# 2018 Boise State Broncos football team

The 2018 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This season was the Broncos' 82nd season overall, fifth under head coach Bryan Harsin, eighth as a member of the Mountain West Conference and sixth within the Mountain Division. The Broncos played their home games at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. They finished the season 10–3, 7–1 in Mountain West play to finish in a tie for first place in the Mountain Division with Utah State. Due to their head-to-head win over Utah State, they were champions of the Mountain Division. They represented the Mountain Division in the Mountain West Championship Game where they lost to West Division champion Fresno State. They were invited to the First Responder Bowl against Boston College. With 5:08 left in the 1st quarter, the bowl game was delayed and ultimately canceled and ruled a no contest.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Lott Trophy | Kekoa Nawahine | S | JR |
| Bobby Dodd Award | Bryan Harsin | HC | |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Tyler Horton | CB | SR |
| Maxwell Award | Brett Rypien | QB | SR |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Brett Rypien | QB | SR |
| Doak Walker Award | Alexander Mattison | RB | JR |
| John Mackey Award | John Bates | TE | RS SO |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Kekoa Nawahine | S | JR |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Tyler Horton | CB | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Tyler Horton | CB | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | David Moa | DT | SR |
| Outland Trophy | David Moa | DT | SR |
| Paul Hornung Award | Avery Williams | CB/KR | RS SO |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Brett Rypien | QB | SR |
| Walter Camp Award | Brett Rypien | QB | SR |
| Ted Hendricks Award | Curtis Weaver | DE | RS SO |
| Ted Hendricks Award | Durrant Miles | DE | SR |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Brett Rypien | QB | SR |
| Manning Award | Brett Rypien | QB | SR |

### Mountain West media days

During the Mountain West media days held July 24–25 at the Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip, the Broncos were unanimously predicted as favorites to win the Mountain Division title.

#### Media poll

Mountain Division :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Boise State | 132 (22) |
| 2 | Wyoming | 95 |
| 3 | Colorado State | 82 |
| 4 | Utah State | 78 |
| 5 | Air Force | 52 |
| 6 | New Mexico | 23 |

#### Preseason All-Mountain West Team

The Broncos had eight players selected to the preseason all-Mountain West team. Quarterback Brett Rypien was selected as preseason offensive player of the year and kick/punt returner Avery Williams was selected as preseason special teams player of the year.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 4:00 p.m. | at Troy* | No. 22 | Veterans Memorial StadiumTroy, AL | ESPNews | W 56–20 | 29,612 |
| September 8 | 8:15 p.m. | UConn* | No. 20 | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID | ESPNU | W 62–7 | 34,515 |
| September 15 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 24 Oklahoma State* | No. 17 | Boone Pickens StadiumStillwater, OK | ESPN | L 21–44 | 54,974 |
| September 29 | 5:00 p.m. | at Wyoming | | War Memorial StadiumLaramie, WY | CBSSN | W 34–14 | 22,271 |
| October 6 | 1:30 p.m. | San Diego State | | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID | ESPNU | L 13–19 | 36,619 |
| October 13 | 8:30 p.m. | at Nevada | | Mackay StadiumReno, NV (rivalry) | CBSSN | W 31–27 | 21,431 |
| October 19 | 7:00 p.m. | Colorado State | | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID | ESPN2 | W 56–28 | 32,299 |
| October 27 | 5:00 p.m. | at Air Force | | Falcon StadiumColorado Springs, CO | CBSSN | W 48–38 | 27,753 |
| November 3 | 8:15 p.m. | BYU* | | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID | ESPN2 | W 21–16 | 35,241 |
| November 9 | 8:15 p.m. | No. 23 Fresno State | | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID (Battle for the Milk Can) | ESPN2 | W 24–17 | 33,118 |
| November 16 | 7:00 p.m. | at New Mexico | No. 25 | Dreamstyle StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | CBSSN | W 45–14 | 16,883 |
| November 24 | 8:15 p.m. | No. 21 Utah State | No. 23 | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID | ESPN | W 33–24 | 35,960 |
| December 1 | 5:45 p.m. | No. 25 Fresno State | No. 22 | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID (MW Championship Game) | ESPN | L 16–19 $^{OT}$ | 23,662 |
| December 26 | 11:30 a.m. | vs. Boston College * | No. 25 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX ( First Responder Bowl ) | ESPN | Cancelled | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 30 released prior to gameAll times are in Mountain time ||||||||
    Schedule Source:
* ↑ The First Responder Bowl was cancelled due to inclement weather.

