Boise State's History in the Final Fall Standings of the Learfield Cup

In our previous story, we told you that Boise State has a chance to finish in the Top 40 of the Final Fall Standings of the Learfield Cup, given annually to the nation's #1 overall athletic program.  The Learfield Cup awards points in all NCAA sports based on national finish.

The Final Fall Standings this year will be announced after the final Top 25 football poll, somewhere around January 10.

Here is the history of Boise State's performance in the Learfield measurement of fall sports:





1993-94: Unranked

1994-95: #50

1995-96: Unranked

1996-97: #73

1997-98: Unranked

1998-99: Unranked

1999-2000: Unranked

2000-01: Unranked

2001-02: Unranked

2002-03: #88

2003-04: #107

2004-05: #81

2005-06: Unranked

2006-07: #75

2007-08: #118

2008-09: #85

2009-10: #44

2010-11: #78

2011-12: #83

2012-13: #96

2013-14: #109

2014-15: #46

2015-16: #33

Boise State #48 in First Learfield Cup Standings

We've been telling you Boise State is having one of its best fall seasons in school history, and in the first Learfield Cup Standings, the Broncos are ranked #48.  The standings represent just the men's and women's cross country championships and field hockey.  

Boise State finished 19th in the men's competition to earn 55 points.  With the recently completed NCAA Volleyball Tournament in which the Broncos reached the second round, Boise State will receive 25 points for that sport.

Additionally, the Bronco football team will score points.  Boise State will receive 25 points for playing in a bowl game and 45 points if they receive votes in the final Top 25 poll.  If they finish the season ranked in the Top 25, they will receive an increasing amount of points depending on which position they finish.  A Top 25 finish should rank Boise State in the Top 40 in the nation in the final fall Learfield Cup Standings.

Boise State Sweeps #20 Western Kentucky To Open NCAA Volleyball Tournament

STANFORD, CA--Boise State stopped a set point and went on to clinch the match in a 28-26, 25-22, 27-25 win over #20 Western Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

The Lady Broncos (26-6 this season), playing in their first-ever NCAA Tournament match, executed coach Shawn Garus' strategy to perfection despite being the underdog. Western Kentucky was the highest-ranked team to not host the first two rounds and came into the match with a 21-match winning streak and a season record of 30-2. The Hilltoppers had not lost in 2 1/2 months since a defeat to Michigan State. Western Kentucky was playing in its 10th tournament and sixth in the last seven years.

Down 22-24 in the third set, sophomore Kaitlyn Oliver blasted a shot over the net to save the set. A dunk by junior Sierra Nobley tied the match and junior setter Jaymee-lee Bulda's kill put the Broncos up 25-24. After the teams split the next two points, Maddy O'Donnell and Janell Walley set up a double block that was unanswered by WKU and the Broncos celebrated before a strong contingent of Bronco fans.

Boise State, which extended its own winning streak to 15 matches, will face the winner of the Stanford-Denver match tomorrow night at 7 Mountain time.

Despite the sweep, the two teams were fairly evenly matched, as never were they separated by more than five points in the entire match, and they played most of the three sets with less than two or three points separating them. After an even start in the opening set, O'Donnell scored two service aces to give Boise State their first lead at 11-19. Kills from Nobley put the Broncos up 18-16 and 21-19, and a block by sophomore Sabryn Roberts gave Boise State a 23-21 lead.

But WKU stormed back with three points and only an Oliver kill saved the set. Boise State came back to tie at 24 and a Nobley kill had the Broncos in position to win the set. Western Kentucky saved two set points before Roberts put away a winner to once again put Boise State ahead 27-26. O'Donnell did the honors for the Lady Broncos as they took the first set.

Nobley led Boise State with six kills in the set while Roberts had five and Oliver four. Alyssa Cavanaugh carried her team with eight kills. The Bronco block game was working to the tune of six to four for the Hilltoppers.

Service errors proved to be the difference in the opening set, with WKU committing four to zero for the Broncos.

Boise State spotted Western Kentucky a 1-3 lead but then led for most of the second set, opening up 14-9, 16-11 and 17-12 leads. With the Broncos ahead 20-17, Roberts beat a double block to put her team up 21-17, then scored another kill for a 22-18 lead. O'Donnell's smash put Boise State two points away with a 23-19 lead, and after the Toppers closed the lead to 24-22, Nobley's blast over the net gave Boise State a 2-0 lead in the match. Roberts had five kills in the set to lead the Bronco attack while Nobley had four.

Seven-time Conference USA Coach of the Year Travis Hudson (in his 22nd year at WKU) had the Hilltoppers fired up coming out of the locker room, determined to extend their season. WKU opened up a three point lead at 13-10, but Nobley, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, scored a kill and then blocked Jessica Lewis' dunk attempt to close the margin to two. Nobley then tied the match with a block. Oliver's two straight terminating shots tied the match at 16, and the two teams played even volleyball for the next several points, setting up the Bronco heroics down the stretch.

