Boise State bounces back

SAN DIEGO -- There wasn't much for San Diego State to do but accept the blame for a miserable start that doomed the Aztecs against No. 10 Boise State.

Kellen Moore completed 28 of 40 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns, three to Tyler Shoemaker, and Boise State benefited from three San Diego State turnovers to race to a 52-35 victory Saturday night.

The Broncos (9-1, 4-1 Mountain West Conference) rebounded from a 36-35 loss to Texas Christian a week earlier.

San Diego State (6-4, 3-3) remained winless in 19 games against Associated Press top 10 teams since 1969. The Aztecs are 6-59 against Top 25 teams.

As if the powerful Broncos needed any help, the Aztecs gave it to them and the game quickly became a laugher. San Diego State had three turnovers in the first 9:42 that helped Boise State take a 21-0 lead.

"There's no excuse for what we did in the first half," linebacker Miles Burris said. "We don't have a reason for it. We have to play better. What happened was unacceptable."

On the game's third play, Broncos defensive end Shea McClellin intercepted Ryan Lindley at the San Diego State 24. Moore responded with a 5-yard scoring pass to Shoemaker.

After San Diego State forced a punt, Leon McFadden fumbled it and Josh Borgman recovered at the Aztecs' 10. Mitch Burroughs scored on an 11-yard run.

Brandon Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 17 yards before he fumbled when hit by Blake Renaud, with Corey Bell recovering at the 23. Moore's 14-yard scoring pass to Shoemaker was the Broncos' second touchdown in a span of six plays.

"Obviously that cost us the game," Aztecs coach Rocky Long said. "Boise State's a great football team and you don't know how it's going to come out. But when your first three drives are inside the 25-yard line, sure that cost you the game."

It was Moore's 23rd straight game with multiple touchdown passes, the longest current streak in Division I. He was intercepted once, just his sixth of the season.

With 13,782 yards, Moore moved past Philip Rivers, formerly of North Carolina State, for sixth place in Division I career passing yards. His four TD passes gave him 134 for his career, moving him into a second-place tie in Division I with Graham Harrell of Texas Tech.

■ No. 19 Texas Christian 34, Colorado State 10 -- At Fort Worth, Texas, Antoine Hicks, Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker ran for touchdowns, and Tank Carder returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown, helping the Horned Frogs win at least a share of the Mountain West title with a victory over the Rams.

Coming off an upset win at Boise State, the Horned Frogs (9-2, 6-0) seemed a bit flat in the first half. They were outgained and had to settle for a pair of field goals, then followed a touchdown by allowing a long drive just before halftime, only to get a stop that forced the Rams (3-7, 1-4) to kick a field goal. TCU got rolling in the third quarter to hand Colorado State a sixth straight loss.

TCU extended its conference records by winning a 23rd straight MWC game and 16th straight league game at home. This was its second-to-last game as a Mountain West school, as the Horned Frogs are jumping to the Big 12 next season.

■ Wyoming 31, New Mexico 10 -- At Laramie, Wyo., Brett Smith rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another in leading the Cowboys past the Lobos (1-10, 1-5).

The Cowboys (7-3, 4-1) became bowl eligible for the second time under third-year coach Dave Christensen.

Smith, who entered the game the front-runner among NCAA freshman quarterbacks in total offense, rushed 12 times for 140 yards, the first 100-yard game of his short career. He scored on runs of 69 and 3 yards.

He also completed 23 of 38 passes for 212 yards, including a 26-yard TD pass on a blustery day when wind chills hovered around 10 degrees.