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Big West roundup
Big West Game of the Week
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Idaho 42, Nevada 33 |
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The Vandals cleared the biggest hurdle in their path toward a second straight trip to the Humanitarian Bowl, going into Reno and winning their first game at Mackey Stadium since they joined the Big West in 1996. They had been outscored 100-46 in their previous road games against the Wolf Pack. Saturday, Chris Lacy set the tone early, taking the opening kickoff back 92 yards for a TD. The Vandals would eventually hold a 19-0 lead at halftime.
The Wolf Pack fought back in the second half, but the return of QB John Welsh bolstered the Vandals' offense, which had been stagnant since he suffered a broken ankle in a loss to Auburn. The sophomore QB threw two fourth-quarter TD passes to hold off the Pack, who saw their bowl hopes dashed in the loss. Between the teams, nine different players scored TDs. Idaho now travels to Montana next week for a non-league date with the Division I-AA Grizzlies before returning to Pullman, Wash., to face Boise State in a game that could decided the conference title.
Nevada WR Trevor Insley caught 14 passes for 254 yards. That bumped his career total to 4,660 yards, making him the all-time NCAA leader. He caught 12 of his passes in the second half despite suffering a mild concussion in the first. The previous record holder, Wyoming's Marcus Harris, finished his career with 4,406. Insley still has two more games to improve his total.
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Other Big West action
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New Mexico State 14, Utah State 6 |
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New Mexico State kept its conference title hopes alive and did it in a most unusual way -- with the pass. The Aggies got a pair of TD passes -- one from K.C. Enzminger and another from Ty Houghtaling -- and they were just enough to hold off the Aggies. Ryan Shaw caught five passes for 118 yards and two TDs for the Aggies, who can win the Big West with victories over Boise State and North Texas to close the season.
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Boise State 63, Arkansas State 10 |
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After two straight wins, Arkansas State (3-7, 1-3) showed up in Boise and promptly rolled over and died. BSU (7-3, 3-1) QB Bart Hendricks threw for three TDs and ran for another before spending the fourth quarter with his shoulder pads off. The Indians were then carved up by coach Dirk Koetter's backup QB, as B.J. Rhode hit Brock Forsey on a 62-yard scoring route before taking one to the bank himself from 23 yards out.
The Broncos will be playing for the league title the next two weeks -- facing the teams tied with them atop the standings. Next week the Broncos host New Mexico State before travelling to Pullman, Wash. to meet their bitter rivals, the Idaho Vandals. If Boise State wins both games it will represent the Big West in the Humanitarian Bowl in Bronco Stadium Dec. 30.
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