Moore’s five TDs propel Boise State past Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio -- 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.

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 has 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 close to knocking off No. 17 Ohio State. But the Rockets couldn't stop Moore.

He was playing pitch and catch at times, spreading short throws to nine 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 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 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 the end of the third quarter, an interception by Jermaine Robinson. He also missed a play earlier in the period after he stumbled during a throw.

Petersen admitted there are times when the Broncos need to rely on their quarterback a little more than they would like.

"He's been doing this for a long time," Petersen said. "He's been doing this since he was a freshman."

Toledo kept it close early but had a couple of costly mistakes. A sure touchdown pass dropped in the first half and a fumble inside the Broncos' 10 in the third quarter were costly.

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.