Boise State Football: 3 takeaways from 2017 MWC Championship win

1. Brett Rypien was saved by Cedrick Wilson’s big performance

All season long, Brett Rypien has been either the savior or the goat for Boise State. At times he has looked unbeatable. Other times, it seemed like it might be wise to give Kansas graduate transfer Montell Cozart the start. But a large part of the struggles by the veteran came down to losing some of his favorite targets from last season.

The one familiar face was Cedrick Wilson, who stepped up in the Mountain West championship game as he has so often this season. Wilson finished with eight catches for 148 yards, including a 59-yard catch and run that set up the game-winning touchdown inside the final five minutes.

It capped a huge season for Wilson as he became the top target for the first time in a Boise State uniform. The 148-yard night put Wilson over 1000 yards for the season, as he passed last season’s total to head into the bowl game with 1142 yards. The big day put him up into the top 10 of the national rankings for receiving yards.

If the Broncos are going to get to their first 11-win season since their last Mountain West title season in 2014, they will once again lean heavily on Wilson to deliver in the receiving game. His big plays were the difference between a solid stat line and a losing mark for Rypien and the Broncos in their rematch against Fresno State.