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AP News

No. 5 Boise State survives Louisiana Tech 45-35

Saturday, November 07, 2009
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

RUSTON, La. (AP) Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore relished the opportunity to pull out a close game for a change.

''It's kind of fun playing in tight games,'' Moore said. ''Throw in a little pressure and it just shows the resiliency of this team.''

When Louisiana Tech got closer than a field goal early in the fourth quarter, Moore and fifth-ranked Boise State slammed the door by scoring a pair of quick touchdowns to stay unbeaten and put away a 45-35 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday night.

''We know we are going to have people's best shots,'' said Moore, who passed for 354 yards and three touchdowns. ''We made more plays then they did tonight when it mattered and we were able to finish it out.''

With an opportunity to show a national television audience why they should once again become a BCS buster, a close game on the road was not what the Broncos had in mind. They might have preferred something more like their 54-9 win at Hawaii or their 45-7 triumph at San Jose State.

Tech, however, pulled to 30-28 early in the fourth quarter on Dennis Morris' leaping catch in the corner of the end zone. But the Broncos' defense buckled down long enough after that for Boise State to pull away with touchdowns on Moore's 12-yard pass to Austin Pettis and Jeremy Avery's 44-yard run.

Avery finished with 146 yards rushing, while Titus Young caught eight passes for 110 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown for Boise State (9-0, 4-0 Western Athletic Conference).

Boise State has scored no fewer than 45 points in each of its four WAC games this season.

Still, the Broncos could have used a more dominant victory in their quest to prove they are more deserving than unbeaten and sixth-ranked TCU for a Bowl Championship Series bid.

''That's how it always is when we play,'' Boise State coach Chris Peterson said. ''It's never good enough, but it's good enough for us. We are going to try to do better next week and just go from there.''

Trailing 27-7 at halftime, Tech (3-6, 2-4) made a game of it in the third quarter, starting with Josh Victorian's first career touchdown on a 75-yard interception return. The Bulldogs later marched 73 yards, scoring on Ross Jenkins' 9-yard keeper around the right end to make it 30-21.

Tech's Matt Nelson then caught the Broncos napping with an onside kick that he recovered himself, leading to Morris' TD.

''I was really proud at how well we did in the second half,'' Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley said. ''We didn't make the plays at the end of the game we needed to win, but if we keep fighting the way we've been fighting, we'll play out of it eventually.''

Jenkins finished 10 of 19 for 114 yards and one interception. Daniel Porter rushed for 92 yards and a score for Tech.

Moore's three TD passes gave him 27 on the season, eclipsing the 25 he had last year as a freshman.

Pettis finished with nine catches for 105 yards. Richie Brockel had a 2-yard TD catch in the first half and Doug Martin scored on 2-yard run for the Broncos.

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AP Wire - California