Facing ‘very difficult’ task, Boise State defense forces 4 turnovers to fuel latest win
Published at
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Idaho Statesman) — San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget doesn’t want to see Boise State sophomore cornerback Ty Benefield again anytime soon.
Benefield was instrumental in helping No. 13 Boise State (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) turn a 14-0 road deficit into a 42-21 victory over San Jose State (6-4, 3-3) on Saturday night in California.
Benefield led Boise State on the field at CEFCU Stadium carrying the Dan Paul Hammer, which has become a symbol of grit and determination for the program. But upon arriving at the end zone and slamming the hammer down, it fell apart in his hands.
Was that a bad omen for Boise State?
Well, the Broncos arguably played their worst 15 minutes of football to start the game, falling behind 14-0. But Benefield helped get things turned around, playing the key role in two big turnovers that helped swing momentum in a game that was full of swing.
The 6-foot-2 cornerback had an interception in Bronco territory in the first half, with the ensuing drive resulting in a touchdown to even the score at 14-14 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Benefield rocked Eget on a fourth-down run, sending the ball flying into the air and then into the arms of redshirt sophomore edge Jayden Virgin-Morgan.
Boise State scored on the ensuing drive again, this time taking a 28-21 lead — its first of the game, and the only lead it would need.
“He played an awesome game, and I know those guys were working all week,” Boise State redshirt sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen said of Benefield. “They had a task at hand that was very difficult.”
Boise State’s defensive backs were facing the nation’s leading receiver in catches, touchdowns and yards, part of a prolific air attack for the Spartans.
The Broncos knew Nick Nash would be a problem, and he was — he caught nine passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. But his teammate, senior receiver Justin Lockhart, was even more troublesome, hauling in 10 receptions for 172 yards and a score.
Of San Jose State’s 483 yards of offense, 446 came through the air courtesy of Eget.
But that was to be expected. While the Spartans, with the No. 5 passing offense in the nation, were racking up yards, Boise State was racking up turnovers and stops.
The Broncos recovered two fumbles and grabbed two interceptions, one of which Devon Banks returned for a TD. And twice they forced San Jose State to turn the ball over on downs.
The first of those was arguably the most crucial series of the night. San Jose State held a 14-0 lead in the first minute of the second quarter, and after recovering a fumble by kick returner Cameron Bates, had moved into the red zone to face fourth-and-1 on the Boise State 2-yard line.
The Spartans were, at worst, looking at a 17-0 lead with a short field goal.
But they opted to try to put a stranglehold on a possible upset by going for it. Senior safety Seyi Oladipo blew up a trick play featuring a pass to an offensive lineman — who ultimately was an ineligible receiver downfield anyway, but the Broncos didn’t even need the penalty.
That swing gave Boise State the ball, and Madsen led a 92-yard scoring drive that changed the entire complexion of the half.
“Our playmakers made big-time plays in this game,” BSU coach Spencer Danielson said. “And it doesn’t mean they’re perfect throughout, but they made big-time plays.”
Some of that imperfection came prior to the key fourth-down stop. Trailing 7-0, Boise State drove 52 yards and lined up for a field goal on fourth-and-7. Fifth-year kicker Jonah Dalmas took a pitch from the holder and tried to sprint to the left on the trick play. He was quickly met by one defender and then another as the play got blown up.
“It’s something we’ve been working on for a long time, and it’s a call that, if you have a look, we’re gonna use it,” Danielson said. “Obviously, that didn’t work for us today, but we’ve got to find an answer, and we’re going to continue to have fake field goals, because we’ve got to keep defenses off-balance.”
Boise State didn’t have to worry about its trick-play snafu being too costly. The defense’s other fumble recovery came when a San Jose State reverse went awry, and the Broncos — who outscored SJSU 42-7 in the final three quarters — got the game’s last laugh when Banks came up with a 70-yard pick-six.
“It was huge. I mean, I saw the noodles (Banks) ate at halftime on the field as we were walking off,” Danielson said while laughing. “That’s what I talk about with relentless effort.”