Garus, with help from talented assistants Candy Murphy and Allison Buck, had their opponents scouted well and communicated to the Lady Broncos what they needed to do. Western Kentucky came into the match second in the nation in hitting percentage at 31.1%. The Toppers had a slight edge at 28.7% to 28.0% for the Broncos, but the fact that Boise State kept that statistic close went a long way in notching their first tournament win. WKU was never able to fully recover from the 4-0 deficit in service errors in the opening set, and finished with 10 errors to 7 for the Broncos.

Nobley led Boise State with 17 kills and 12 digs, including seven in the final set. Bulda, taking over this year from Sarah Baugh, one of the most accomplished setters in school history, was magnificent in dishing out 38 assists, while Vallivue High School product Maddi Osburn helped the Bronco defensive cause with 14 diggs.

Cavanaugh had 17 kills to lead Western Kentucky, while Lucas had 41 assists and Sydney Engle contributed 14 digs.

Boise State Volleyball Team Clinches First-Ever Berth in NCAA Tournament

LARAMIE, WY--The Boise State volleyball team scored a 25-20, 25-18, 25-21 win last night over a tough Wyoming team to clinch a share of the Mountain West Conference championship and the school's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The Broncos (24-6, 15-2 in MW play) won their 13th straight match, 11 by sweep, repeating a theme from last season, Coach Shawn Garus' team won nine in a row and 15 of their last 16 to close the regular season last year.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team and what they’ve accomplished this year,” said Garus. “The team was showing some nerves and a little anxiousness this afternoon, they know how good a team Wyoming is and how hard they are to beat at home. I thought we handle Wyoming’s pressure and the pressure of the circumstances of this match well. It was a battle with Wyoming, every time it looked like we had momentum in a set, they came back on us. Like many of the victories in this run, this was a team win with everyone contributing. Now we need to close it out Tuesday at home against Air Force.” 

Junior Sierra Nobley once again paced the Lady Broncos with 19 kills.  Her eight kills in the opening set helped Boise State rally from five points down to win.  

“The last two matches would not have been possible without the long hard off season and motivated summer workouts,” said Nobley. “Every single player on this team worked their tail off to be able to have such an incredible season, and winning the conference was icing on the cake. We’re so grateful for our coaches, trainers, weight coaches, and every person who was 100% invested in us, because we couldn’t have gotten this far without them. It’s so exciting to be a part of this program as we continue to climb higher than we ever have in the past. Proud of all my teammates and ready to seal the deal on Tuesday night!”

The second set featured seven ties and five lead changes with Nobley getting six more kills, aided by three each from senior Maddy O'Donnell and sophomore Kaitlyn Oliver.  The Broncos finished with a 9-2 run to go ahead of the home team 2-0.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my senior year,” said O’Donnell. “Wyoming is a hard atmosphere to play in and we came in with complete confidence and rattled them from start to finish. I am so proud of my team and coaches for all we have accomplished this season. I can’t wait for our first ever NCAA appearance! Let’s go Broncos!”

Nobley scored five kills and three blocks in the final set, while sophomore Sabryn Roberts had four kills and Oliver three kills and three blocks.

Maddi Osburn tallied a team-high 15 digs in the win to give her 515 on the season, second most in program history and six short of tying the school record of 521. 

Jaymee-Lee Bulda has improved her game throughout the year and dished out 38 assists to bring her total to 1,064 this season, 13th in school history. 

“Being a part of something like this is truly special,” Bulda said. “From day one we have worked harder and harder everyday on and off the court. We’re not just a team, we’re sisters and I couldn’t be more proud to be a Boise State Bronco”

Reed Copeland led Wyoming (18-12, 11-6) with nine kills and four blocks.  The Cowgirls came into the match sporting a 13-5 home record, including a win over second-place Colorado State.  Before bowing to Boise State, Wyoming had lost just one other conference match to Nevada, with the other four defeats coming to #10 BYU, #23 Kentucky, #24 Ohio State and Oregon State.

Boise State returns home to host Air Force for Senior Night next Tuesday at 7:30 in Bronco Gym.  Wyoming finishes the season at Colorado State Tuesday night.

Boise State Volleyball Team Wins 19th of the Season, 8th Straight

SAN DIEGO, California--For the second straight year, the Boise State volleyball team is surging down the stretch.  

The Broncos topped San Diego State 25-19, 25-21, 14-25, 25-23 last night for their eighth consecutive win.  Boise State improved their record to 19-6, 10-2 in Mountain West Conference play.  Coach Shawn Garus' team, who is tied with UNLV for the league lead, owns a three-set victory over the Rebels last Saturday in Bronco Gym.  

Boise State has six matches remaining, including a home battle with defending champion Colorado State.  With one more victory in those six matches, the Broncos can record their third consecutive 20-win season for the first time in 26 years.  Boise State hasn't posted three straight 20-win seasons since Darlene Bailey's Bronco teams won 20 or more matches from 1986-90.

Junior Sierra Nobley (19 kills), sophomore Sabryn Roberts (12) and senior Maddy O'Donnell (10) paced the Bronco offense to victory.  

Meanwhile, libero Maddi Osburn was spectacular in digging 11 off the court to keep the ball in play.


“Nothing was easy tonight against a good San Diego State team that refused to quit,” said head coach Shawn Garus. “I thought we handle their pressure well, especially when they came back and won the third set. I thought Jaymee (Bulda) did a great job setting our outside hitters tonight who were huge for us. Sierra (Nobley) and Sabryn (Roberts) were great hitting it on the outside and caused the Aztecs issues defensively. I am just happy we got the win tonight and look forward to us caring this momentum on next week.”

Trailing 3-0 in the opening set, the Broncos took command with an 8-2 run.  Roberts pounded home the final two winners to give Boise State the lead.

Nobley assumed command by recording seven of her kills in the second set.  With the match tied at 19, Nobley hit a winner that the Aztecs were unable to respond to.  Behind 21-20, Nobley rammed home two winners and notched a service ace to lead the Broncos on a 5-0 run.  Roberts again did honors by smashing home the set point.

With the victory in set two, Boise State tied a school record with its 23rd consecutive set win.

The Aztecs won the third set decisively 25-14 before Boise State's Kaitlyn Oliver recorded a kill over a San Diego State block in set four to put the Broncos one point away.  Oliver then combined with Janell Walley for a block for the win.

Nobley posted three aces and eight digs to go along with her team-leading 19 kills while O'Donnell hit 50% for the game and also had two aces and four block assists.  O'Donnell is now tied with Ronda Recknor (1981-83) for eighth place in school history in career blocks with 361.

Jaymee-Lee Bulda handed out 45 assists and recorded eight digs and a career-high three block assists.

Alexandra Psoma led San Diego State with 23 kills and a 47.4 hitting percentage.  The Aztecs slipped to 4-11 overall and 6-5 in conference play.

Boise State wraps up a three-match road swing against Utah State next Thursday.

Boise State 11th All-Time with 18 Consecutive Seven-Win Seasons

Boise State's football team has been coming up with sevens and it's all good.  The Broncos have now won seven or more games for 18 consecutive seasons, good for the 11th-best streak in major college football history.

The Broncos are still 17 seasons shy of the all-time record held by Nebraska, which put together 35 straight seven-win seasons from 1969 to 2003.


Consecutive Seasons of Seven or More Wins:
1.    Nebraska…35 (1969-2003)
2.    Florida State…33 (1982-2014)
3.    Yale…28 (1882-1909)
4.    Princeton…27 (1881-1907)
5.    Harvard…25 (1886-1910)
5.    Pennsylvania…25 (1888-1912)
7.    Florida…23 (1988-2010)
7.    Michigan…23 (1985-2007)
9.    Oklahoma…22 (1970-1991)
10.  Virginia Tech…21 (1993-2013)
11.  Boise State…18 (1999-2016)
12.  Miami of Florida…17 (1980-1996)
12.  Notre Dame…17 (1964-1980)
12.  Penn State…17 (1967-1983)
15.  Michigan…16 (1968-1983)
15.  Tennessee…16 (1989-2004)
15.  Oklahoma…..16 1999-2014)
18.  LSU............15 (2000-2014)
18.  Ohio State…15 (1972-1986)
20.  Oklahoma…14 (1946-1959)
21.  Alabama…13 (1971-1983)
21.  Georgia…13 (1997-2009)
21.  Georgia Tech…13 (1997-2009)
21.  Virginia…13 (1987-1999)
21.  Wisconsin 13 (2002-2014)
26.  Alabama…12 (1985-1996)
26.  Boston College…12 1999-2010
26.  Carlisle…12 (1902-1913)
26.  Mississippi…12 (1952-1963)
26.  Notre Dame…12 (1938-1949)
26.  Texas…12 (1998-2009)

Boise State in All-Time Top 10 for Most Wins in a 21-Year Period

With Boise State's win over BYU, the Broncos moved into the all-time Top 10 in major college football for the most wins in any 21-year period.  The Broncos are 205-57 since 1996 and have a minimum of five games remaining this season.  Including the postseason, Boise State could get as high as #5 if they are fortunate enough to win the rest of their games.



