PAC-12 MATCHUPS ON HALLOWEEN - SCARY GAMES WITH THRILLING OUTCOMES

Boise State comes back to topple Texas State 46-45 in the game of the day

Bulldogs cage Beavers in convincing 38-22

Aggies rebound against Rams in 31-14 win

Aztecs taken to final minute, avoid upset against Washington State, winning 26-20

Boise State with a dynamic comeback vs. the Bobcats

Boise State looked comfortably ahead at halftime, leading the Bobcats of Texas State 28-3 at halftime in front of a large, partisan crowd on the Blue Turf. Someone forgot to tell Texas State they were supposed to lose. They came out in the second half with their hair on fire, ripping off 36 unanswered points and a 39-28 lead in the fourth quarter. Boise had lost starting quarterback Maddux Madsen to an injury and were using backup Max Cuthforth. He led them to three straight touchdowns in the span of four minutes to complete the come from behind victory. The game showed two things: The Broncos (7-1, 4-0 Pac-12) are susceptible to losing in conference and Texas State (4-4, 2-2 Pac-12) is fun to watch.

No. 20 ranked Boise State had all they could handle as their overconfidence nearly led to disaster. Losing a 25 point halftime lead to trail by eleven might have been the undoing of many a team. Boise State did show they have the ability to do what is needed to come away with a win. Their furious comeback and resiliency shows the Broncos deserving of top spot in the conference.

“The third quarter was one of the worst quarters of football that I’ve ever been a part of,” Boise State Head Coach Spencer Danielson said. “But then in the fourth quarter, we throw a pick-six, we’re down 11 and a quarterback. But I’m proud of this team and this group of leaders that found a way to win.” Danielson referenced the pick-six, which was Madsen’s first interception of the season.

The Bobcats were on the verge of pulling off a titanic upset behind quarterback Brad Jackson, who threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns. But reality hits when it is least expected as the Bobcats had a pass intercepted and returned to their 11 yardline to flip the field and momentum. Texas State would score on a huge 72 -yard scoring strike from Jackson to Zechariah Sample, but failed on the two-point conversion giving them a 45-40 lead. Bronco backup Cutforth found receiver Akeem Wright for an 18 yard score with 2:40 left to put the Broncos up 46-45. Their two-point conversion failed also. In the evening both teams attempted five 2-point attempts, converting only one. Converting only one would have made a difference for the Bobcats.

Madsen threw for 236 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two more before he left in the fourth quarter with a potential knee injury. Boise State looks to solidify their hold on the Group of Six playoff spot, despite New Mexico continuing to win. They will need to make sure they don’t have any further slip ups. The Broncos travel to Colorado State next Saturday against the Rams in a game that could perhaps cause the scoreboard to go haywire. Texas State, meanwhile, will need to handle back to back games against Oregon State and Fresno State, before a flex game. They need two more wins to become bowl eligible. The Broncos are the sole bowl eligible team in the Pac-12, while the Mountain West already has three teams in New Mexico, North Dakota State and Air Force. .

Fresno State throttles Oregon State in key matchup in The Valley

The Bulldogs showed upbig against a hot Oregon State team, with a convincing 38-22 win in Fresno. The Beavers had not lost since their early season back-to-back losses against ranked Houston and Texas Tech and conversations about their playoff opportunity. This was their first conference setback, which will effectively end their run at a playoff spot. Fresno State, (5-3, 2-2 Pac-12) meanwhile, coming off of back-to-back losses used an opportunistic defense and a consistent offense to throttle the Beavers (5-3, 3-1 Pac-12). Bulldog quarterback Jayden paved the way with 202 yards on 11-17 passing for two touchdowns and a pick. His counterpart, Braden Atkinson, was stellar going 33-59 for 373 yards and a score. His average yards per attempt was 6.3, as the Bulldogs kept passes short and in front of the secondary. Jesse Legree, the nation’s leading receiver, caught seven balls for 70 yards, but only managed a 23 yard play for his longest on the evening. The Bulldogs defense held the Beavers rushing attack to a 2.8 yard average. The Beavers did outgain Fresno State 450-392, but had two turnovers. The Beavers had 87 plays compared to 56 for the Bulldogs. Fresno State had a nearly two yard average per play advantage.

Oregon State started the scoring with a 54 yard field goal by Caleb Ojeda. The Bulldogs countered with a Mandal 15 yard score to make it 7-3. Another Ojeda field goal, this one from 28 put the score 7-6. Fresno State added a 63-yard touchdown run by Bryson Donelson to move the score to 14-6. Another Beaver field goal was followed by a 26-yard pass from Mandal to Josiah Freeman and the Bulldogs were in command 21-9 at halftime. The third quarter saw more Bulldog offense as they added a Mandal run and a Freeman 31-yard reception to be comfortably ahead 38-16 heading into the fourth quarter. The Beavers would close out the scoring with a 9 yard scoring toss from Atkinson to Eric Olsen.

