BOISE — Boise State has been overwhelming visitors to Albertsons Stadium this season.
The Broncos entered Saturday night’s game averaging 54.7 points per game at home, with a winning margin of 31.7. Onto the blue turf strolled Nevada, losers of three straight, winless in the Mountain West and coached by former Boise State assistant Jeff Choate, who is in his first season.
The Wolf Pack promptly fell behind 14-0 and it looked as if another rout was in the offing. And then things got interesting for the Broncos, 24-point favorites. A bit too interesting. Or maybe way too interesting.
But in the end, they fought, stumbled, clawed and ran their way to a 28-21 win in front of another sellout crowd (37,143), the fifth in five home games.
So those home stats will take a hit, but No. 12 Boise State (8-1, 5-0) kept its spot atop the conference standings and stayed in position to host the league championship game on Dec. 6.
A victory in that game would clinch a berth in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, whose selection committee had the Broncos in the 12 spot last week in initial rankings.