Most Wins In 21-Year Period:

(no overlap)

 
*Modern Record in Bold

1.    Yale 236-11-9 (1886-1906)
2.    Pennsylvania 233-43-4 (1887-1907)
3.    Nebraska 222-38-1 (1981-2001)
4.    Harvard 213-28-5 (1886-1906)
5.    Miami of Florida 212-42-0 (1983-2003)
5.    Florida State 212-46-2 (1985-2005)
7.    Florida 210-57-1 (1990-2010)
8.    Ohio State 207-50-0 (1995-2015)
9.    Boise State 205-57-0 (1996-2016*)
10.  Princeton 204-19-7 (1884-1904)
10.  Alabama 204-35-4 (1961-1981)
12.  Oklahoma 203-41-4 (1971-1991)
12.  BYU 203-62-2 (1976-1996)
14.  Penn State 202-43-2 (1967-1987)
15.  Nebraska 200-43-4 (1963-1983)
15.  Virginia Tech 200-69-0 (1993-2013)
17.  Michigan 196-49-5 (1971-1991)
17.  Tennessee 196-62-3 (1987-2007)
17.  Oklahoma 196-73-1 (1995-2015)
20.  Oregon 195-70-0 (1994-2014)
21.  Texas 194-73-1 (1994-2014)
22.  LSU 193-72-1 (1995-2015)
23.  Georgia 192-76-0 (1995-2015)
24.  Wisconsin 187-82-2 (1995-2015)
25.  USC 186-43-9 (1962-1982)
26.  Ohio State 185-49-4 (1967-1987)
26.  Texas 185-50-3 (1963-1983)
28.  Penn State 182-75-1 (1989-2009)
29.  Notre Dame 181-63-3 (1973-1993)
30.  Washington 180-65-3 (1977-1997)

Boise State Ties Harvard for Fifth-Most Wins over a 20-Year Period in NCAA Major College Football History

Boise State is now tied with the legendary Harvard teams from 1886 to 1905 for the fifth-most wins in any 20-year history among major college football teams.

The Broncos topped BYU 28-27 for their seventh win of the season and are now 2-3-47 from 1997 to the current year.  Boise State still has as a minimum of five more games and could move into fourth place with one more win.




Most Wins In 20-Year Period:

(no overlap)

 
*Modern Record in Bold 


1.    Yale 227-11-8 (1886-1905)
2.    Pennsylvania 224-36-7 (1889-1908)
3.    Nebraska 213-35-1 (1982-2001)
4.    Florida State 204-41-2 (1985-2004)
5.    Harvard 203-27-5 (1886-1905)
5.    Boise State 203-47 (1997-2016*)
7.    Miami of Florida 202-39-0 (1985-2004)
7.    Florida 202-52-1 (1990-2009)
9.    Princeton 196-17-7 (1884-1903)
9.    Ohio State 196-48-0 (1996-2015)
11.  Alabama 195-33-3 (1961-1980)
12.  Penn State 194-39-2 (1967-1986)
12.  BYU 194-59-2 (1977-1996)
12.  Oklahoma 194-38-4 (1971-1990)
15.  Virginia Tech 192-64-0 (1993-2012)
16.  Oklahoma 191-68-0 (1996-2015)
17.  Tennessee 188-54-5 (1985-2004)
18.  Texas 188-66-1 (1994-2013)
19.  Michigan 187-53-5 (1985-2004)
20.  Oregon 186-66-0 (1995-2014)
20.  LSU 186-68-0 (1996-2015)
20.  Georgia 186-70-0 (1996-2015)
23.  Wisconsin 183-77-0 (1996-2015)
24.  Ohio State 179-45-3 (1967-1986)
24.  Nebraska 179-46-5 (1961-1980)
26.  USC 178-40-9 (1962-1981)
27.  Texas 174-44-4 (1959-1978)
27.  Penn State 174-72-0 (1990-2009)
29.  TCU 173-74-0 (1996-2015)
30.  Washington 172-61-3 (1977-1996)

Boise State Now Holds Modern Record for Most Wins in an 18-Year Period

With Boise State's win over BYU last week, the Broncos eclipsed the Modern Record for most wins by a major college football team in any 18-year period.  Boise State and Nebraska were previously in a tie with 192 wins.  The Broncos still have a minimum of five games remaining and could play as many as seven.  

They'll still be shy of the all-time record held by Yale in the early years of college football.  Those teams routinely played 13 games or more each year.



Most Wins In 18-Year Period:

(no overlap)

*Modern Record in Bold

1.    Yale 209-11-7 (1888-1905)
2.    Pennsylvania 206-30-6 (1890-1907)
3.    Boise State 193-35-0 (1999-2016*)
4.    Nebraska 192-31-1 (1982-1999)
5.    Harvard 188-23-3 (1886-1903)
5.    Florida State 188-34-1 (1987-2004)
7.    Oklahoma 184-52 (1998-2015)
8.    Miami of Florida 183-34-0 (1986-2003)
9.    Florida 183-48-1 (1992-2009)
10.  Princeton 180-19-5 (1888-1905)
11.  Oklahoma 179-31-4 (1971-1988)
12.  Ohio State 178-46-2 (1992-2009)
13.  BYU 176-53-2 (1979-1996)
13.  Virginia Tech 176-55-0 (1994-2011)
15.  Penn State 175-37-1 (1969-1986)
16.  Alabama 174-31-3 (1962-1979)
17.  Virginia Tech 173-60 (1996-2013)
18.  Tennessee 172-48-3 (1987-2004)
18.  Texas 172-57-1 (1995-2012)

*--season ongoing

Boise State Hangs On for Wild 28-23 Win Over Colorado State

BOISE, Idaho--An illegal forward pass by Colorado State allowed #15 Boise State to escape with a wild 28-23 win over the Rams in a rain-soaked Albertsons Stadium tonight.  The Broncos advanced to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Mountain West Conference.   

