BOISE, Idaho — When BYU lined up to attempt a game-winning field goal with 16 seconds remaining, Boise State nose tackle David Moa was struggling to get his shoe on along the sideline as Coach Bryan Harsin was pleading for someone to help Moa.
“That might have been the most stressful moment in the whole game,” Harsin said. “BYU is lining up for a field goal and I can’t get my nose tackle out there.”
Moa managed to get his shoe on in time before he blocked the Cougars’ 44-yard field goal attempt and help Boise State escape with a 28-27 victory Thursday night in a wild finish.
The Broncos (7-0), who won their 23rd consecutive nonconference home game, overcame five turnovers in the victory. Since 2004, FBS teams that are minus-5 in the turnover category are 9-231.
“I think it shows the will of this team,” Boise State linebacker Tanner Vallejo said. “We scratched and clawed and were able to get the win. This is a confidence booster for this team.”
BYU (4-4) still had another chance to win the game after Rhett Almond’s field goal attempt was blocked. The ball didn’t cross the line of scrimmage and Mitch Juergens recovered for BYU, giving the Cougars the ball at the Boise State 42 with eight seconds left.
The Cougars, who beat Boise State on a last-minute Hail Mary play last season, couldn’t duplicate the magic on the final play of the game as the ball was knocked down in the end zone.
It was another narrow defeat for BYU, which has lost all four games by a combined eight points.
“We had five turnovers and we were able to take care of the football, which is what kept us in the game,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “When you’re ahead 5-0 in the turnover battle, you shouldn’t even be in the game. That says a lot about how good this Boise State team is.”
Taysom Hill was 21-of-42 passing for 187 yards for BYU, while Squally Canada rushed for 88 yards.
BYU, which was without leading rusher Jamaal Williams due to an ankle injury suffered in practice this week, mustered just 322 yards of offense, well below its 405 yards per game average.
However, it was still almost enough for the upset-minded Cougars.
BYU took a 27-21 lead with 13:33 remaining on a 37-yard field goal by Almond.
Then Boise State’s offense came to life for the first time in the second half.
Brett Rypien engineered a 10-play, 90-yard drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown run by Jeremy McNichols with 10:37 remaining. Tyler Rausa’s extra point gave the Broncos a 28-27 lead that withstood BYU’s last-minute rally.
Rypien threw for 442 yards and 3 touchdowns with 2 interceptions.
McNichols rushed for 140 yards and had 109 yards receiving along with 2 touchdowns. Thomas Sperbeck also had 109 yards receiving on 9 catches, his 11th career game with more than 100 yards receiving.
AAC
TEMPLE 46,
SOUTH FLORIDA 30
PHILADELPHIA — Ryquell Armstead ran for a career-high 210 yards, including touchdowns of 76 and 42 yards, and Temple (5-3, 3-1) moved into first place in the AAC East with a victory against South Florida (6-2, 3-1).
USF quarterback Quinton Flowers threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, but was shaken up in the fourth quarter and did not return.
Marlon Mack ran for a 30-yard touchdown with 8:42 left to cut the lead to 37-30.
An interception by Delvon Randall with 5:00 remaining put the Owls at the 3. Jahad Thomas ran in for a score on the next play seal the victory.
Sports on 10/22/2016