Boise State Finishes On High Note With 26-3 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Victory Over Utah

SB Nation's Boise State and Utah communities are reeling this morning for what are obviously different reasons, following the Broncos' 26-3 slow-pitch romp over the Utes in Wednesday night's 2010 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl. One Bronco Nation Under God runs down the top five plays of their victory, taking issue with what they think should've been another BSU touchdown:

4.     Austin Pettis fumble out of the end zone. The ensuing Bronco drive ended on Pettis's 46-yard catch-and-fumble that went out of the end zone for a Utah touchback. Or did Geraldo Hiwat fall on the loose ball in the end zone for a Bronco touchdown? I guess we'll never know. (Yes, we will. It was totally a Bronco touchdown.)

Left off the list but topping our nightly rankings is another Austin Pettis moment, the one involving a two-yard pass to himself.

Block U, meanwhile, mourns the win that could have been after an evening that was, somehow, even more mistake-prone than Boise State's:

I knew this was going to be a difficult game for the Utes to win. Boise State, as I've said the past couple of weeks, is a legitimate national champion contender. I believe they are capable of beating any team on any given Saturday.

But they proved against Nevada they are not unstoppable. Unfortunately, when you're playing a team who does nothing but shoots itself in the foot over and over again, that is exactly how they looked.

For more information on the college football postseason, browse our complete 2010 bowl schedule.

The 2010 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl lacked a certain panache. Highlights are a little hard to come by. The only one that really sticks out was WR Austin Pettis' pass to...himself.

On a reverse near the goal line, Pettis tried to get the ball in the endzone. Instead, it was tipped by one of Utah's defenders. From there it went right back to Pettis, who caught it and ran forward two yards.

On the day, Pettis grabbed 12 catches for 127 yards with a touchdown. It was the final game of his college career, which has seen Boise win 51 of 53 games.

Read more about Pettis and the Broncos' night over at One Bronco Nation Under God.

The fourth quarter of the 2010 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, you'll be shocked to learn, passes with little action and lots of mistakes. When last we saw our heroes, Utah was blocking a Boise State field goal attempt. What did they do with this momentum? Why, make several cunning mid-range plays to move the ball deep into Boise State territory, get Terrance Cain sacked, and miss a 36-yard field goal try, of course.

The lone remaining highlight of the game comes on the next drive, where receiver Austin Pettis attempts a pass  on the fly, the ball is tipped, and Pettis himself comes down with it a little ways downfield. The box score will read: "Austin Pettis pass to Austin Pettis, 2-yard gain." Glean what delight you can from this, because all that remains to comment on is another Kyle Brotzman kicking try, this one successful, to move the final score to Boise State 26, Utah 3.

With six turnovers and relatively low-octane scoring output, this has been a largely forgetful game, but do take away one lesson: as we said in the preview: It's no longer safe to count on Boise State fielding a WAC defense. Not even in 2011.

Connect with Boise State and Utah fans in our live game discussion threads.

Heading into this game, Boise State was ranked 18th nationally in turnover margin. They're going to need some help from Utah to maintain that statistic.

They get it early. To kick off the third quarter in the style of play to which we have become accustomed this evening, Utah's Shaky Smithson fumbles on a crucial third-and-10 conversion. Boise State recovers and sets up at their own 39-yard line. Two minutes later, Kellen Moore hits Austin Pettis over the middle for a 28-yard gain; the ball is knocked free as Pettis runs for the endzone. The Broncos' Geraldo Hiwat recovers as the ball rolls over the back boundary line, but the play is ruled a touchback. It's Boise State's fourth turnover this evening.

The Utes, of course, will make nothing of it, and after a quick three-and-out it takes 65 seconds for Moore to connect with Pettis again for an 18-yard score. The Utes retake the ball, again, and fumble it away, again, but after a short drive featuring a spectacular 32-yard run by Doug Martin, Utah blocks a Kyle Brotzman field goal attempt. With 3:46 remaining in the third quarter, Boise State leads Utah, 23-3.

Connect with Boise State and Utah fans in our live game threads.

The remaining 2:32 of the first half of the 2010 Maaco Las Vegas Bowl contain more action than the entire first quarter. Boise State's post-score kickoff is returned 19 yards, and the Utes set up at their own 25-yard line.

Matt Asiata runs right for a one-yard loss and a five-yard Utes penalty hands Kyle Whittingham's boys second down and 16 yards to convert. Terrance Cain's second-down pass falls incomplete, and on third down Jereme Brooks attempts a left-side run and gets absolutely nowhere, stopped for zero gain. The Utes punt on 4th-and-16, and Chris Potter runs it back 15 yards.

Boise State has the ball at their own 31-yard line with 44 seconds remaining in the half. Kellen Moore goes first to Titus Young, who catches a 4-yard ball, then to Tyler Shoemaker over the middle for a 25-yard gain. A second 25-yard Shoemaker catch gets the Broncos in the endzone; a tricksome two-point conversion attempt fails, and that'll do it for action in the first half of the 2010 Maaco Las Vegas Bowl. Your halftime score: Boise State 16, Utah 3.

Connect with Boise State and Utah fans in our live game threads.

We've got a points sighting in Sam Boyd Stadium! After a nearly scoreless first quarter of the 2010 Maaco Las Vegas Bowl, Kellen Moore throws the rare interception and the Broncos lose 24 yards, with the ball ending up at their own 32-yard line.

Terrance Cain throws two incomplete passes before hitting Jereme Brooks for a five-yard gain on third down, but the Utes must settle for a 44-yard Joe Phillips field goal. That Utah scores first is a surprise, but not as much as either of these teams needing a kicker to do it.
 
Boise State, ever butterfingered this evening, commits two fumbles on their ensuing possession, and the second one sticks. Utah rapidly sinks to 3rd-and-24, punts, and on the Broncos' very next play from scrimmage, Doug "Muscle Hamster" Martin gets loose down the left sideline for an 84-yard touchdown run.

Settling in to more of what we thought this game might look like, Cain is sacked and the Broncos take over on offense. After a questionable review on a nice touchdown pass from Kellen Moore is ruled a non-score, Kyle Brotzman boots a 29-yard field goal. With 2:32 remaining in the first half, Boise State leads Utah, 10-3.

Connect with Boise State and Utah fans in our live game threads.

Four drives in, there’s still no score between the Boise St. Broncos and Utah Utes. With these two top-20 scoring offenses in the house, one would’ve expected to see some points by now. Especially in Vegas.

Boise QB Kellen Moore fumbled away the ball on the opening drive after a big hit by Lamar Chapman, with Neli A’asa coming up with it. The Utes had a chance at a 39-yard field goal, but Joe Phillips missed wide left in a show of solidarity with Boise kicker Kyle Brotzman. On Boise’s second drive, a ten-yard penalty set up the super-rare Broncos three-and-out, and then the Utes coughed up a fumble of their own after actually moving the ball a little bit.

Our participants have combined for 35 yards after almost seven minutes of football, most of it on one 20-yard run by Utah RB Shaky Smithson.

Join One Bronco Nation Under God and Block U for more on the Las Vegas Bowl.

SB Nation's Boise State and Utah communities discuss keys to a Utes victory in Wednesday night's Las Vegas Bowl:

Name three keys to victory for your team. Name one key to certain defeat.

The offense has to somewhat keep Utah in the game. That's going to be hard because the Broncos have a pretty spectacular defense, but I think Moore has the ability to really pick apart the Utes' secondary at times. This is going to be a game where Boise State probably rolls out to a comfortable lead of two scores and the offense is going to have to find a way to get back into the game. If they don't, it's lights out.

That doesn't mean the defense is free to take the night off, though. Hopefully they can withstand the Bronco charge, make adjustments and play very similar to the way they did against BYU. The Cougars' offense, which as I type this is wrecking UTEP, had found a great deal of life the last few weeks heading into the Holy War and the Utes were able to really keep them in check for much of that rivalry game. It won't be as easy to do against a very mature and explosive Bronco offense - but they've got to at least keep it within a close margin. Beyond that, they have to play pretty flawless out there. Boise State is the better team. Boise State should win this game. Hell, Boise State should roll Utah solely based on each team's body of work. Then again, that's what everyone thought about Alabama heading into the 2009 Sugar Bowl. We're hoping for a similar outcome to that game. If they come out and play like they did against TCU and Notre Dame, where the offense stagnates, then this won't even be a game at the half - Boise will romp.

