‘Enough talk.’ Boise State is out of excuses after ‘disappointing’ loss at UTEP

There are losses and bad losses, and then there’s Boise State’s 27-10 loss to UTEP on Friday night at Sun Bowl Stadium.

Does it qualify as one of the worst in program history?

It certainly has all the hallmarks of a mind-boggling defeat. Consider the following: The Broncos’ defense, which entered No. 14 in the nation against the run and No. 2 on third down, surrendered 199 rushing yards and eight third-down conversions to the Miners.

Boise State opponents were a combined 6-for-38 on third down before Friday’s game and averaging just 76.3 rushing yards. The Miners racked up nearly 200 despite losing their starting center and starting running back for a significant portion of the second half.

And this is a UTEP (2-3) squad that committed seven — yes, seven — turnovers in a 27-10 loss at New Mexico last week. Just two weeks ago, the Broncos beat that New Mexico team 31-14. The Miners, a 15-point underdog Friday night, are just 3-8 over their past 11 games and lost 54-13 to Boise State last season.

“We obviously were not our best tonight regardless of who we were missing,” Boise State coach Andy Avalos said. “We’re capable of being a lot better, and it starts with me.”

UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison looked nearly flawless, completing his first nine passes and finishing 10-of-11 — a 91 percent completion percentage — with one touchdown, for a QB rating of 214.8. Hardison would have had two touchdown passes, but a 61-yard scoring play was negated in the first half by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty.

Meanwhile, the Boise State offense continued to look anemic, as senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier went just 13-for-34 for 93 yards and a touchdown. The Broncos’ biggest play of the night was a 28-yard reception by Latrell Caples. And the running game proved to be even worse, with the Broncos gaining just 84 yards on 19 carries.

“We have to get going here really quick,” Avalos said of the offense. “There’s enough talk that’s been done about it.”

Friday’s loss was arguably Boise State’s worst since falling 42-23 to Virginia in 2017, a defeat that snapped a 32-game nonconference home winning streak. Virginia had won just two games the season before and had lost 20 of its previous 21 road games. The Broncos were a 12.5-point favorite going in to that one.

It also brought back memories of the Broncos’ 31-24 defeat at the hands of New Mexico at Albertsons Stadium in 2015 despite being a 30-point favorite.

“It’s disappointing. It’s frustrating. It’s not how we want to play for sure,” defensive tackle Scott Matlock said. “So just gotta learn from it.”

Boise State’s two losses this season have both come by 17 points. The Broncos were 7-5 last season but did not lose a game that badly. Their last loss by more than 17 points was a 51-17 drubbing by BYU during the 2020 COVID-shortened season, but the Cougars were ranked No. 9 in the Top 25 at the time.

Miners honor one of their own

There might have been some confusion for Boise State fans concerning who was playing quarterback for UTEP.

Redshirt junior Gavin Hardison wore a No. 2 jersey with the last name “Laufenberg” on the back to honor a fallen teammate.

Luke Laufenberg is a former UTEP tight end who died of leukemia in 2019 after a two-year battle. For the past three seasons, a UTEP player has worn his jersey every game. This year, it’s been Hardison turn.

Holani climbs career list

Redshirt junior running back George Holani moved up Boise State’s career rushing list against the Miners. He totaled 75 yards on 16 carries to increase his career total to 1,942 yards, which now ranks 15th in Boise State history.

Broncos without 7 players

Avalos alluded to the Broncos missing several guys, and they were.

Starting linebacker Ezekiel Noa was out Friday against UTEP. He exited last week’s game against UT Martin early in the second half and did not return. He was replaced by a combination of Brandon Hawkins, Andrew Simpson and DJ Schramm, all of whom have played middle and weakside linebacker. Schramm registered a career-high 16 tackles.

Boise State offensive linemen Ben Dooley and Mason Randolph missed their third straight games, and tight end Riley Smith was out for the second game in a row. Tight end Kurt Rafdal and defensive end Cortez Hogans Jr. were also out because of unspecified injuries.

True freshman Roger Carreon started at right guard, while Will Farrar stepped in at center in place of a healthy Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez.

Pass rusher Isaiah Bagnah was also out for unspecified reasons, but he did not miss the game because of an injury or a disciplinary issue, according to a spokesperson for Boise State.

Quick hits

The Broncos wore white jerseys, white pants and white helmets. ... Team captains Scott Matlock and John Ojukwu were joined by edge Demitri Washington and receiver Latrell Caples as game captains. ... Boise State won the coin toss and deferred. ... Boise State was led onto the field by running back Tyler Crowe, who carried the Dan Paul Hammer. ... Defensive lineman Herbert Gums carried the American flag and running back Ashton Jeanty carried the Bleed Blue flag. ... Redshirt freshman tight end Matt Lauter’s 2-yard reception during Boise State’s opening drive was the first of his career.