Moores 5 TDs leads Boise over Toledo
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) Boise State's running game sputtered again Friday night, so the Broncos decided to go to their best option.
Not a bad call when Kellen Moore is behind center.
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Moore threw for 455 yards and five touchdowns to lead the fourth-ranked Broncos to a 40-15 victory over Toledo.
"If we have to put the ball in Kellen's hands, we don't have any problem with that," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said.
Moore misfired on his first two throws but didn't miss many after that, connecting on 32 of 42 passes. Asked about the secret to his accuracy, the senior star had a simple answer: Practice, he said.
"It takes 10,000 hours to be an expert I just heard in school," Moore said with a laugh.
Asked how much time he's put in over the years, Moore answered: "I don't know. I've got a few hours."
It looked for a while as if Toledo (1-2) might give Boise State a scare just six days after the Rockets came within a play or two of knocking off No. 17 Ohio State. But the Rockets couldn't stop Moore.
He appeared to be playing pitch and catch at times, spreading short throws to nine different receivers all over the field.
"The way Kellen spreads the ball around, you don't really know how many yards he throws or who catches them all," Petersen said.
The Broncos (2-0) were leading 13-6 when they got the ball back with 1:22 left in the first half and marched right down the field for a key touchdown.
Moore connected on six consecutive passes to get down to the 1. He then lofted a throw into the corner for Tyler Shoemaker's second of three touchdowns and a little breathing room.
Moore also tossed a 26-yard pass to Shoemaker to give the Broncos a 7-6 lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter. On their next possession, Doug Martin dashed through Toledo's defense on a screen pass for a 71-yard score.
Moore's only glaring error came at end of the third quarter, when he was intercepted by Jermaine Robinson. He also missed a play earlier in the period after he stumbled while landing during a throw. But he came back on Boise's next possession.
Petersen admitted there are times when the Broncos need to rely on their quarterback a little more than they'd like.
"He's been doing this for a long time," Petersen said. "He's been doing this since he was a freshman."
Moore also was impressive in the Broncos' opening 35-21 victory against Georgia. He finished with the highest completion percentage (82.6) in school history for a quarterback making more than 30 attempts in a game.
Boise State came into Toledo hoping to get its running game on track after rushing for just 129 yards against the Bulldogs. But the Broncos had only 26 yards on the ground in the first half. Leading rusher Martin finished with 70 yards on 19 carries.
"It's a work in progress," Petersen said.
Toledo kept it close early on, but had a couple of costly mistakes. The Rockets dropped a sure touchdown pass in the first half and fumbled inside the Broncos' 10 in the third quarter.
It was the first time the Rockets lost to a Top 25 team at home in five games. The Broncos, though, were the highest-ranked team to play in the Glass Bowl.
The Rockets were impressed by Moore.
"I didn't like what he did to our defense, but if he was playing someone else I would say I'm a fan of Kellen Moore," Toledo running back Adonis Thomas said.
Boise State got back one of three players suspended two weeks ago by the NCAA for undisclosed reasons - starting safety Cedric Febis. They didn't know he'd be available until just two days ago.
Febis, who didn't start, finished with four tackles and helped force a fumble.
Check out the Boise State at Toledo Photo Gallery