MOSCOW, Idaho — Jeremy Avery rushed for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns to help No. 9 Boise State keep alive its hopes of returning to a BCS bowl with a 45-10 win over Idaho on Saturday.
Boise State (10-0, 6-0 Western Athletic) won its 10th straight over the Vandals, and also clinched at least a share of its sixth WAC title in the past seven seasons.
Idaho (2-9, 1-6) trailed just 17-10 at halftime. Boise State scored the first four times it had the ball in the second half to blow the game open.
Avery carried 11 times for an average of 14 yards per carry, and Boise State piled up 315 yards on the ground and 525 overall.
Freshman quarterback Kellen Moore enjoyed excellent protection, completing 23 of 31 passes for 210 yards. Jeremy Childs made 11 catches for 99 yards.
Facing a defense ranked second in the nation by allowing just 10 points per game, Idaho managed 329 yards and one touchdown.
Boise State, ninth in the latest BCS standings, is trying to make the Bowl Championship Series for the second time in three seasons. To cash a big BCS check, the Broncos need to sweep WAC rivals Nevada and Fresno State, and probably need undefeated Utah, No. 7 in the BCS standings, to lose.
Idaho scored on its first play of the game when Daniel Hardy took a short pass from Nathan Enderle and ran for an 81-yard touchdown. Hardy appeared to have been tackled for a short gain, but he rolled across the bodies of several Boise State defenders without touching the ground, then popped to his feet and outran pursuers.
That was the high point for the Vandals.
Avery ran up the middle for a 19-yard touchdown to tie it with 5:35 left in the first quarter.
Idaho punted on its next series, and Kyle Wilson returned the ball 79 yards for a 14-7 lead.
Idaho replied with its first long drive of the game, going 70 yards to the 3, but had to settle for Tino Amancio’s 20-yard field goal to cut the BSU lead to 14-10
After Kyle Brotzman missed a 44-yard field goal attempt for the Broncos, Wilson intercepted a pass, giving the Broncos the ball back on their own 25. The Broncos settled for a field goal and a 17-10 lead.
Boise State scored on all three of its third quarter possessions, while holding Idaho to 39 yards in the quarter.
Avery ran through a big hole on the left side for a 57-yard touchdown on Boise State’s first possession of the second half. Idaho was moving the ball when Enderle was sacked and stripped, and Ellis Powers picked it up and ran 45 yards for a touchdown and a 31-10 lead.
Boise State’s next possession was an 89-yard drive capped by a 16-yard touchdown run by Vinny Perretta.
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