The 2010 college football postseason rattles on toward Glendale this week, and it's time to place all your money set aside for Christmas shopping on ridiculous, half-assed bowl games played by largely inept football teams. Degenerate gamblers, start your engines. Now playing: Boise State and Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The line: Is not kind. Boise State by 17.5, and given Utah's late-season performances, some may see that as stingy.

Notable Utah units: Lots of single-digit rankings here. The Utes boast the nation's eightth-ranked rushing defense, which should provide an interesting foil to the Broncos' Doug "Muscle Hamster" Martin. They're fifth in sacks allowed, always important with a fledgling quarterback. And they field the second-ranked punt return unit in the country, but that may not help them here, because when will Boise State be punting?

Notable Boise State units: It wouldn't be exaggeration to say "everything." The country's No. 4 offense, you know. That Boise State also fields Division I-A's No. 4 defense, you may not be aware. The only thing they don't do, again, is punt.

The pick: Broncos by a country mile, even if all that pent-up indignation did get spent breaking dishes at the Hard Rock Cafe. They deserve better to a far greater extent than do the Utes, and if Utah were going to show up mad to a game this season, they should've done it in South Bend.

The 2010 Maaco Las Vegas Bowl kicks off at 8 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ESPN.

SB Nation's Utah and Boise State communities discuss whether the Broncos will be able to gin up enough enthusiasm to win a lower-tier bowl game in Las Vegas when they had hoped to compete for a national title in 2010:

Since the 2003 season ended, Boise State is 0-4 in non-BCS bowl games. Is this a concern and why the discrepancy recently?

A lot of Bronco fans believe it has to do with injuries/personnel late in the season. Boise State is either banged up or suspending folks by late December. I buy that for the most part, but I'd be lying if I didn't think there was some hidden motivational flaw in this team when it comes to bowls that aren't Fiestas.

My No. 1 reason for the discrepancy is that there isn't one. Boise State's bowl losses are just as close as their bowl wins. Bowl season football is all about good teams playing good teams, and when that happens, games often can go either way. The Broncos were in position to win all four of them, and they just happened to go the wrong way. A bounce here, a made FG there, and Boise State has a six- or eight- or ten-game bowl winning streak.

To help prime you for the second of four consecutive game days this week, we've compiled this handy list of fun factoids concerning the 2010 Las Vegas Bowl.

Proper name: Maaco Bowl Las Vegas, which you can tell is a fancy game because the location goes at the end.

Setting: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

Traditional conference pairing: Mountain West vs. Pac-10

2010 matchup: No. 11 Boise State Broncos (11-1) vs. No. 19 Utah Utes (10-2)

Announcers: The setting may not be quality, but the crew being dispatched reflects the national profile both teams have earned over the past couple seasons. Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit, and Tom Rinaldi are on tap for this evening.

Neatest fact: Remember the California Raisin Bowl? This is still that game, only no longer in California and no longer affiliated with grown adults in foam fruit costumes.

Closest finish: The Las Vegas Bowl has featured a one-point win three times in its 18-year history, but the only overtime contest came in 1995, when Toledo defeated Nevada, 40-37.

Most lopsided finish: Oregon State's 55-14 shellacking of New Mexico in 2003.

Tidbits of interest: The MVP of the aforementioned 2003 contest was a Las Vegas native playing for the Beavers named Steven Jackson, whom you may have heard of. This will mark Utah's third appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl, while Boise State makes their debut.

The 2010 Las Vegas Bowl kicks off at 8 p.m. EST, Wednesday, December 22. The game will be televised on ESPN. Browse our complete 2010 college football postseason schedule, and connect with Broncos and Utes fans at SB Nation's ONBUG and Block U.