniors like the aforementioned
Denton, but also Jovan ("Jo-Veezy") Hutchinson. Hutchinson has
long been one of the most popular players on the team, but has been hampered by
injuries inconsistencies. In an interview published in the Idaho
Statesman, Hutchinson said that his dream was to finally score a TD for the
Broncos on Senior Day. With seven and a half minutes left in the game and
the outcome long determined, "Veez" got his dream answered on a short
fade route thrown by backup QB Taylor Tharpe.
Of note was the play
of Bronco Sophomore DT Joe Bozikovich, who worked his way into the playing
rotation early and played throughout the game. Bozikovich has battled two
different leg injuries in his short Bronco career, but played well and will be
counted on next year to help offset the loss of both starting defensive
tackles. Also seeing game time after a long layoff was Bronco Junior Jon Helmandollar who has missed the past few weeks with a concussion.
Taylor Tharp
threw for one touchdown to Hutchinson, but also fumbled the ball while being
tackled and Utah State's Devon Hall scooped up the ball and rumbled 64 yards for
the Aggies lone touchdown.
Jerard Rabb led a group of 9 different Bronco
players with a catch with 4 catches for 89 yards a 1 TD. Also making TD
receptions were Hutchinson, Legedu Naanee, and Ryan Putnam.
The win puts Boise State at 11-0 on the season and clinches a share of the WAC title at least,
giving the Broncos their 5th straight conference championship out of 6 seasons
in the WAC, and a maybe even more importantly 1 game away from a New Years Day
matchup in a BCS Bowl.
Boise State will conclude their season on the road in
Reno, Nevada next Saturday.
All content ©2006 BroncoCountry.com/Scout.com.