FB: Boise State defense suffocates Nevada

Oct. 1, 2011

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Doug Martin ran for two touchdowns, Kellen Moore threw two more and a suffocating Boise State defense clamped down on Nevada's potent offense to help the No. 4 Broncos cruise to a 30-3 victory Saturday.

Martin rushed for a season-best 135 yards on 21 carries, and his 43-yard scoring run in the third quarter put the Broncos (4-0) up 27-0 against the team that kept them from a perfect season last year.

Martin also had a 92-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter called back on a holding penalty, a play that typified a sloppy and lackluster overall performance by Moore and the rest of the Boise State offense.

Moore, one of the nation's most accurate passers, misfired several times and threw back-to-back interceptions in the second quarter, the first with the Broncos inside the red zone. But he was also victimized by a handful of crucial drops that could have made the final score even more lopsided.

Moore, who wore a knee brace for the second straight week, was 19 of 33 for 142 yards before heading for the sidelines in the fourth quarter. His second TD pass, a 3-yarder to receiver Matt Miller, gave him 113 in his career, moving past Colt McCoy of Texas for eighth best all-time.

But the day belonged to the Boise State defense, which shut down the Wolf Pack (1-3) and avenged last year's second-half meltdown that cost the Broncos any hopes of playing for a national title. After leading by 21 points in Reno, Nev., last season, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the Wolf Pack offense, roared back and beat their -- at the time -- Western Athletic Conference rivals 34-31 in overtime.

The Wolf Pack came into Saturday's game 15th in the nation offense, averaging 483 yards per game, but mustered only 182 total yards and failed to cross midfield until midway through the third quarter.

Tyler Lantrip played the entire game because redshirt fresmhan Cody Fajardo, who has traded snaps with Lantrip through the first three games, is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in last week's loss at Texas Tech. Lantrip was 5 of 16 for 50 yards, was sacked once and fumbled to snuff out Nevada's first drive into Boise State territory.

Mike Ball, who started the day averaging 120 rushing yards per game, was held to 35 yards on 15 carries.

Boise State scored its first touchdown midway through the first quarter when Moore fired a 21-yard TD pass to D.J. Moore, who beat linebacker James Michael Johnson down the middle of the field.

After Moore fired his second TD pass with 5:51 left in the second quarter, the Broncos' defense forced another Nevada punt that Mitch Burroughs returned 25 yards to the Wolf Pack 25-yard line.

The Broncos and Martin wasted little time expanding their lead. Moore preserved the drive by tossing an 11-yard pass to Burroughs on fourth down, then two plays later Martin scored from 5 yards out and led 20-0 at the half after failing on the 2-point conversion.