Doug Martin scores 4 TDs, No. 6 Boise State beats Utah State 52-21

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Martin leads Boise State in blowout

LOGAN, Utah — Kellen Moore didn’t need to throw his usual three touchdown passes.

All the Boise State quarterback had to do was hand it off and watch Doug Martin and Jeremy Avery go.

Martin ran for four touchdowns, Avery ran for two more and both topped 100 yards rushing to help the sixth-ranked Broncos remained unbeaten and in BCS contention with a 52-21 win over Utah State on Friday night.

“It makes life a little easier,” said Moore, who passed for a modest 233 yards and one touchdown.

Moore had thrown for at least three TDs in six straight games, but the streak ended Friday night as the Broncos (11-0, 6-0 Western Athletic Conference) rushed for a season-high 323 yards.

Boise State broke a 14-all tie with four touchdowns in the second quarter, two just 43 seconds apart to start breaking down the Aggies (3-8, 2-5).

“We just came out with an intensity and didn’t back down. We just kept pounding and pounding and pounding,” said Martin, who had 13 carries for 121 yards. “It’s nice. I’ve just got to give out props to my O-linemen.”

Boise State added another touchdown barely 2 minutes into the third quarter and what was a close game for about 25 minutes turned into the rout it was expected to be.

The Broncos try to keep the streak alive next week at home against Nevada, which has won seven straight.

Utah State fell to 1-51 against ranked teams, getting outgained 572 yards to 363 in the latest loss.

“They are very good and they did exactly what they have done in every game all year long,” Utah State coach Gary Andersen said. “I though they controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. When that happens, it puts you in a position where you have to take a lot of chances.”

Diondre Borel was 18 for 30 for 201 yards and kept the Aggies alive by avoiding several sacks with his speed, but the Broncos eventually started catching him and Utah State didn’t have enough other weapons to keep up after matching Boise State’s first two touchdowns.

After Robert Turbin tied it at 14 on a 24-yard run for the Aggies with 6:28 left in the second, the Broncos drove 73 yards in four plays to retake the lead for good. Titus Young made a diving grab with a defender all over him for a 56-yard catch at the 2, where Martin easily ran it in for a 21-14 lead.

Then Utah State fumbled a handoff and Ryan Winterswyk recovered at the 9 for the Broncos and Avery scored on first down, putting the Broncos up 28-14 with 4:04 left in the quarter.

Avery finished with 116 yards on 16 carries.

“Those are good running backs,” Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. “If our line will give them a chance to get on their side of the line of scrimmage they can break tackles.”

Being down two touchdowns at halftime would have been tolerable for the Aggies, but another defensive lapse late in the period allowed the Broncos to drive for a 1-yard touchdown run by Martin with 5 seconds left in the half. The Aggies almost had Boise State stopped on third-and-10 with about a minute left, but Martin broke through for a 17-yard run to keep the drive going.

The Broncos opened the third quarter with a 71-yard drive, needing only four plays to score again on a 32-yard run by Avery.

Boise State intercepted a tipped pass on the opening possession and quickly took a 7-0 lead on a pass from Moore to Tommy Gallarda.

The Aggies answered on a 22-yard touchdown run by Michael Smith, who woke up the Utah State fans that had been drowned out until then by the orange-clad Boise contingent.

The Broncos got a little lucky on their next touchdown. The snap was bad and bounced to the left of Moore, but Martin scooped it up and bolted for a 17-yard touchdown run with 8:51 left in the second quarter.

“A slight mistake can cost you a touchdown and it did a couple times tonight,” Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner said.

Borel got Utah State right back, starting the next drive with an 18-yard option keeper to the 47. He also threaded a pass through tight coverage for a 14-yard gain to Eric Moats, then Turbin broke through the defense and ran 24 yards for a touchdown to tie it at 14.