
GAME RECAP
Boise State's quest for a chance to playing for a 3rd National Championship comes up short yet again as the Texas Longhorns keep their perfect season alive as SR QB Ralphel Punga shows his elite ability to the nation with a 6 touchdown performance.
Punga got things going early with a pair of touchdowns as Texas took a (14-0) lead but Boise State score a touchdown as the 1st Quarter comes to a close making it (14-7) and then SR CB Kyrie Darnold comes up with a INT on Punga leading to a short 5 yd TD run by Jason Whitted to tie the game (14-14) Punga would bounced back with touchdown #3 though as Texas retakes the lead (21-14) but the Broncos answer back as Draft finds Conner Friesz on a 30 yd bomb to tie the game up (21-21). Still tied with under a minute to play Punga would throw another INT as SR FS Tremaine Crick pulls off a 1 handed grab and with 4 seconds on the clock BSU is able to tack on a 28 yd FG as BSU takes the (24-21) lead into the locker room.
Texas however would open up the 2nd half with the ball as Punga guides the Longhorns down the field on a 6 play 80 yd drive ending with with his 4th touchdown as he finds SR WR Jaden Ford for a 22 yd score. to put the Longhorns up (28-24).. Then it was the Texas Defense coming up with their own INT as they pick off Tua Draft setting up another Punga to Ford connection (Ford's 3rd TD of the game) was they extend the lead to (35-24)
Still trailing going into the 4th Draft would lead a 13 play drive ending with with his own 3 yd TD run to cut the lead to (35-31) with 7 minutes still to play but that's as close as they would get, as Punga throws his 6th TD of the game as TE Joey Jordan hauls in a 23 yd score.
Boise State would close out the game turning the ball over twice on 4th downs..
"It's pretty tough to win a game when you go 2/13 on 3rd downs and 2/4 on 4th downs and manage just 57 yds on the ground. Give Coach Riley and the Longhorns credit. They are a great team on both sides of the ball. Punga despite the 2 INT's played as about as good of a game as you can ask from a star QB.. I feel for the 20+ guy's who won't be with us next season but we got a great group of guy's who are going to come back strong next season..My quest to bring a 3rd title to Boise isn't over yet"
KEY PLAYERS
QB T. Draft-20/37 (54%) 295 yds 2 TD 1 INT, 5 yds rushing 1 TD (sacked 3 times)
RB B Crum-17 carries 45 yds (2.6 avg), 1 rec 15 yds
RB J. Whitted-2 carries 6 yds (3.0 avg) 1 TD
RB J. Boykins-2 carries 3 yds (hurt in the 2nd Quarter)
WR C. Friesz-7 rec 118 yds 1 TD
WR E. Zentner-7 rec 94 yds
WR M. Stockton-2 rec 36 yds 1 TD
TE R. Carney-2 rec 24 yds
CB. K. Darnold-1 INT, FS T. Crick-1 INT
QB R. Punga-34/47 (72%) 453 yds 6 TD 2 INT, 17 carries 97 yds
RB G. LaPorta-10 carries 35 yds
RB T. Malik-4 carries 11 yds, 2 rec 12 yds (hurt in the 1st Quarter)
WR A. Orlando-13 rec 167 yds 1 TD
WR J. Ford-7 rec 102 yds 3 TD
WR K. Blacknall-5 rec 82 yds 1 TD
TE J. Jordan-4 rec 70 yds 1 TD
DE D. Ordonez-2 Sacks
SS J. Correa-1 INT





