Johnson, Boise St. roll past Weber St.

Aug 31, 2007, 4:54 GMT

Boise, ID - Ian Johnson rushed for 128 yards and scored three touchdowns, as 24th-ranked Boise extended the nation's longest winning streak to 14 games with a 56-7 rout of Weber State.

The Broncos captured the spotlight last season by going a perfect 13-0 in head coach Chris Petersen's inaugural season. That run was illuminated by a wild 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, a classic that featured a hook-and-ladder and Statue of Liberty play in the game's most critical moments.

The team lost 11 starters from last season, but showed it still has some firepower, especially in the backfield. Jeremy Avery added to the big night on the ground by amassing 105 rushing yards with two scores. Senior quarterback Taylor Tharp, replacing Jared Zabransky, went 14-of-19 for 184 yards and a touchdown for Boise State (1-0).

'We went out there and accomplished exactly what our game plan was,' Johnson said. 'We started running the rock, the play-action passes and hit some deep balls.'

Opposing quarterback Jimmy Barnes was just 9-of-23 for 67 yards with a TD pass, and Trevyn Smith paced the ground game for Weber State (0-1) with 76 yards on 19 carries.

The Broncos wasted no time getting on the board, driving 80 yards on 13 plays on their opening possession to assume a 7-0 lead. Titus Young keyed the march with a 25-yard rush, and Vinny Perretta capped it with a five-yard TD run.

Boise State's defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing possession before Tharp and Young connected for a 54-yard touchdown completion moments later to up the advantage to 14-0.

The attack continued on the Broncos' net drive, as Avery broke off a 49-yard run on first down, setting up Johnson's one-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Boise State made it 28-0 in the final minute of the opening stanza on Johnson's 54-yard scamper to pay dirt.

The Broncos took their first possession of the second quarter and drove 63 yards on nine plays, punctuated by D.J. Harper's 11-yard rush for the score. After another three-and-out by Weber State, Marty Tadman returned a punt 60 yards to set up Johnson's five-yard TD run for a 42-0 lead.

Avery polished off the first-half scoring with a seven-yard touchdown run with just over a minute left.

Avery's three-yard rush early in the third made it 56-0 Boise State. Barnes' 21-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Eteuati later in the quarter put Weber State on the board, but the scoring went silent from there.

Game Notes

The Broncos are 10-1 versus the Big Sky Conference since moving to Division I before the 1996 season...Boise State improved to 52-2 on the blue turf since the start of the 1999 campaign...BYU has the nation's second-longest winning streak at 10 games...Boise State held a 569-145 advantage in total yards.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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