The Boise State football team opened the Andy Avalos era Thursday night with a lightning delay, a fast start and an ugly second half — losing 36-31 at UCF.
The Broncos led 21-0 in the second quarter but only scored once in the second half as Avalos made his debut as head coach. The Knights outgained the Broncos 573-302.
The game was delayed for nearly 3 hours because of weather. About an hour before kickoff, lightning struck within 8 miles of the Bounce House in Orlando, forcing the stadium to be cleared. The game was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Mountain but didn’t kick off till 7:45 p.m.
Follow along with our live scoring summary, news and notes, and breaking news:
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
BSU — Tyric LeBeauf 100-yard interception return (Jonah Dalmas kick), 9:58. Key plays: UCF was moving the ball quickly on its opening drive, getting down to the BSU 8-yard line on a 23-yard scramble from quarterback Dillon Gabriel. But the very next play, LeBeauf jumped the rout and grabbed an interception to switch the momentum. Boise State 7, UCF 0
BSU — Andrew Van Buren 3 run (Dalmas kick), 4:00. Key plays: Boise State had five plays of 11 or more yards on this drive, including a 22-yard run on Van Buren’s first carry of the game to get the Broncos to the UCF 3. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:46. Boise State 14, UCF 0
Second quarter
BSU — Khalil Shakir 19 pass from Hank Bachmeier (Dalmas kick), 12:50. Key plays: On third-and-2 from the UCF 31, Shakir breaks off a 7-yard run for the first down. The Broncos later get a 10-yard reception from Bachmeier to Octavius Evans on second-and-15 from the UCF 19. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 4:17. Boise State 21, UCF 0
UCF — Alec Holler 23 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Daniel Obarski kick), 11:23. Key plays: The Knights took advantage of three explosive plays on this drive, including a 30-yard run from Isaiah Bowser on the first play and a 22-yard run by Gabriel. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:27. Boise State 21, UCF 7
BSU — Dalmas 31 field goal, 5:06. Key plays: The Broncos converted on third-and-11 (Bachmeier 10-yard pass to Billy Bowens) and fourth-and-1 (Van Buren 3-yard run) on this drive. Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 3:35. Boise State 24, UCF 7
UCF — Titus Mokiao-Atimalala 8 pass from Gabriel (Obarski kick), :06. Key plays: Gabriel completed back-to-back passes of 31 and 28 yards to get to the BSU 16. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 1:21. Boise State 24, UCF 14
Third quarter
UCF — Brandon Johnson 3 pass from Gabriel (Obarski kick), 11:37. Key play: The Knights reached the BSU 15 on a 47-yard bomb from Gabriel to Jaylon Robinson, who reeled in the football with his fingertips. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 3:17. Boise State 24, UCF 21
UCF — Jaylon Robinson 21 pass from Gabriel (Obarski kick), :56. Key play: After getting sacked for a 5-yard loss by Boise State’s Isaiah Bagnah, Gabriel throws a 26-yard completion to Isaiah Bowser to regain the momentum. Bowser also rushed for 23 yards on four carries on the drive. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:24. UCF 28, Boise State 24
Fourth quarter
UCF — Safety, 14:55. Key play: The Broncos went three-and-out to end the third quarter and made matters worse when Daniel Cantrell’s snap went over punter Joel Velazquez’s head on fourth-and-12 at the start of the fourth quarter. UCF 30, Boise State 24
BSU — Shakir 7 pass from Bachmeier (Dalmas kick), 8:02. Key plays: LeBeauf picked off Gabriel for the second time and this time returned it 27 yards to the UCF 31. The Broncos then turned to playmaker Shakir for a 24-yard reception to set up the score. Drive: 2 plays, 31 yards, 38 seconds. Boise State 31, UCF 30
UCF — Isaiah Bowser 8 run (run failed), 4:16. Key play: Gabriel connected with receiver Jaylon Robinson for a 22-yard gain, and BSU’s Kekaula Kaniho was called for targeting on the tackle, which gave UCF an additional 15 yards on the play to go from the BSU 41 to the 26. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:46. UCF 36, Boise State 31
NEWS & NOTES
BSU’s Holani, Holomalia-Gonzalez out
Boise State will open the season without starting running back George Holani, a spokesperson for the team announced shortly before kickoff.
Holani made the trip and was on the field for warmups, but he was limited in practice this week and won’t play.
Holani missed much of last season after suffering a knee injury at Air Force, but he was healthy this spring and earned rave reviews from the coaches during fall camp.
That likely means Oregon transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio will carry the load against UCF. The Broncos can also turn to 240-pound senior Andrew Van Buren, who filled in for Holani last season and led the Mountain West with eight rushing touchdowns.
Backup center Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez is also out. Donte Harrington, a sixth-year senior, will get the start at center.
Boise State doesn’t have any players missing the game because of positive COVID-19 tests, the program announced.
Quick hits
The Broncos wore white jerseys, orange pants and white helmets. … Team captains Khalil Shakir and Kekaula Kaniho were joined by Riley Smith and Riley Whimpey as game captains. … UCF won the coin toss and deferred. … Boise State was led onto the field by long snapper Daniel Cantrell, who carried the Dan Paul Hammer, which was specially crafted by his father. … OL John Ojukwu carried the American flag and DT Scott Matlock carried the Bleed Blue flag.
A Twitter List by ByRachelRoberts
GAME DETAILS
The Boise State football team opens the 2021 season Thursday in a much-anticipated matchup against UCF. It is the first meeting between two of the most successful Group of Five programs in college football, and the Broncos’ first trip east of the Mississippi River since they beat Florida State 36-31 in 2019 in Tallahassee.
The game will air on ESPN. That’s channel 133 on Sparklight, 206 on DirecTV and 140 on Dish Network. Radio coverage of the game is available in the Boise area on 93.1 FM or 670 AM.
When: 7:45 p.m. Mountain time on Thursday
Where: Bounce House (45,301, grass), Orlando, Florida
TV: ESPN (Matt Barrie, Rodd Jones, Harry Lyles Jr.).
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Series: This is the first game between the programs
Vegas line: UCF by 6.5
Weather: 83 degrees at game time, 51% chance of rain, 9 mph winds, 76% humidity
THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE
Ask a UCF writer: Heisman candidate, Malzahn’s offense, Bounce House await Boise State
From bleacher runs (ugh) to Bronco Olympics (fun), Boise State football traditions thrive
Boise State’s Andy Avalos wasn’t sure he wanted to coach. What changed his mind?
Boise State hasn’t played in front of a large crowd since 2019. The Bounce House awaits.
Heisman candidate set to welcome Boise State to the Bounce House. ‘He can do it all.’
Keys to victory, betting line and prediction for Boise State’s season opener at UCF
Plan to follow Boise State football this fall? Here’s everything you need to know
Boise State-UCF: A rivalry that only existed virtually finally gets played in real life
Five questions Boise State has to answer as it prepares to debut new offense at UCF
Boise State’s famous tee-fetching dog dies suddenly. ‘Kohl was … one of a kind.’
Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise at Boise State. How will that affect the home opener?