## Game summaries
### At Troy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 22 Broncos | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
| Troy | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 20–28, 305 YDS, 4 TD; Kaleb Barker (Troy): 20–29, 211 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 14 CAR, 56 YDS, 1 TD; Jabir Frye (Troy): 7 CAR, 41 YDS, 1 TD.
* Receiving leaders: Sean Modster (BSU): 7 REC, 167 YDS 2 TD; Deondre Douglas (Troy): 7 REC, 102 YDS, 1 TD.
Senior cornerback Tyler Horton, who finished the game with four tackles and two fumble recoveries which were both returned for touchdowns, was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week. Horton was also named the Bronko Nagurski Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week.
| Statistics | Boise State | Troy |
| Total Yards | 416 | 379 |
| Passing Yards | 305 | 355 |
| Rushing Yards | 111 | 124 |
| First Downs | 16 | 21 |
| Penalties | 4-27 | 3-25 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| Time of Possession | 23:29 | 34:31 |

### UConn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| • No. 20 Broncos | 24 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 62 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 21–28, 362 YDS, 3 TD; David Pindell (UCONN): 11–21, 71 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 11 CAR, 115 YDS, 2 TD; Kevin Mensah (UCONN): 82 CAR.
* Receiving leaders: John Hightower (BSU): 5 REC, 119 YDS, 1 TD; Hergy Mayala (UCONN): 3 REC, 24 YDS
The Broncos set a school record for offensive yards in a game with 818 yards. The previous record was 742 set against Colorado State in 2011. Quarterback Brett Rypien was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week.
| Statistics | UConn | Boise State |
| Total Yards | 193 | 818 |
| Passing Yards | 71 | 418 |
| Rushing Yards | 172 | 400 |
| First Downs | 9 | 38 |
| Penalties | 7-44 | 7-71 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 21:59 | 38:01 |

### At Oklahoma State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Broncos | 0 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| • No. 24 Cowboys | 0 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 44 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 39–56, 380 YDS, 3 TD; Taylor Cornelius (OKST): 15–26, 243 YDS, 1 TD.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 14 CAR, 53 YDS; Justice Hill (OKST): 15 CAR, 123 YDS, 1 TD.
* Receiving leaders: A. J. Richardson (BSU): 6 REC, 70 YDS, 1 TD; Tylan Wallace (OKST): 5 REC, 105 YDS.
| Statistics | Boise State | Oklahoma State |
| Total Yards | 414 | 442 |
| Passing Yards | 380 | 246 |
| Rushing Yards | 34 | 176 |
| First Downs | 23 | 19 |
| Penalties | 5-40 | 4-25 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 34:34 | 25:26 |

### At Wyoming

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Broncos | 7 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 28–42, 342 YDS, 2 TD; Tyler Vander Waal (WYO): 15–25, 214 YDS, 1 TD.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 20 CAR, 57 YDS, 1 TD; Nico Evans (WYO): 12 CAR, 141 YDS, 1 TD.
* Receiving leaders: A.J. Richardson (BSU): 6 REC, 113 YDS, 1 TD; James Price (WYO): 2 REC, 77 YDS, 1 TD.
| Statistics | Boise State | Wyoming |
| Total Yards | 506 | 295 |
| Passing Yards | 345 | 214 |
| Rushing Yards | 161 | 81 |
| First Downs | 29 | 11 |
| Penalties | 9-71 | 6-59 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of Possession | 40:13 | 19:47 |

