BOISE, Idaho — Chris Petersen was on the verge of pulling off a stunning upset on the blue field where he providing so many thrilling moments when he was in charge at Boise State. ADVERTISING BOISE, Idaho — Chris Petersen
BOISE, Idaho — Chris Petersen was on the verge of pulling off a stunning upset on the blue field where he providing so many thrilling moments when he was in charge at Boise State.
Instead, the Washington coach walked off with a disappointing loss.
Jeremy McNichols rushed for 89 yards and two first-half touchdowns, and No. 23 Boise State withstood a second half filled with special teams mistakes for a 16-13 victory over Washington on Friday night in Petersen’s return to the school he helped grow into a national power.
Boise State (1-0) dominated the first half in building a 16-0 lead and looking like it would make Petersen’s return a miserable memory. But Washington’s defense stymied the Broncos in the second half and three big plays on special teams — including Dante Pettis’ 76-yard punt return for a touchdown — gave Washington a chance.
Washington freshman quarterback Jake Browning nearly pulled off a late rally to make Petersen a winner. Starting at Washington’s 35 with 1:59 left, Browning drove the Huskies (0-1) into field goal range. But Cameron Van Winkle’s 46-yard field goal attempt with 21 seconds left was wide right. Van Winkle had hit from 40 and 28 yards earlier in the game.
Petersen tried to downplay his return to Boise as much as possible. He was hidden in a pack of players when he arrived off the team bus at the stadium, only briefly being seen in a purple sweater. He lingered in the unfamiliar visitors’ locker room emerging with less than an hour until kickoff surrounded by cameras and acknowledging the cheers from the fans already in the stadium.
He avoided any contact with Boise State coach Bryan Harsin until the game was decided and the two shared a hug at midfield.
Browning got the nod as Washington’s starting quarterback, the first true freshman to win the job in Washington history and the first time Petersen has gone with such a young quarterback in his coaching career.
Washington hung around because of special teams, specifically the punt team. Pettis returned a short punt 17 yards to set up Van Winkle’s first field goal from 40 yards in the third quarter. Pettis took the next punt he saw back for his second career punt return touchdown and Jaydon Mickens blocked Sean Wale’s punt in the fourth quarter that led to Van Winkle’s 28-yard field goal that cut Boise State’s lead to 16-13 with 7:29 remaining.
Browning had the Huskies on the cusp of forcing overtime, driving the Huskies to the Boise State 19 in the final minute before a key holding penalty against wide receiver Brayden Lineus. Browning was sacked on the next play and a screen pass moved the ball to the Boise State 29 with 21 seconds left.
Petersen called on Van Winkle to try and force overtime, but his attempt slid wide right, setting off a celebration that was a mix of joy and relief for the Broncos.
No. 4 Baylor 56, SMU 21
DALLAS — Seth Russell threw for 376 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for a score to help fourth-ranked Baylor open the season with a 56-21 victory at SMU on Friday night.
The two-time defending Big 12 champion Bears finally got to start fresh after the long, long offseason that followed their playoff snub last season.
SMU played its first game for new coach Chad Morris, Clemson’s offensive coordinator the past four seasons. The Mustangs, who scored only 12 total points their first four games last season with a 45-0 loss at Baylor, had 21 points in the first 1 1/2 quarters.
NO. 5 MICHIGAN ST. 37, W. MICHIGAN 24
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Madre London ran for two touchdowns in the first several minutes of his college career and Michigan State build a big lead it needed to hold off Western Michigan.
The Spartans had a 27-7 lead in the second quarter and were up by 24 points in the third in the opener for both teams. The Broncos pulled within 10 early in the fourth by putting together two long TD drives.
After giving up a field goal and having a three-and-out possession, Western Michigan drove to the Michigan State 7 with a chance to make the final minutes dramatic. Freshman cornerback Vayante Copeland, though, ended the suspense with an interception in the end zone.
The Spartans set a school record by scoring 30-plus points for the ninth straight game. They surpassed the 30-point mark in eight consecutive games, spanning the 1978 and 1979 season.