With a minimum of six games remaining in the 2016 season, Boise State tied the Florida teams from 1990-2009 and the Miami of Florida teams from 1985-2004 for the sixth-most wins in major college football history over any 21-year period.  Boise State also has the 11th-most wins (204-57 since 1996) in major college football history over any 21-year period (see charts at conclusion of article.)

Through a series of improbable events, CSU came from a fourth quarter deficit of 28-3 to be in position to win the game until the mishap.  

After Boise State's Thomas Sperbeck hit A.J. Richardson with a 11-yard pass in the end zone from the "Wildcat" formation, Colorado State drove 75 yards in 17 plays for its first touchdown, with Izzy Matthews pounding it in from two yards out with 5:04 left in the game.  CSU converted three fourth downs to keep the drive alive.

The Rams then executed a perfect onside kick and struck quickly with a 53-yard toss from Nick Stevens to Michael Gallup on the next play to cut the lead to 28-17.

Colorado State once again recovered an onside kick when a hard boot hit Boise State's Chaz Anderson in the chest and bounced out.  After moving the chains, the Rams struck deep into Bronco territory as they set up a screen formation over the middle to free Detrich Clark that went for 31 yards to the Boise State 11-yard line.  Dalyn Dawkins easily ran through the middle of the Bronco line on the next play to narrow the margin to 28-23.  A two-point conversion attempt failed.

When one succeeds twice, try, try again, yet this time, Boise State recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt.  

Boise State converted one third-down attempt but were unable to convert on fourth-and-one at the CSU 27, allowing their opponent life with 21 seconds left.  Stevens connected with Gallup, who ran out of bounds at the Ram 40 with 15 seconds remaining.  

Stevens once again completed a short pass to Gallup, and the Rams executed three laterals before the ball went out of bounds with four ticks of the clock left. 

Initially, the field officials ruled the play legitimate, but Boise State coach Bryan Harsin pointed out that the final lateral was an illegal forward pass, the penalty being a loss of down and a 10-second runoff of the clock, which would mean the game was over.  The officials in the replay booth reviewed the play and agreed, ending the wild contest. 

''That was a fight,'' Harsin said. ''There are certainly things to work on. It's hard to win every single week and come out prepared to win every single week. But I'm fired up for our team and how they handled some adversity. Certainly at the end of the game, there are a lot of things we can learn from and coach from.''

''We came in tonight to make it a fourth quarter game,'' Colorado State coach Mike Bobo said. ''It wasn't the kind of fourth quarter game we envisioned, but we did what we had to do to have a chance at the end.''

The vaunted Bronco offense was stymied for nearly the entire first half until Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien spotted Sperbeck open in the end zone for a 12-yard completion with 27 seconds remaining.  That big play gave the Broncos a 7-3 halftime lead after the Rams became the first team to lead Boise State this season after a Wyatt Bryan 39-yard field goal with 7:24 left in the first quarter.  Until that time, Boise State was the only major college football team this year to never trail in a game.

On the opening drive of the second half, the Broncos executed a methodical 10-play, 79-yard drive to extend that lead to 14-3, with Jeremy McNichols carrying it into the end zone for a five-yard score.

Boise State forced a Ram punt to take over on their own 17 and McNichols had a three-yard gain on first down.  McNichols then burst through the middle untouched for an 80-yard run to quickly give the Broncos a 21-3 lead that was increased to 28-3 with the Sperbeck-to-Richardson touchdown pass.  McNichols now has three runs of 80 or more yards in his Bronco career.

''We called the play earlier in the game and I almost broke that one,'' said McNichols, who rushed for a career-high 217 yards (eighth-highest in school history) and two touchdowns. ''So when coach asked me what play to call, I told him we needed to call it again. And he called it.''  McNichols, the nation's fifth-best running back with 129.2 yards per game, surpassed the second 200-yard mark for the second time this season after running for 208 yards against Oregon State.  It was the 19th time that a Bronco running back has reached 200 or more rushing yards in a game.

McNichols now has three games of 200 or more yards, equaling the career mark of his predecessor, Jay Ajayi, now a star with the Miami Dolphins.   Only Cedric Minter (1977-80) has more 200-yard rushing games at Boise State with four.

