Boise, ID – Boise State's backfield responded to an early challenge by Portland State and led the Broncos to a 56-14 win over the Vikings at Albertson Stadium.
 
Boise State rolled up 609 yards, including 342 on the ground, on their way to a victory and a 3-0 record. The Vikings dropped to 0-3 on the season.
 
Stopping Bronco running back and Heisman candidate Ashton Jeanty was always going to be a tall task for the Vikings. After all, Jeanty went into the game with 459 yards and nine(!) touchdowns in just two games against Georgia Southern and Oregon.
 
But, with a minute to play in the first quarter, Jeanty had only touched the ball one time. That was a minor victory for the Vikings.

Jeanty soon announced his presence though. A 68-yard run just before the end of the first quarter set up a go-ahead touchdown for Boise State. The Broncos finished that series on a short touchdown pass to take the lead for good at 14-7 early in the second quarter.
 
That set in a motion a second-quarter of dominance for the Broncos and turned a 7-7 first-quarter tie into a 28-7 halftime lead. The Vikings had 108 yards of offense in the first quarter, but only 46 in the second. Meanwhile, BSU quarterback Maddux Madsen threw two TD passes and rushed for a third in the second quarter. Jeanty had 127 yards on 11 carries by halftime.
 
"We wanted to limit their possessions and try to create turnovers and see what we could do," said Vikings Coach Bruce Barnum. "It worked for a little while, but then they unleashed number two (Jeanty). He's not the only guy. They rushed for a lot of yards. We lost the edge a couple times and they made us pay for it. You don't chase Jeanty down, but you don't chase the other guys down either."
 
In the interest of Jeanty's health and a three-TD lead, Boise State did not play their star back in the second half. In fact, it was Madsen who had the biggest performance of the day, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for a fourth. And, other than Jeanty, six other Bronco backs combined for more than 200 yards on the ground.
 
The Vikings totaled 277 yards and had no turnovers, but the Boise State defense forced seven punts and blocked a pair of field goal attempts.
 
Portland State's first quarter performance was encouraging. PSU scored on its second offensive series. The Vikings went 12 plays and 73 yards, 36 on the ground and 37 through the air. Quarterback Dante Chachere was making a dash for the end zone when he was hit at the one-yard line and the ball came free. Running back Delon Thompson pounced on it in the end zone for a Viking touchdown. That tied the game at 7-7.
 
On the Broncos next series, safety Jaden Dacosta forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle J'Querian Ladson. PSU drove with a chance to take the lead but a Mathias Uribe field goal attempt was blocked. Soon after came Jeanty's big run and the Broncos grabbed control of the game. They scored three times in the second quarter and never looked back.
 
Following their first score, the Vikings punted four times and had two field goals blocked before scoring again early in the fourth quarter. Chachere scampered in on a 10-yard run. He also completed 3-3 passes in the series for 64 yards. However, the Vikings were down 42-14 with just over 14 minutes to play.
 
Boise State added two late touchdowns for the 56-14 final.
 
Chachere led PSU with 202 yards of total offense, completing 12-18 passes for 126 yards and rushing 13 times for 76 yards and a score.
 
The Vikings had 147 yards rushing and 130 yards passing for the game.
 
Linebacker Peyton Wing led the defense with nine tackles, including one for loss. Cornerback Jamal McMurrin had seven tackles, one for loss and a pass breakup.
 

GAME NOTES

• Delon Thompson's unorthodox touchdown was his first of the season and the second of his career.
• Dante Chachere scored his 59th career TD (22 rushing, 37 passing) in the game. That ties him with his QB Coach Kieran McDonagh who had 17 and 42 for 59 total from 2012-15. They are tied for fourth all-time at PSU (Neil Lomax 119, Davis Alexander 88, Jimmy Blanchard 69)… Chachere is 12^th in career rushing touchdowns at PSU (22).
• The attendance at Albertson Stadium was 36,972, a sellout.
• Portland State goes on the road next week to play at Chattanooga. That will be the fourth straight road game for the Vikings, marking the first time that has occurred since the 1989 season. It will air at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN+.