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Big West roundup
Big West Game of the Week
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Boise State 45, Idaho 14 |
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Junior QB Bart Hendricks officially became a living legend of Boise State football Saturday, leading the Broncos to their first ever bowl appearance with a victory over hated rival Idaho at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. Before Hendricks came along, the Broncos had not beaten the Vandals on the road since 1981 and had lost 14 of 15 overall. Now BSU has won two straight on the Palouse and has split the last six in the series.
Hendricks, a shoo-in for Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Year, threw for three TDs and ran for another to help the Broncos lock up a bid to the Humanitarian Bowl, to be played in their own stadium Dec. 30. Boise State (9-3, 5-1) will probably face Louisville, coached coincidentally by John L. Smith. Smith coached Idaho for six years and went 5-1 against the Broncos.
Hendricks was at his best when Idaho (7-4, 4-2) still had a chance. He found Nate Colbert on a 28-yard scoring pass in the first quarter to give the Broncos a 7-0 lead before running one in from 17 yards out to double the advantage. Later in the quarter he connected with Gavin Reed for a 68-yard TD and the route was on.
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Other Big West action
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Utah State 37, Nevada 35 |
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Demario Brown ran for 253 yards and scored his fourth touchdown of the game with one minute remaining after a pair of big gains on trick plays to help Utah State (3-7, 2-3) beat Nevada (2-4, 3-8). The loss ruined a pair of farewells. Nevada coach Jeff Tisdel announced his resignation earlier this week and the Wolf Pack were playing their last Big West game, heading into the WAC next year. Also overshadowed was a record-setting performance by Nevada receiver Trevor Insley, who became the first NCAA receiver to reach the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.
Brown, whose rushing total is the second most in school history, set up the game-winning score with a 43-yard halfback pass to Demario Franklin at Nevada's 11. Brown ran 52 yards on a Statue of Liberty play to set up an earlier fourth-quarter score. Linebacker Donald Dicko intercepted Nevada quarterback David Neill's pass at Utah State's 15-year line with 26 seconds left to secure the win. |
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New Mexico State 22, North Texas 9 |
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North Texas jumped out to a quick lead, but New Mexico State proved too much as the Aggies won for the third time in four games to secure the first winning season at Las Cruces since 1993. NMSU sophomore QB K.C. Enzminger threw two TD passes and ran for another. Doomed to finish in last place in the Big West, North Texas can drag three other teams down with it if it can manage to close its season with a victory over Utah State. That would leave UNT, Nevada, Utah State and Arkansas State tied at 2-3 in conference play.
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