On 7th lead change of the game — and final play — Boise State loses thriller to Oregon

If you’ve ever wondered how many times a college football game can turn on a dime, Boise State and Oregon tried to provide the answer Saturday night.

But in the end, it was still too many to count. In a game with seven lead changes and three ties; with momentum-swinging turnovers and plays on both offense and special teams; and with five touchdowns that covered at least 30 yards, it was Oregon that struck last, putting together an 11-play drive in the final three minutes to win the game.

Atticus Sappington’s 25-yard field goal as time expired broke the final tie and gave the No. 7 Ducks a 37-34 victory in a game that was as thrilling as it was unpredictable.

It was a painful loss for Boise State, which was oh-so-close to grabbing a landmark win to pave the way to the kind of season that earns the Group of Five bid to the College Football Playoff.

Instead, the Broncos (1-1) are left to wonder what could have been as they enter the first of two bye weeks.

“You’ve got to find a way to win that game,” BSU coach Spencer Danielson said. “That’s the thing I told our team. You come to Boise State to be a part of our nation, you gotta win that game.

“I’m proud of our team. (But) we didn’t finish the game the way we need to. We need to find a way to win that game.”

It was ultimately big plays that doomed the Broncos.

They gave up a punt return of 85 yards for a touchdown, a kickoff return of 100 yards for a TD, and scoring passes that covered 59 and 34 yards.

They had a 20-14 lead at halftime and were up 34-27 after Ashton Jeanty’s third touchdown run of the game, but Noah Whittington’s kickoff return followed to erase that lead.

As a result, Jeanty settled for having an amazing game in a losing effort.

The junior and Heisman Trophy candidate rushed for 192 yards and those three scores, including a 70-yard TD run that tied things at 27-27 after a fumble ended an Oregon drive.

The Ducks fumbled on their next drive as well, and Jeanty scored from 8 yards out with 10:15 left in the game to give Boise State its final lead.

Just two games into the season, he has nine touchdowns and 459 yards rushing.

Defensively, Boise State was victimized by the big plays, but also was aggressive and highly effective, forcing seven punts, sacking Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel four times, recovering two fumbles, getting seven tackles for loss and allowing only four third-down conversions on 12 attempts.

But the Broncos also yielded those TD receptions of 34 and 59 yards, allowed a 67-yard pass play that set up a score, and forced Gabriel into just three incompletions — he finished 18-for-21 for 243 yards.

“Our defense, I’m proud of,” Danielson said. “The explosive plays are still an issue. We’ve got to find a way to eliminate them.”

The Broncos began the game without starting junior center Mason Randolph, out with an upper-body injury.

In the first quarter they lost starting right guard Roger Carreon to a left leg injury.

But the offensive line still played well, allowing just one sack and clearing the way for Jeanty, who was untouched on his 70-yard TD run and found plenty of running room on several plays.

It was Boise State’s first loss to Oregon after winning three games against the Ducks — in 2008 and ‘09, and again in 2017.

The Broncos are scheduled to return to Eugene again in the 2026 season.