Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Wyoming upsets No. 13 Boise State 30-28 on late safety

joshallen

Shannon Broderick / Associated Press

Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen (17) avoids a tackle by Boise State corner back Jonathan Moxey (2).

Defensive tackle Chase Appleby sacked Brett Rypien and forced a fumble for a safety with 1:25 left to give Wyoming a 30-28 upset victory over No. 13 Boise State on Saturday night.

It was Wyoming's first win over the Broncos in 11 games between the two teams. Thousands of fans swarmed the field and the Cowboys' players as the final seconds ticked off.

Josh Allen completed 18 of 31 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and Brian Hill ran for 146 yards for the Cowboys (6-2, 4-0 Mountain West).

Rypien completed 22 of 35 passes for 295 yards, and he also caught a 33-yard TD pass on a trick play for Boise State (7-1, 3-1). Jeremey McNichols ran for 143 yards and two TDs, and Jake Hollister caught six passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

The game featured two of the top running backs in the nation in Hill, who entered the weekend second in rushing, and McNichols, who was No. 6. Wyoming outgained Boise State 489 yards to 487.

THE TAKEAWAY: Boise State saw its hopes of cracking the AP Top 10 and eventually earning a spot in the College Football Playoff dashed. The Broncos needed an unblemished record to do that.

Wyoming's win shows it's a program on the upswing. The team is stocked with youth and is vastly improved under the direction of coach Craig Bohl after finishing last season 2-10.

Entering Saturday's game, Boise State had beaten Wyoming in five previous contests between the two teams at Laramie by an average of 30.8 points.

POLL IMPLICATIONS: Boise State will likely fall in the poll. The question is how far. Wyoming might get consideration from a few poll voters, but it certainly will draw more attention the rest of this season and next year.

UP NEXT

Boise State: The Broncos return home for a game against San Jose State this Friday night. It is the second of three Friday night contests for Boise State this season. The Broncos are 27-7 in Friday night games.

Wyoming: The Cowboys host Utah State next Saturday.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy