Boise State Football: Quick observations from Portland State win

Boise State football came out in late-night Week 3 action and dominated FCS Portland State after a slow start. What’d we learn?

Weird things can happen late at night in college football. We saw Washington fall against California in Week 2, and in the first quarter of Boise State’s game at home against FCS Portland State it looked like Chris Petersen’s former team might be at risk of a similar letdown in Week 3.

But after Portland State took the lead on a field goal and kept within four by the end of the first quarter, Boise State shut out the Vikings the rest of the way as they ran away with a 45-10 blowout of their Big Sky opponent. The win kept Boise State undefeated through three games, and set them up to remain in the AP Top 25 heading into Week 4.

There is only so much to take away from a win over an FCS opponent. These are the sort of games where Boise State, like any other powerhouse, has everything to lose and nothing substantive to gain from the result. Bryan Harsin’s squad got the job done on Saturday night, doing exactly what pollsters expect from a Top 25 team playing an overmatched foe.

Hank Bachmeier completed 64 percent of his 25 passing attempts, coming out of the game early once the game was out of reach. The true freshman finished the day with 238 yards and two touchdowns, though he did also toss an interception in the process. All in all, it was a solid short day of work for the youngster as he continues to develop into the next great Boise State passer.

Bachmeier’s backup, Chase Cord, came into the game and proved less accurate through the air but more dynamic on the ground. Cord went 5-of-10 for 103 yards with two touchdowns, and he added another touchdown and 36 rushing yards on a pair of keepers.

No single Boise State running back stood out in the game against Portland State, as Harsin and his offensive staff opted to get some experience deep into their roster against the Vikings. George Holani and Robert Mahone both earned a half-dozen carries, with Mahone leading the team with 59 yards. Holani piled up 43, while the team as a whole finished with 150 rushing yards.

Portland State had their chances, and the Vikings finished with 244 total yards of offense. But Davis Alexander completed fewer than half of his 23 attempts, the Vikings averaged fewer than three yards per carry, and in the end the visitors were unable to do much with the chances they did receive.

Boise State will continue to rely on Bachmeier’s development and a platoon approach in the backfield as they prepare for a key Friday game in Week 4 against fellow unbeaten divisional rival Air Force. The Broncos will need to beat the Falcons if they hope to remain alive in the Top 25 and in the Group of Five race for a New Year’s Six bid.