### San Diego State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Aztecs | 3 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| Broncos | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 21–41, 170 YDS, 2 INT; Ryan Agnew (SDSU): 8–15, 113 YDS.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 25 CAR, 66 YDS, 2 TD; Chase Jasmin (SDSU): 26 CAR, 78 YDS, 1 TD.
* Receiving leaders: Sean Modster (BSU): 4 REC, 44 YDS; Fred Trevillion (SDSU): 3 REC, 57 YDS.
| Statistics | San Diego State | Boise State |
| Total Yards | 267 | 229 |
| Passing Yards | 113 | 178 |
| Rushing Yards | 154 | 51 |
| First Downs | 9 | 15 |
| Penalties | 8-55 | 6-52 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of Possession | 30:52 | 29:08 |

### At Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Broncos | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| Wolf Pack | 10 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 28–38, 299 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT; Ty Gangi (NEV): 24–42, 304 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 24 CAR, 69 YDS; Kelton Moore (NEV): 8 CAR, 35 YDS.
* Receiving leaders: A.J. Richardson (BSU): 4 REC, 79 YDS, 1 TD; McLane Mannix (NEV): 4 REC, 109 YDS, 1 TD.
| Statistics | Boise State | Nevada |
| Total Yards | 506 | 386 |
| Passing Yards | 299 | 304 |
| Rushing Yards | 207 | 82 |
| First Downs | 24 | 23 |
| Penalties | 9-108 | 4-20 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 3 |
| Time of Possession | 35:09 | 24:51 |

### Colorado State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| • Broncos | 21 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypein (BSU): 22–26, 308 YDS, 4 TD; K. J. Carta-Samuels (CSU): 19–30, 244 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 20 CAR, 85 YDS, 1 TD; Izzy Matthews (CSU): 12 CAR, 109 YDS, 1 TD.
* Receiving leaders: A.J. Richardson (BSU): 6 REC, 137 YDS, 2 TD; Preston Williams (CSU): 9 REC, 154 YDS, 1 TD.
| Statistics | Colorado State | Boise State |
| Total Yards | 489 | 472 |
| Passing Yards | 373 | 322 |
| Rushing Yards | 116 | 150 |
| First Downs | 27 | 26 |
| Penalties | 7-60 | 5-40 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 28:42 | 31:18 |

### At Air Force

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Broncos | 14 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 48 |
| Falcons | 7 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 38 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 20–34, 399 YDS, 5 TD; Isaiah Sanders (AF): 10–15, 210 YDS, 2 TD.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 22 CAR, 136 YDS, 1 TD; Isaiah Sanders (AF): 28 CAR, 97 YDS, 1 TD.
* Receiving leaders: John Hightower (BSU): 8 REC, 182 YDS, 3 TD; Joseph Saucier (AF): 2 REC, 77 YDS.
| Statistics | Boise State | Air Force |
| Total Yards | 530 | 443 |
| Passing Yards | 409 | 242 |
| Rushing Yards | 121 | 201 |
| First Downs | 26 | 23 |
| Penalties | 1-15 | 4-25 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 27:09 | 32:51 |

### BYU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
| • Broncos | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 23–35, 214 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT; Zach Wilson (BYU): 18–27, 252 YDS.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 25 CAR, 89 YDS, 2 TD; Matt Hadley (BYU): 11 CAR, 39 YDS.
* Receiving leaders: A.J. Richardson (BSU): 4 REC, 53 YDS, 1 TD; Talon Shumway (BYU): 3 REC, 62 YDS.
| Statistics | BYU | Boise State |
| Total Yards | 388 | 327 |
| Passing Yards | 292 | 214 |
| Rushing Yards | 96 | 113 |
| First Downs | 21 | 20 |
| Penalties | 8-58 | 7-81 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of Possession | 27:31 | 32:29 |

### Fresno State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • Broncos | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 24–29, 269 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT; Marcus McMaryion (FRES): 24–35, 283 YDS, 1 TD.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 30 CAR, 144 YDS, 2 TD; Jordan Mims (FRES): 8 CAR, 47 YDS.
* Receiving leaders: A.J. Richardson (BSU): 5 REC, 66 YDS; KeeSean Johnson (FRES): 8 REC, 95 YDS, 1 TD.
Quarterback Brett Rypien broke the Mountain West record for passing yards in a career, which now stands at 12,924 yards. The previous record was 12,690 set by Ryan Lindley of San Diego State in 2011. He also broke the Mountain West career completions record, also previously held by Lindley, and now has 981 career completions.
| Statistics | Fresno State | Boise State |
| Total Yards | 390 | 448 |
| Passing Yards | 283 | 269 |
| Rushing Yards | 107 | 179 |
| First Downs | 22 | 24 |
| Penalties | 9-61 | 4-45 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of Possession | 25:34 | 34:26 |

