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Difference makers: Boise State sacks John Mateer seven times to gain edge over WSU

Boise State Broncos safety Ty Benefield (0) laughs after intercepting a Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) pass in the endzone late during the first half of a college football game on Saturday, Sep. 28, 2024, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Id. Boise State led 17-10 at the half. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson The Spokesman-Review

Ashton Jeanty 

Washington State limited Boise State’s star tailback much of the first half, but the Cougars couldn’t contain Jeanty for the duration of Saturday’s game or prevent another 200-yard rushing effort from the Heisman Trophy candidate. Jeanty’s tough running, and some poor tackling on the Cougars’ part, allowed him to get loose for a 64-yard rushing touchdown on the fifth play from scrimmage and the junior rumbled for his second touchdown of the game toward the end of the second quarter, shedding three WSU tacklers to give the Broncos a 17-10 lead entering halftime. Jeanty added to his rushing and touchdown totals in the fourth quarter, bouncing off a few more WSU defenders to sprint for a 59-yard touchdown, making it 31-17. In total, Jeanty carried the ball 26 times for 259 yards and four touchdowns, giving him more than 800 yards for the season. 

Ty Benefield 

Boise State’s defense applied constant pressure on Washington State quarterback John Mateer, bringing him down for seven sacks on Saturday. Benefield wasn’t responsible for any of those, but he was arguably the Broncos’ most impactful defensive player with seven total tackles – second on the team – and one of the team’s key plays on that side of the ball. With less than a minute remaining in the first half, the junior safety snagged an errant pass from Mateer, extinguishing a scoring chance for the Cougars just before halftime and allowing the Broncos to enter the break with a 17-10 lead. 

Matt Lauter 

With WSU’s defense loading up to stop Jeanty on the ground, Lauter had a few more opportunities in the pass game. The Boise State tight end finished with just four receptions, but those went for a career-high 96 yards and a career-high two touchdowns. Lauter’s first score came on a 22-yard pass from Maddux Madsen early in the third quarter to extend the lead to 24-10 and he returned to the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, scoring on a 34-yard catch-and-run sequence that effectively sealed Boise State’s third win of the season. Before Saturday, Lauter had totaled just 114 yards through three games, including only 23 through the first two games of the season. 

Turning point 

The Cougars can point to multiple mishaps, mistakes and executional errors that may have turned the game at various junctures, but none felt more costly than a head-scratching play call late in the third quarter. Trailing 17-10, WSU kept its offense on the field facing fourth-and-1 from its own 27-yard line. Mateer made a push for the first-down marker but after a booth review, officials ruled him short and the Broncos scored three plays later on a 22-yard pass from Maddux Madsen to Matt Lauter to extend their lead to 24-10. The Broncos scored 28 of the game’s next 35 points to win by a convincing margin and hand WSU its first loss of the season. 

Ashton Jeanty 
Washington State limited Boise State’s star tailback much of the first half, but the Cougars couldn’t contain Jeanty for the duration of Saturday’s game or prevent another 200-yard rushing effort from the Heisman Trophy candidate. Jeanty’s tough running, and some poor tackling on the Cougars’ part, allowed him to get loose for a 64-yard rushing touchdown on the fifth play from scrimmage and the junior rumbled for his second touchdown of the game toward the end of the second quarter, shedding three WSU tacklers to give the Broncos a 17-10 lead entering halftime. Jeanty added to his rushing and touchdown totals in the fourth quarter, bouncing off a few more WSU defenders to sprint for a 59-yard touchdown, making it 31-17. In total, Jeanty carried the ball 26 times for 259 yards and four touchdowns, giving him more than 800 yards for the season. 
Ty Benefield 
Boise State’s defense applied constant pressure on Washington State quarterback John Mateer, bringing him down for seven sacks on Saturday. Benefield wasn’t responsible for any of those, but he was arguably the Broncos’ most impactful defensive player with seven total tackles – second on the team – and one of the team’s key plays on that side of the ball. With less than a minute remaining in the first half, the junior safety snagged an errant pass from Mateer, extinguishing a scoring chance for the Cougars just before halftime and allowing the Broncos to enter the break with a 17-10 lead. 
Matt Lauter 
With WSU’s defense loading up to stop Jeanty on the ground, Lauter had a few more opportunities in the pass game. The Boise State tight end finished with just four receptions, but those went for a career-high 96 yards and a career-high two touchdowns. Lauter’s first score came on a 22-yard pass from Maddux Madsen early in the third quarter to extend the lead to 24-10 and he returned to the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, scoring on a 34-yard catch-and-run sequence that effectively sealed Boise State’s third win of the season. Before Saturday, Lauter had totaled just 114 yards through three games, including only 23 through the first two games of the season. 
Turning point 
The Cougars can point to multiple mishaps, mistakes and executional errors that may have turned the game at various junctures, but none felt more costly than a head-scratching play call late in the third quarter. Trailing 17-10, WSU kept its offense on the field facing fourth-and-1 from its own 27-yard line. Mateer made a push for the first-down marker but after a booth review, officials ruled him short and the Broncos scored three plays later on a 22-yard pass from Maddux Madsen to Matt Lauter to extend their lead to 24-10. The Broncos scored 28 of the game’s next 35 points to win by a convincing margin and hand WSU its first loss of the season.