The Boise State junior tied Jared Zabransky (2003-6) for ninth in career rushing TD's with 31.  Zabransky was named a pre-game honorary captain along with linebacker Korey Hall as the Bronco crowd honored the famous 2006 Boise State team that capped an undefeated season with a historic 43-42 win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

McNichols also had a career-high and school record 40 carries and, with four catches for 47 yards, accumulated a career-high 264 total yards to lead the Broncos.  McNichols achieved 200 or more all-purpose yards for the fifth time, behind only Brock Forsey (8 from 1999-2002) and Ajayi (6 from 2012-14).

Jeremy passed former Broncos David Mikell (2000-03) and Jon Francis (1984-85) and is now 10th in Boise State history for career rushing yards with 2,271.  McNichols passed Doug Martin, now a star running back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with his fifth career game over 150 yards, and is ninth all-time in career 100-yard rushing games.

Rypien finished 16-of-24 passing for 207 yards and one touchdown to pass Joe Southwick (2010-13) for eighth place in career passing yards at Boise State.  Rypien also ranks eighth in career completions, passing former Bronco great Jim McMillan (1971-74) in that department.  Rypien reached the 200-yard passing mark for the 15th time in his brief Bronco career to tie him with Grant Hedrick (2011-14) for sixth.

Sperbeck led Boise State with five catches for 72 yards, leaving him 33 yards short of the Bronco record for career receiving yards.  Anderson chipped in with five receptions for 65 yards.

Stevens connected on 17-of-31 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while Dawkins led the Ram ground game with 66 yards.

Colorado State quarterback Nick Stevens was 17-of-31 passing for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while Dalyn Dawkins led the Rams on the ground with 66 yards.

Now bowl eligible for the 18th straight season, Boise State faces surging BYU next Thursday in Albertsons Stadium while Colorado State (3-4, 1-2 in MW play) travels to UNLV next week.

********************************************************************

Most Wins In 20-Year Period:

(no overlap)

 
*Modern Record in Bold

1.    Yale 227-11-8 (1886-1905)
2.    Pennsylvania 224-36-7 (1889-1908)
3.    Nebraska 213-35-1 (1982-2001)
4.    Florida State 204-41-2 (1985-2004)
5.    Harvard 203-27-5 (1886-1905)
6.    Miami of Florida 202-39-0 (1985-2004)
6.    Florida 202-52-1 (1990-2009)
6.    Boise State 202-47 (1997-2016*)
9.    Princeton 196-17-7 (1884-1903)
9.    Ohio State 196-48-0 (1996-2015)
11.  Alabama 195-33-3 (1961-1980)
12.  Penn State 194-39-2 (1967-1986)
12.  BYU 194-59-2 (1977-1996)
12.  Oklahoma 194-38-4 (1971-1990)
15.  Virginia Tech 192-64-0 (1993-2012)
16.  Oklahoma 191-68-0 (1996-2015)
17.  Tennessee 188-54-5 (1985-2004)
18.  Texas 188-66-1 (1994-2013)
19.  Michigan 187-53-5 (1985-2004)
20.  Oregon 186-66-0 (1995-2014)
20.  LSU 186-68-0 (1996-2015)
20.  Georgia 186-70-0 (1996-2015)
23.  Wisconsin 183-77-0 (1996-2015)
24.  Ohio State 179-45-3 (1967-1986)
24.  Nebraska 179-46-5 (1961-1980)
26.  USC 178-40-9 (1962-1981)
27.  Texas 174-44-4 (1959-1978)
27.  Penn State 174-72-0 (1990-2009)
29.  TCU 173-74-0 (1996-2015)
30.  Washington 172-61-3 (1977-1996)

Most Wins Over 21-Year Period:
1.    Yale 236-11-9 (1886-1906)
2.    Pennsylvania 233-43-4 (1887-1907)
3.    Nebraska 222-38-1 (1981-2001)

4.    Harvard 213-28-5 (1886-1906)

5.    Miami of Florida 212-42-0 (1983-2003)
5.    Florida State 212-46-2 (1985-2005)

7.    Florida 210-57-1 (1990-2010)

8.    Ohio State 207-50-0 (1995-2015)

9.    Princeton 204-19-7 (1884-1904)

9.    Alabama 204-35-4 (1961-1981)

11.  Boise State 204-57-0 (1996-2016*)

12.  Oklahoma 203-41-4 (1971-1991)

12.  BYU 203-62-2 (1976-1996)

14.  Penn State 202-43-2 (1967-1987)

15.  Nebraska 200-43-4 (1963-1983)

15.  Virginia Tech 200-69-0 (1993-2013)

17.  Michigan 196-49-5 (1971-1991)

17.  Tennessee 196-62-3 (1987-2007)

17.  Oklahoma 196-73-1 (1995-2015)

20.  Oregon 195-70-0 (1994-2014)

21.  Texas 194-73-1 (1994-2014)

22.  LSU 193-72-1 (1995-2015)

23.  Georgia 192-76-0 (1995-2015)

24.  Wisconsin 187-82-2 (1995-2015)

25.  USC 186-43-9 (1962-1982)

26.  Ohio State 185-49-4 (1967-1987)

26.  Texas 185-50-3 (1963-1983)

28.  Penn State 182-75-1 (1989-2009)

29.  Notre Dame 181-63-3 (1973-1993)

30.  Washington 180-65-3 (1977-1997)

Rushing Yards, Game:

