SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 7, 2014
No. 22 Boise State 28, Fresno State 14: Grant Hedrick rushed for two touchdowns as the host Broncos cruised past the Bulldogs in the Mountain West championship game to claim a major bowl berth.
Tanner Vallejo returned an interception for a score and Jay Ajayi rushed for a touchdown for Boise State (11-2). The victory earns the Broncos a New Yearกฏs Day bowl berth under the College Football Playoff system, which awards a major bowl appearance to the highest-ranked conference champ of the กฐGroup of Fiveกฑ minor FBS leagues.
Brian Burrell passed for 332 yards and a touchdown for Fresno State (6-7) but was also intercepted three times. Josh Quezada rushed for a score, Greg Watson caught a touchdown pass and Josh Harper had 10 receptions for 131 yards.
Hedrick scored on a 20-yard run early in the first quarter and Vallejo intercepted Burrell and returned it 63 yards to make it 14-0 with 1:56 left in the period. Ajayi scored on a 9-yard run with 9:03 remaining in the second quarter and Hedrick raced in from 21 yards out to make it 28-0 with 11:28 to play in the third quarter.
Quezada capped a 19-play, 96-yard drive with a 2-yard run to get Fresno State on the board with 3:18 left in the third quarter. Burrell connected with Watson on a 25-yard scoring pass to get the Bulldogs within 14 with 5:31 to play but the quest to trim the lead further was squashed by Beau Martinกฏs interception with 1:16 remaining as the Broncos won their eighth consecutive game.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Hedrick rushed for 81 yards and passed for 155. กญ Bulldogs RB Marteze Waller had 23 yards on 15 carries after rushing for a career-best 164 yards against Boise State earlier this season. กญ Ajayi had his string of seven straight 100-yard games snapped but his 70 yards raised his season total to 1,689, 24 shy of the school mark set by Fiesta Bowl hero Ian Johnson in 2006.