LA Bowl: Boise State Shut Out In Second Half, Fall To UCLA

In one of Saturday's later bowl games, the Boise State Broncos were unable to pick up a win against the UCLA Bruins at SoFi Stadium. The Bruins scored 28
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In one of Saturday's later bowl games, the Boise State Broncos were unable to pick up a win against the UCLA Bruins at SoFi Stadium. The Bruins scored 28 unanswered points in the second half, leading to a 35-22 victory for Chip Kelly and company.

The Mountain West champion Broncos will end the season with an 8-6 overall record, just a few short weeks after making Spencer Danielson the next permanent head coach.

Here were the key points from BSU's loss to their Pac-12 counterparts in the latter's backyard.

A Strong First Half By The Broncos

It wasn't all bad from Boise State in the loss. The first half saw the Broncos jump out to a 16-7 lead. The Bronco defense also forced three punts and a turnover on downs. It was sustaining that momentum into the second half and not being able to finih drives in the end zone more often that ultimately doomed them.

Garbers The Better Gunslinger

UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers had not seen much action since the opening weeks of the season. However, he was the game's top performer after replacing the injured Collin Schlee in the third quarter. Garbers finished with nine completions on 12 attempts for 152 yards and two touchdown passes. 

For Boise State, the Broncos looked to freshman CJ Tiller under center after Taylen Green announced his commitment to Arkansas earlier this week. Tiller finished with 12 completions on 21 attempts for 117 yards and an interception.

No Movement In The Second Half

To go along with UCLA's offensive success in the second half, the Boise State offense was stifled in just about every way. The Broncos did not enter UCLA's half of the field until their final drive when George Holani broke off a 66-yard touchdown run. Comparatively, Boise State scored on every possession of theirs in the first half. 

Boise State's win streak comes to an end at four games, but Spencer Danielson's first year as the full-time head coach officially starts Monday.


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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.