The final score, 24-17, sounds close. In losing for the first time this season in Mountain West Conference play, though, the Fresno State Bulldogs really weren’t that close.
Even with a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter and with a defense that has been stellar in the second half of its conference games, the Bulldogs (8-2, 5-1 in the MW) were in a tenuous spot. They had allowed just 7.2 points a game in conference play, but were unable to knock Boise State and its quarterback Brett Rypien off schedule or take away anything the Broncos wanted to do.