Boise State WR Aaron Burks draws a big pass interference call in the first half. (Brian Losness-US PRESSWIRE)
BOISE, Idaho — Boise State can put the Milk Can in the back of the trophy case now.
The No. 24 Broncos beat the rival Fresno State Bulldogs again Saturday at Bronco Stadium — a 20-10 decision that was their seventh straight victory in the series.
Boise State moves to the Big East next year and there’s no future game scheduled between the teams.
Broncos coach Chris Petersen put the Milk Can — a traveling trophy that dates to 2005 — in the locker room this week.
“I told the linebackers at the beginning of the week, ‘This thing is not leaving Boise,’ and it’s not,” Boise State senior linebacker J.C. Percy said. “It’s a great feeling.”
As it has much of the season, the Broncos’ defense led the way.
Boise State held its opponent without a first-half point for the fourth straight game, didn’t allow a touchdown until the final three minutes of the game, forced two turnovers and held a big-play offense to 4.4 yards per play.
Only one team — New Mexico, with its tricky triple option — has scored more than 17 points against the Broncos this season. The Lobos scored 29.
Fresno State had scored 25 points in each of its first six games.
“Those guys are playing extremely hard,” Petersen said of his defense. “To hold Fresno to 10 points is really impressive.”
This was the closest loss for the Bulldogs (4-3 overall, 2-1 Mountain West) against the Broncos (5-1, 2-0) since beating them in 2005.
First-year coach Tim DeRuyter had instilled some much-needed swagger in the Bulldogs, but they didn’t make many momentum-turning plays.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” DeRuyter said. “We came into the game expecting to compete, expecting to win. It’s frustrating because I think we had the capabilities to get it done. I hope everybody in that locker room is pissed off. Because I’m pissed off.”
Fresno State failed to score in the first half against Boise State for
the third straight year.
The Broncos took a 7-0 lead with 3:01 left in the first quarter. Junior wide receiver Aaron Burks made a juggling, 25-yard catch as he hit the turf to get the Broncos’ offense moving for the first time in the game. Junior quarterback Joe Southwick tossed a 6-yard pass to senior tailback D.J. Harper on third-and-5 to extend the drive. Two plays later, Southwick fired to the front corner of the end zone and junior Geraldo Boldewijn made the 10-yard touchdown catch in tight coverage.
The Broncos made it 10-0 on their next drive. Southwick threw an interception that was overturned on a roughing-the-passer penalty and Boldewijn (12-yard catch) and freshman tailback Jay Ajayi (14-yard run) made a couple of nice plays. Ajayi was stopped on consecutive plays at the 1, though, and the Broncos settled for a 19-yard field goal by senior kicker Michael Frisina.
Fresno State turned the momentum midway through the second quarter. Sophomore safety Derron Smith intercepted Southwick on a deep ball and the Bulldogs drove from their own 4-yard line to the Boise State 10 — with help from a personal foul at the end of a great catch by Davante Adams.
But on third-and-4 at the 10, junior quarterback Derek Carr threw incomplete. Struggling freshman kicker Quentin Breshears then missed a 27-yard field goal.
The Broncos answered with a quick 80-yard touchdown drive. Harper gained 5, 10 and 15 yards on the first three plays. Then on second-and-10 at the Fresno State 28, Harper busted through a hole on the left side, spun out of the hands of a tackler and dove into the end zone for a 17-0 lead with 2:10 left in the first half.
The Bulldogs kicked a field goal late in the third quarter, but the Broncos answered with a field goal in the fourth. Fresno State freshman Davante Adams caught a 3-yard touchdown pass with 2:15 left for the Bulldogs’ only touchdown.
NOTES: Boise State announced it will wear all-black uniforms for next week’s game against UNLV … Fresno State wide receiver Josh Harper and defensive end Anthony Williams, both starters, missed the game with
injuries … At halftime, Fresno State had gone 176 minutes, 15 seconds without scoring on offense against Boise State. The only points during that span came on a punt return … All of Boldewijn’s career TDs have come against Fresno State. He scored two last year … Fresno State linebacker Patrick Su’a was injured in the fourth quarter … Harper rushed for 122 yards, his third 100-yard game against Fresno State … Percy made a game-high 14 tackles.