Next Saturday the Bulldogs travel to Utah State in what might be an interesting matchup as the Aggies have found a way to win two of their last three games. In a very intriguing matchup, the Beavers are back home to take on the ever dangerous Texas State Bobcats. Texas State nearly took down Boise State. A successful two point conversion here or there made all the difference in the one point Bronco victory.

Utah State surprises Colorado State in Logan

Utah State has suddenly found what it takes to win, as they man handled Colorado State on Saturday, winning 31-14 in Logan. The Aggies (3-5, 2-2 Pac-12) scored early and often in handing the Rams (3-5, 1-3 Pac-12) their 5th loss on the year. Utah State quarterback McCae Hillstead accounted for two touchdowns, one through the air and the other rushing to pace the Aggies in a 31-14 dominating performance against Colorado State in front of 15,835 fans at Maverik Stadium. The Aggies used an overwhelming defense to shut down the Rams in the first half, while they were building a 17-0 lead. Running back Nehemiah Washington paced the way with a 31-yard score. By halftime, the Rams only had amassed 67 total yards including a minus 5 yards on the ground. Spooky stats!

The Aggies Javen Jacobs contributed a 12-yard score putting the Aggies up 24-0. The Rams finally got on the board when they put together a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive, finished off by a 6-yard run by Durell Robinson. Utah State would next score on a long drive resulting in a 7-yard pass to Kaina Watson. To finish things off, Colorado State would finish a 73-yard drive with a 21 yard scoring toss from quarterback Hauss Hejny to Cedric Ross. Utah State would dominate the stat line piling up 464 yards and 36 minutes of possession. Hillstead had 173 yards passing and 79 yards rushing to lead the Aggies. Colorado State was only able to manage 263 yards off offense including losing two fumbles. Hejny threw for 186 yards while Robinson contributed 66 yards on the ground. The Rams are nearly eliminated from post season play despite having an identical record as Utah State. Both teams would need to win three of their remaining four games to be eligible. Utah State has Fresno at home next week, followed by on the road at San Diego State, in Oregon against Oregon State and a to be determined flex game. Colorado State meanwhile has Boise State at home next week, followed by a road trip to Washington State and to Fresno State before their flex game. The Aggies are peaking while the Rams are slipping. If either team gets six wins, it will be Utah State.

San Diego State goes down to the wire, holds on to defeat a stubborn Washington State squad 26-20

The Aztecs discovered their missing running game as they accounted for 202 yards o the ground with both Lucky Sutton and Javion Kinnard contributing. Sutton garnered 115 yards on 18 carries while Kinnard added 87 yards on 17 carries and two scores to help beat the Cougars. The Aztecs (4-5, 3-2 Pac-12) held on against a stubborn Washington State (1-8, 0-5 Pac-12) team. The Aztecs held on to thwart a final comeback attempt by the Cougars. Kinnard opened the scoring i the first on a 9-yard scoring run, putting the Aztecs up 7-0. Washington State responded with quarterback Owen Eshelman scoring from four yards out to knot the game at 7 apiece. Eshelman would account for all but 34 yards of offense for the Cougars. In the second quarter, Kinnard scored from 10 yards out for another Aztec lead. The Cougars would respond in kind on a 2-yard run by Kirby Vorhees. The Aztecs would add a 36 yard field goal by Cooper DiLeva and a 17-14 halftime lead. The Aztecs would add to this on a reverse with Bert Emanuel Jr. tossing a 2-yard strike to Jackson Ford, all alone in the back of the end zone for a 26-14 lead. Washington State would record the final tally on a 2-yard scamper by Eshelman.

The Aztecs would hold off a final rally by the Cougars to close out the win at Snapdragon Stadium. Looking forward to next week, both teams will use a much needed bye week to prepare for the last few weeks of the season. The Cougars will host Colorado State on November 14 while San Diego State will host Utah State on the same day. The Aztecs are needing two more wins to be bowl eligible. They have the Aggies, followed by a trip to Boise against the Broncos and the final flex game. They are on the cusp and boy does that hurt. Washington State has next season to begin preparing for.

Checking in on the Mountain West

Nevada travelled to UCLA and lost 27-0 in an expected outcome against the Bruins. Air Force grounded Connecticut 36-25 at the Academy. North Dakota State took care of UTEP in the Fargo Dome. New Mexico held off a feisty San Jose State defense, winning 21-16 in San Jose to maintain their hold on first place and potentially moving into the top 25. Finally, UNLV took care of a stubborn Northern Illinois team 31-24 in Vegas. Next week has New Mexico travelling to Nevada and UNLV hosting Wyoming and Army hosts Air Force in key games.

Pac-12 Standings

Most teams have played seven games. The conference standings continue to shuffle, but odds are on Boise State and Oregon State down to the wire.

1. Boise State (7-1, 4-0)
2. Oregon State (5-3, 3-1)
3. San Diego State (4-5, 3-2)
4. Texas State (4-4, 2-2)
5. Fresno State (5-3, 2-2)
6. Utah State (3-5, 2-2)
7. Colorado State (3-5, 1-3)
8. Washington State (1-8, 0-5)