### At New Mexico

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 23 Broncos | 14 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Lobos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 17–27, 222 YDS, 3 TD; Sheriron Jones (UNM): 7–11, 88 YDS, 1 INT.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 20 CAR, 145 YDS, 1 TD; Sheriron Jones (UNM): 12 CAR, 56 YDS.
* Receiving leaders: Sean Modster (BSU): 9 REC, 129 YDS, 3 TD; Delane Hart-Johnson (UNM): 4 REC, 77 YDS.
| Statistics | Boise State | New Mexico |
| Total Yards | 449 | 262 |
| Passing Yards | 222 | 103 |
| Rushing Yards | 227 | 159 |
| First Downs | 30 | 15 |
| Penalties | 5-30 | 4-41 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of Possession | 30:56 | 29:04 |

### Utah State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Aggies | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| • No. 21 Broncos | 7 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 33 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 23–32, 310 YDS, 1 TD; Jordan Love (USU): 29–47, 363 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 37 CAR, 200 YDS, 3 TD; Darwin Thompson (USU): 11 CAR, 61 YDS.
* Receiving leaders: CT Thomas (BSU): 6 REC, 89 YDS; Aaren Vaughns (USU): 7 REC, 107 YDS.
Running back Alexander Mattison was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week following rushing for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns on a career high 37 carries. He also added 3 catches for 12 yards.
| Statistics | Utah State | Boise State |
| Total Yards | 425 | 509 |
| Passing Yards | 363 | 310 |
| Rushing Yards | 62 | 199 |
| First Downs | 18 | 20 |
| Penalties | 8-72 | 7-69 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 17:55 | 42:05 |

### Fresno State (Mountain West Championship game)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • No. 25 Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| No. 19 Broncos | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
* Passing leaders: Brett Rypien (BSU): 15–31, 125 YDS, 1 TD; Marcus McMaryion (FRES): 21–33, 170 YDS, 1 TD.
* Rushing leaders: Alexander Mattison (BSU): 40 CAR, 200 YDS, 1 TD; Ronnie Rivers (FRES): 17 CAR, 63 YDS, 1 TD.
* Receiving leaders: Sean Modster (BSU): 4 REC, 45 YDS, 1 TD; Michiah Quick (FRES): 4 REC, 45 YDS, 1 TD.
| Statistics | Fresno State | Boise State |
| Total Yards | 288 | 350 |
| Passing Yards | 170 | 125 |
| Rushing Yards | 118 | 225 |
| First Downs | 14 | 22 |
| Penalties | 6-50 | 6-50 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of Possession | 23:58 | 36:02 |

### Vs. Boston College (First Responder Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| No. 23 Broncos | - | - | - | - | 0 |
Uniform Combination :
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
With Boston College leading 7–0 with 5:08 remaining in the 1st quarter, the game was delayed due to inclement weather. After an hour and a half delay, the game was canceled and ruled a no contest.

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 22 | 20 | 17 | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | 23 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 23 |
| Coaches | 22 | 19 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 24 | RV | — | — | RV | RV | 24 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 24 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | 25 | 23 | 22 | 25 | Not released |

## Post-season awards
### Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year

Brett Rypien – Sr. QB

### Mountain West first team

Offense
Brett Rypien – Sr. QB
Alexander Mattison – Jr. RB
Ezra Cleveland – So. OL
John Molchon – Jr. OL
Defense
Curtis Weaver – So. DL
Jabril Frazier – Sr. DL
Tyler Horton – Sr. DB

### Mountain West second team

Offense
Sean Modster – Sr. WR

### Mountain West honorable mention

Durrant Miles – Sr. DL
Kekoa Nawahine – Jr. DB
Avery Williams – So. DB/RS
    Award Reference:

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 3 | 102 | Alexander Mattison | RB | Minnesota Vikings |