1.    Cedric Minter (261) vs. Northern Michigan, 1978

2.    Eron Hurley (254) vs. Idaho, 1998

3.    Ian Johnson (240) vs. Oregon State, 2006

4.    David Mikell (235) vs. Idaho, 2003
5.    Jay Ajayi (229) vs. Utah State, 2014
6.    Jay Ajayi (222) vs. Nevada, 2013
7.    Jay Ajayi (219) vs. Colorado State, 2014
8.    Jeremy McNichols (217) vs. Colorado State, 2016

9.    Brock Forsey (212) vs. Central Michigan, 2001

10.  Willie Bowens (211) vs. Northeastern, 1993

11.  Cedric Minter (210) vs. Cal Poly-SLO, 1977
12.  Jeremy McNichols (208) vs. Oregon State, 2016

12.  Brock Forsey (208) vs. Tulsa, 2002

12.  Cedric Minter (208) vs. Montana State, 1978

15.  Ian Johnson (205) vs. Nevada, 2007

15.  Terry Zahner (205 vs. Northern Arizona, 1977

17.  Cedric Minter (201) vs. Cal Poly-SLO, 1979
18.  Doug Martin (200) vs. Colorado State, 2011

18.  Chris Thomas (200) vs. Weber State, 1988

Career 100+ Yard Rushing Games:

Career

1.    Cedric Minter (20) 1977-1980

2.    Brock Forsey (19) 1999-2002

3.    Doug Martin (17) 2008-2011

3.    Jay Ajayi (17) 2012-2014

5.    Ian Johnson (16) 2005-2008

6.    Chris Thomas (13) 1988-1991

7.    Jon Francis (12) 1984-1985)

7.    Rodney Webster (12) 1980-1983

9.    Jeremy McNichols (11) 2014-current

10.  D.J. Harper (10) 2007-2012 

10.  Chris Jackson (10) 1986-1987

12.  David Mikell (8) 2000-2003

13.  K.C. Adams (7) 1994

Career 150-Yard Rushing Games:

1.    Cedric Minter (8) 1977-1980
1.    Brock Forsey (8) 1999-2002
3.    Jay Ajayi (8) 2012-2014
4.    Ian Johnson (5) 2005-2008
5.    Jeremy McNichols (5) 2014-current
6.    Doug Martin (4) 2010-2011
7.    Rodney Webster (3) 1980-1983
7.    Chris Jackson (3) 1986-1987
7.    Chris Thomas (3) 1987-1991
10.  Jon Francis (2) 1984-1985
10.  K.C. Adams (2) 1994
10.  Eron Hurley (2) 1995-1999
10.  Jeremy Avery (2) 2007-2010
10.  D.J. Harper (2) 2007-2012
15.  John Smith (1) 1972-1975
15.  Terry Zahner (1) 1977-1980
15.  Willie Bowens (1) 1993-1994
15.  David Mikell (1) 2000-2003)

Career 200+ Rushing Games:

1.    Cedric Minter (4) 1977-1980

2.    Jay Ajayi (3) 2012-2014

2.    Jeremy McNichols (3) 2014-current

4.    Ian Johnson (2) 2005-2008

4.    Brock Forsey (2) 1999-2002

6.    Doug Martin (1) 2008-2011

6.    David Mikell (1) 2000-2003

6.    Eron Hurley (1) 1995-1998

6.    Willie Bowens (1) 1993-1994

6.    Chris Thomas (1) 1988-1991

6.    Terry Zahner (1) 1977-1980   

Career Rushing Yards:
1.    Cedric Minter (4,475) 1977-1980
2.    Ian Johnson (4,183) 2005-2008
3.    Brock Forsey (4,045) 1999-2002
4.    Jay Ajayi (3,796) 2012-2014
5.    Chris Thomas (3,437) 1987-1991
6.    Doug Martin (3,431) 2008-2011
7.    Rodney Webster (3,034) 1980-1983
8.    Jeremy Avery (2,932) 2007-2010
9.    D.J. Harper (2,779) 2007-2012
10.  Jeremy McNichols (2,271) 2014-current
11.  David Mikell (2,268) 2000-2003
12.  Jon Francis (2,172) 1984-1985
13.  Terry Zahner (2,052) 1977-1980
14.  Lee Marks (1,889) 2002-2005


15.  David Hughes (1,826) 1977-1980

Career Rushing Touchdowns:

