Boise State Broncos vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane Recap

Boise State 41, Tulsa 21

Four games into his senior season, it appears that this is Kellen Moore’s world—we just live in it. The senior southpaw is so good that his stat line is automatic and expected. Moore helped fourth-ranked Boise State cruise to a 41-21 victory over Tulsa in Boise’s first home game of the season on Saturday. The Broncos weren’t letter perfect, and they left a fair number of points on the field, but they still managed to win without any drama whatsoever. This team needs to marshal its resources for the long haul, and that’s why style points should not be a concern for the Smurf Turf superpower.

It was rough going for Tulsa and quarterback G.J. Kinne, who was playing after a leg injury last week limited his practice time during the week. A Boise State fumble at Tulsa’s one-yard line kept Boise from breaking the game open too early, but the Golden Hurricanes were outright atrocious in the first half. Of Tulsa’s first eight possessions, five ended in punts and three ended in interceptions. The Golden Hurricane’s longest drive was five plays for 49 yards, with Tulsa totaling just 80 yards of offense in the half.

Meanwhile, Moore and company brushed off the early score-denying fumble and got to work. Moore found his favorite touchdown target Tyler Shoemaker twice in the first quarter for 26- and 6-yard touchdown passes. With Tulsa’s offense nonexistent, the Broncos added two more scores in the second quarter, a 33-yard run from Doug Martin and a one-yard pass to Kyle Efaw. Up 27-0, the game was already over by any measure but the time on the clock.

Moore’s final line was 23-of-29 for 279 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Moore has completed 79 percent of his passes this year for 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. Shoemaker ended the game with 102 yards on five receptions. Martin and D.J. Harper continued to tag-team the Boise rushing attack, combining for 118 yards on 36 carries.

The win moves Boise State to 3-0 as the Broncos prepare to host Nevada in a revenge game; the Wolf Pack are the only team to beat Boise in two full calendar years. However, Boise might enter that showdown shorthanded. Right guard Jake Broyles and receiver Chris Potter got knocked out of this Tulsa tussle with injuries. Defensive lineman Billy Winn missed portions of this game with an injury before playing in the second half. Moore developed a slight limp in this game, one week after getting similarly nicked up against Toledo. Health is probably the biggest concern for the Broncos, who can deliver the goods on the field but need to be fresh enough to endure the 12-game regular-season grind.

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By: Brett Hein
DFN Sports Staff Writer