BOISE, Idaho – With the Mountain West Championship game in the balance in overtime on a snow covered field, sophomore running back Ronnie Rivers skated in from one-yard on an option pitch from senior quarterback Marcus McMaryion for a touchdown to give Fresno State a 19-16 win over Boise State, its third Mountain West title, and avenged its 2014 and 2017 championship game road losses to BSU in its fourth overall championship game appearance.
The loss was just the ninth for the Broncos at Albertsons Stadium since 2000 and their first overtime loss at home since 2007. It was Fresno State's first win on the blue turf and first win at Boise State since 1984.
Rivers finished the game with 63 yards rushing and the game's final score. McMaryion passed for 170 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-32 attempts to go with 40 yards on six carries. Michiah Quick caught the Bulldogs' one TD reception.
Junior Mykal Walker was named the Defensive MVP, finishing the night with 11 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery that led to the game's opening touchdown. Fellow juniors Jeff Allison and Mike Bellwere all over the field, joining Walker with double-digit tackle totals with 12 and 10, respectively.
How It Happened
Fresno State produced the game's first turnover as Brett Rypien lost the handle of a wet ball before his pass attempt on the Broncos' first play of their second drive of the game, Walker pounced on the loose ball, and the Bulldogs took over at the Broncos' 20-yard line. Three plays later, McMaryion lofted a ball to the left corner of the end zone into the awaiting hands of Quick for a 15-yard TD reception to put the 'Dogs on top, 7-0, with 9:03 left in the first quarter.
Boise State answered with a 15-play drive that used nearly half of the first quarter. On third-and-9 from the Bulldogs' 10-yard line, Rypien's pass to the back of the end zone was nearly intercepted by Jaron Bryant, but instead it found the hands of Sean Modster who got a toe inbounds for the touchdown to knot the game, 7-7, at 1:56 mark in the first quarter.
On the Bulldogs' ensuing possession and facing a third-and-6, McMaryion found Quick for the first down, but he was stood up and stripped of the ball. The Broncos' Avery Williams recovered the ball at the Bulldogs' 41-yard line. In spite of the turnover, Fresno State's defense forced a turnover on downs six play later when BSU went for it on fourth-and-8. Rypien's throw fell just beyond the outstretch hands of Akilian Butler in the end zone.
Fresno State capitalized on the Broncos' turnover on downs, driving 51 yards to set up place kicker Asa Fuller for a 44-yard field goal with 3:20 left to play in the half, which was made during a point in the game where the snow was falling the heaviest. The 'Dogs took a 10-7 advantage into the half.
The Bulldogs added to their lead on the opening drive of the third quarter with Fuller's second field goal of the game, a 38-yard attempt with 11:07 on the clock to start the scoring in the second half, giving Fresno State a 13-7 lead.
With neither side being able to find points for nearly 20 minutes, Boise State tied the contest with 8:01 remaining in the game. Alexander Mattison found a hole up the middle for the Broncos and raced to a 34-yard touchdown, capping a seven-play, 87-yard drive. Fresno State's Matt Boateng, though, got off the edge and blocked the point after attempt to leave the game knotted at 13-13, a play that would ultimately send the Mountain West Championship game into its first-ever overtime.
Fresno State won the overtime coin toss and elected to start on defense. Boise State opened overtime with four consecutive Mattison rushes until Rypien went to the air on third-and-goal from the six-yard line. The Broncos settled for a 23-yard field goal from Haden Hoggarth, which put them ahead 16-13.
Knowing they needed at least three points, McMaryion found Jared Rice across the middle of the field on second down for a 16-yard gain. Rivers then found a hole and picked up eight yards on the next play to put the Bulldogs at the 1-yard line with second down coming up. After being stopped for no gain, McMaryion pitched out to Rivers on third down as the sophomore back scampered into the end zone for the win.
Notables
• Saturday's game was the first Mountain West Football Championship to go to overtime and the first overtime of the season for Fresno State. It was the Bulldogs' first overtime game since 2016.
• Fresno State's Mykal Walker was named the defensive player of the game, while Boise State's Alexander Mattison was named the offensive player of the game.
• Since the inception of the Championship game in 2013, three teams have won it twice (Fresno State, San Diego State and Boise State).
• Walker registered a career-high in tackles (11).
• Keiti Iakopo registered a career-high in tackles (9).
• Fresno State defeated a ranked team for the first time since its last win over Boise State at Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 25, 2017.
• Fresno State snapped a 10-game losing streak at Boise State. It was the Bulldogs' first win at Boise State since 1984. The Bulldogs first played on the blue turf in 2002, and had dropped 10-straight until the 2018 MW Championship game.
• It was Fresno State's first win versus a ranked opponent on the road since defeating No. 13 Kansas State on the road on Sept. 12, 2004.
• Fresno State earned its 11th win on Saturday; it marks the sixth time in program history the Bulldogs have recorded 11 wins in a season. Fresno State has never recorded 12 wins in a single season.
• KeeSean Johnson extended his nation-leading streak of consecutive games with at least one catch to 49. It adds to his existing program record and is now tied for the Mountain West lead with Dominic Rufran (Wyoming, 2011-14).
Quotables
Tedford on the game-winning play…
"It came down to the execution. Marcus did a good job of giving a good pitch. I didn't really see it, but I think Ronnie (Rivers) made someone miss to get across the goal line. To know that it was over at that point, was an awesome feeling. To know that these guys accomplished what we set out to accomplish, awesome feeling."
Tedford on winning on the Blue Turf…
"It's sweet to win. The Blue Turf thing again? It wasn't even blue tonight. The color doesn't matter. You're playing a great football team, in a hostile environment where the fans do a phenomenal job of making it hard on the opponent. I know it hasn't been done here in a while, I'm not sure how long. Besides all that, it's the fact that our players got to come back here, play against a great football team and come away with a victory. It was very hard fought and very rewarding, because who we played here and the type of game that it was."
McMaryion on the game…
"It's surreal. I don't think it has sunk in, everything I've done with Coach Tedford and the program. I'm blessed to be in the position that I'm in. Hats off to all my teammates in the locker room going crazy, they deserve this and everything beyond it. I'm just excited to bring this win back to Fresno."
Walker on his feelings while watching the game-winning play…
"All game long, we knew our offense would have our back. As a defense to be able to trust in them and believe in them, there was no better feeling than Ronnie (Rivers) crossing that line. It was the best feeling of my life."
Next Up
Fresno State will await its bowl destination announcement on Sunday.
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