1.    Ian Johnson (58) 2005-2008
2.    Brock Forsey (50) 1999-2002
2.    Jay Ajayi (50) 2012-2014
4.    Doug Martin (43) 2008-2011
5.    D.J. Harper (39) 2007-2012
6.    Cedric Minter (37) 1977-1980
7.    David Mikell (32) 2000-2003
7.    Chris Thomas (32) 1988-1991
9.    Jared Zabransky (31) 2003-2006
9.    Jeremy McNichols (31) 2014-current
11.  Jeremy Avery (29) 2007-2010
12.  Terry Zahner (21) 1977-1980
13.  Bart Hendricks (20) 1997-2000
13.  Rodney Webster (20) 1980-1983
15.  Abe Brown (19) 1968-1969


Carries, Single Game:
1.    Jeremy McNichols (40) vs. Colorado State, 2016
2.    Cedric Minter (38) vs. San Jose State, 1978
3.    Doug Martin (36) vs. San Diego State, 2011
3.    Chris Thomas (36) vs. Nevada, 1988
5.    Brock Forsey (33) vs. Arkansas State 2000
5.    Jeremy McNichols (33) vs. Wyoming, 2015
5.    Cedric Minter (33) vs. Northern Arizona, 1978
5.    Jay Ajayi (33) vs. Colorado State 2014
5.    Jay Ajayi (33) vs. New Mexico 2014
10.  Brock Forsey (32) vs. Central Michigan, 2001
10.  Brock Forsey (32) vs. UTEP, 2001

10.  Rodney Webster (32) vs. Weber State, 1983


Longest Run From Scrimmage:
1.    88+ Jeremy McNichols vs. San Jose State, 2015
2.    85+ Jared Zabransky vs. Hawai'i 2004
3.    83+ Jeremy McNichols vs. Air Force 2015
4.    80+ Jeremy McNichols vs. Colorado State 2016
4.    80+ K.C. Adams vs. Northern Arizona 1994
6.    78+ David Mikell vs. Idaho 2003
7.    77+ Bart Hendricks vs. UTEP 2000
7.    77+ Gavin Reed vs. Utah State 1999
7.    77+ Chris Jackson vs. Delaware State 1987
7.    77+ Greg Harrison vs. Montana 1983

7.    77+ Cedric Minter vs. Northern Michigan 1978


Career 200+ Yards All-Purpose Yards:

1.    Brock Forsey (8) 1999-2002
2.    Jay Ajayi (6) 2012-2014
3.    Jeremy McNichols (5) 2014-current
4.    K.C. Adams (4) 1994
4.    Chris Jackson (4) 1986-1987
4.    Cedric Minter (4) 1977-1980
4.    Doug Martin (4) 2008-2011
8.    Ryan Ikebe (3) 1993-1996
8.    Winky White (3) 1987-1990

Career Passing Yards:

1.  Kellen Moore (14,534) 2008-2011)
2.  Ryan Dinwiddie (9,819) 2000-2003
3.  Tony Hilde (9,107) 1993-1996
4.  Bart Hendricks (9,020) 1997-2000
5.  Jared Zabransky (8,256) 2003-2006
6.  Grant Hedrick (5,656) 2011-2014)
7.  Jim McMillan (5,508) 1971-1974
8.  Brett Rypien (4,975) 2015-current
9.  Joe Southwick (4,784) 2010-2013
10.  Hazsen Choates (4,524) 1983-86
11.  Mike Virden (4,294) 1989-90
12.  Eric Guthrie (4,204) 1968-71
13.  Taylor Tharp (3,699) 2004-2007
14.  Gerald DesPres (3,579) 1981-84
15.  Joe Aliotti (3,460) 1979-1980

Career Completions:
1.    Kellen Moore (1,157) 2008-2011
2.    Bart Hendricks (650) 1997-2000
3.   Tony Hilde (629) 1993-1996
4.    Ryan Dinwiddie (622) 2000-2003
5.    Jared Zabransky (610) 2003-2006
6.    Grant Hedrick (475) 2011-2014
7.    Joe Southwick (439) 2010-2013
8.    Brett Rypien (384) 2015-current  
9.    Jim McMillan (382) 1971-1974
10.  Mike Virden (324) 1989-1990
11.  Taylor Tharp (321) 2004-2007
12.  Hazsen Choates (316) 1983-1986
13.  Gerald DesPres (281) 1981-1984
14.  Joe Aliotti (278) 1979-1980
15.  Eric Guthrie (275) 1968-1971

Career 200-Yard+ Passing Games:
1.    Kellen Moore (46) 2008-2011
2.    Bart Hendricks (28) 1997-2000
3.    Tony Hilde (26) 1993-1996
4.    Ryan Dinwiddie (24) 2000-2003
5.    Jared Zabransky (21) 2003-2006
6.    Grant Hedrick (15) 2011-2014
6.    Brett Rypien (15) 2015-2016
8.    Jim McMillan (13) 1971-1974
9.    Joe Southwick (11) 2010-2013

9.    Mike Virden (11) 1989-1990