BOISE, Idaho—Air Force’s offense chewed up yards on the ground, burned time off the clock and kept Boise State’s potent offense where it wanted: On the sidelines.
The Falcons’ defense forced two Broncos turnovers in the red zone, and special teams blocked an extra point. Twice in the second half the offense rallied to pull within seven points of the No. 5 Broncos.
It just wasn’t enough.
Boise State held on late and managed to stay undefeated with a 37-26 victory Saturday and handed Air Force its third straight defeat and third loss in the Mountain West Conference.
“This is a tough stretch, and we got to respond,” Falcons coach Troy Calhoun said. “It’s one of those where, maturity wise, you got to have your own benchmark.”
Despite the loss, there are some positives to take from the game.
The Falcons rushed for 264 yards, rolled up 408 yards of total offense and held the ball for more than 36 minutes. The offense refused to quit, and played Boise State as close as any team since their season opener against Georgia.
But a mistake on special teams cost the Falcons a touchdown early and a defense that couldn’t stop the Broncos when it mattered most proved too much to overcome.
Kellen Moore threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns, Doug Martin added two TDs and Boise State gained 423 yards overall. And the got it all done in just 24 minutes.
“They are a very complete football team in all regards,” Calhoun said. “They are superb on offense.”
The Broncos were also opportunistic on special teams.
Down 13-6 and deep in their own territory, Calhoun gambled. With less than three minutes left in the second quarter, punter David Baska shoveled a pass to Mikel Hunter, who cut around left end and was wrapped up and ultimately stripped by J.C. Percy. Broncos linebacker Hunter White scooped up the loose ball and rumbled 15 yards for a touchdown that gave Boise State a 20-7 lead.
“It didn’t work, and when it doesn’t work it starts with the coach,” Calhoun said. “In a calculated way, it is something that can work out. But I think you owe it to your guys to give them a chance to do that.”
The Falcons managed to regroup, driving down the field in the final minutes to add a field goal and narrow the gap to 20-10 before the half. Kicker Parker Herrington booted another from 39-yards out midway through the third quarter to bring the Falcons within 20-13, sending a scare into Boise State fans unaccustomed to close games in the second half.
But Boise State responded, marching 77 yards in 11 plays capped by Martin’s 15 yard dash up the middle after taking the snap in a Wildcat formation.
Air Force then bullied its way down the field once again, this time going 80 yards in 18 plays. Twice Falcons running backs converted long runs to extend drives, the first when DeWitt ran for 22 yards on a third down, then Asher Clark ran for 21 yards on fourth down. Clark scored from 3-yards out on the next play to close the gap to 27-20.
Moore came right back, leading Boise State down the field on a 10-play, 69-yard drive. The Broncos scored when Moore, flushed out of the pocket, tossed a 2-yard pass to Martin in the middle of the end zone.
But Air Force refused to quit, and scored minutes later when Tim Jefferson fired a 51-yard pass to Zack Kauth that gave the Falcons a first-and-goal at the 3. Jefferson, who passed for 144 yards and rushed for 16, scored two plays later on a keeper. Broncos defensive end Tyrone Crawford blocked the extra point, making the score 34-26 with 3:30 remaining.
The Falcons tried an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by Broncos receiver Tyler Shoemaker. Moore then moved the Broncos into scoring position and Dan Goodale booted a 25-yard field goal to put the game away.
“I’m really proud of how hard the kids competed.” said Boise State coach Petersen, whose team hasn’t been tested too often in the fourth quarter this season. “We talked a lot about it during the week, about not panicking and getting into a fourth quarter fight. But I think you have to be really pleased with how we responded.”
