It’s hard to imagine they won’t play on The Blue again, but the day has come, and the Boise State Bronco (11-1, 6-1) football team and the senior class that has compiled an overall record of 49-3.
The boys played their final home game Saturday night at Bronco Stadium, crushing the University of New Mexico Lobos (1-11, 1-6) 45-0.
“Certainly we’ve been fortunate here to have a lot of big wins,” senior quarterback and 4-year starter Kellen Moore said of his final home game. “We enjoy that one just as much, if not more, because it’s your last one.”
Records are meant to be broken, and the tandem of seniors quarterback Kellen Moore and wide receiver Tyler Shoemaker did just that. Moore, who may have jumped back in the Heisman Trophy race, surpassed his own single-season record of 39 touchdown passes, bumping his previous mark up by two to 41. Against the Lobos he completed 28-of-33 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns.
Shoe, as Bronco fans have come to affectionately refer to him as, broke the single-season record for touchdown receptions with 15 for the season. The record was originally set last season by former All-WAC performer, receiver Austin Pettis, who caught 14.
“For me personally, to go through this whole journey with him essentially alongside the whole time is really special, really neat and he deserves everything he gets,” Moore said of his record setting receiver.
Defensively, the Broncos were led by senior safety Cedric Febis, who finished with eight tackles.
Febis, who joined the Bronco program in 2006 after playing at Bishop Kelly High (Boise), endured highs and lows at Boise State, on and off the field. He patiently waited his turn for a crack at the starting lineup, while also having to deal with NCAA sanctions that caused him to miss five games earlier this season.
“It feels like I’ve been here for eight years,” Febis joked about his tenure with the Broncos.
“The way it is here, we have so many good guys, and the best guy is going to play, so if somebody else is better than you, that guy’s going to play,” Febis said.
“Now finally knowing that I was the best guy, to go out and play meant a lot to me, meant a lot to my parents, to the coaches and a lot of my friends,” said a smiling Febis Saturday.