From Deseret News archives:
Utah State no match for 13th-ranked team
The Broncos (11-0, 7-0), ranked 13th in the nation, were too fast, too strong and too powerful for the Aggies, who have lost five straight games.
Boise State senior quarterback Jared Zabransky, who is 31-5 as a starter, led the Broncos to three touchdowns on their first three possessions in a 49-10 victory. With a win over Nevada next week, the Broncos can win the league outright (they earned a share Saturday), finish undefeated and become the first non-BCS school since Utah to break into the lucrative bowl series.
Despite the Broncos' momentum heading into the game, Utah State football coach Brent Guy was confident his team was up for the challenge.
"They're a very good football team and I thought we could play better and battle them a little bit better and give them a test," he said.
The Aggies are now 1-10 overall and 1-6 in league play, and they close out the season next week at home with New Mexico State.
After throwing an incompletion on his first attempt of the game, Zabransky completed the next 18 (including the last 13 of the first half). In just less than three quarters of play, the senior quarterback, playing his last game at Bronco Stadium, completed 21-of-23 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns.
"He made some nice throws," Guy said. "That's probably as good of a game as I've seen him throw the ball from the first quarter to the fourth quarter."
Running back Brett Denton, playing in place of the nation's touchdown leader, Ian Johnson, had touchdown runs of 3 and 27 yards. Johnson was injured last week at San Jose State.
Jerard Rabb also hauled in a 46-yard touchdown reception for Boise State's first three scores.
Late in the second quarter, Zabransky hit Legedu Naanee for a 16-yard touchdown pass to give the Broncos a 28-3 lead at the half.
After tallying just 25 yards and no first downs in the first quarter, Utah State got inside the Bronco 25-yard line twice in the first half. Leon Jackson III, who entered the game for the first series of the second quarter, drove the Aggies to the Boise State 22, but the Aggies lost the ball on downs.
Later in the second quarter, starter Riley Nelson returned and drove the Aggies to the 14, but they had to settle for a 31-yard Bryan Shields field goal. The points snapped a string of six straight scoreless quarters for the Aggies.
Fallng behind 28-3 at the break for the second straight game didn't help the game plan.
"We've got to be able to run the ball and stay balanced," Guy said. "We got so far behind we had to try to throw our way out of it and we couldn't do that."
