Boise State Football: 3 takeaways from MWC blowout of New Mexico

3. Jaylon Henderson steps up in first start at quarterback

It wasn’t always roses for Jaylon Henderson as the redshirt senior earned his first-ever start as the Boise State quarterback. Trapped behind Hank Bachmeier and Chase Cord on the depth chart, injuries opened the door for Henderson to get his opportunity to lead the Broncos on offense.

While he did throw an interception and cough up a fumble on consecutive drives in the second quarter, Henderson shook off the rough patch of play and rebounded to make a major impact on the game. The elder statesman of the quarterback room came up big in his opportunity and kept Boise State in the hunt for the Cotton Bowl.

By the end of the game, Henderson threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-28 passing. He ripped off a 12-yard run and several other gains on the ground to finish with positive rushing yardage despite taking several sacks.

It is never easy to deal with churn at the quarterback position. Boise State has been forced to deal with it more than many programs ranked in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s Top 25. For Boise State, the ability to depend on whoever they throw out there at quarterback made a huge difference as they stayed alive for a spot in the Mountain West championship game.