Boise State Football: 3 takeaways from overtime win over Wyoming

3. Xazavian Valladay proved he’s a workhorse

For Wyoming to have any chance of upsetting Boise State, they were going to need to control the clock, grind out tough yards, keep the chains moving, and limit the Broncos’ chances to go on offense. Thanks to Xazavian Valladay, the Cowboys had no trouble meeting all those criteria thanks to the hard running of sophomore back Xazavian Valladay.

Valladay was a beast, churning out one tough run after another against the Broncos defense. He ended the game with 124 yards on 37 carries, as he averaged right around three and a half yards per carry. It was a standout performance as Valladay received more work than he previously has taken on for the Pokes.

He kept churning out hard yards as Wyoming finished the game with 15 first downs and went 7-of-17 on third downs. Valladay punched in a rushing touchdown to help pace the Pokes to victory, and he also added two receptions out of the backfield for 21 receiving yards.

All in all, it was a well-rounded performance by an underclassman who is quickly growing up into his role as the feature back in Laramie. Valladay will give the Broncos fits for several more years in conference play as Boise State plays Wyoming every year.