Boise State Football: Takeaways from Mountain West title loss to Fresno State
By Zach Bigalke
1. Marcus McMaryion outdueled Brett Rypien in Mountain West title game
Since transferring from Oregon State after the 2016 season, Marcus McMaryion has owned the starting position at quarterback for Fresno State. He came to Fresno as the last Beavers quarterback to win the Civil War over Oregon, but coaching turmoil and a completion of his undergraduate studies led McMaryion to seek new opportunities.
His journey from the Pac-12 to the Mountain West proved fruitful, as he teamed up with a former Pac-12 head coach known for grooming quarterbacks. Tedford has proved the perfect mentor for McMaryion, and that showed in droves as the redshirt senior capped his final Mountain West game with a conference title on the road.
McMaryion finished the game with 170 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-32 passing. By contrast, Boise State’s Brett Rypien struggled with his accuracy in the snow as he ended the day 15-of-31 for 125 yards and a score. McMaryion added 40 rushing yards on six carries, as he led the team on the ground in yards per carry.
The effort ensured there would be a new conference champion for the Mountain West in 2018, as McMaryion earned Fresno State their first trip to the Las Vegas Bowl since 2013.