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BOISE, Idaho – Sophomore quarterback Jordan Love passed for 363 yards and three touchdowns, but it was not enough as No. 14 Utah State lost 33-24 to No. 21 Boise State late Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium.
 
The game was a showdown between the top two teams in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West, but after scoring a touchdown on the opening possession of the game, the Aggies (10-2, 7-1 MW) allowed 17 unanswered points and could never recover.
 
Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien passed for 310 yards and one touchdown as the Broncos (10-2, 7-1 MW) captured the Mountain Division crown. They will host West Division champion Fresno State in the MW championship game next Saturday night.
 
With his three TDs against the Broncos, Love set the school record for touchdown passes in a single season at 28, eclipsing the previous standard of 27 set by Chuckie Keeton in 2012.
 
Love's final touchdown pass of the night, an 83-yard screen to junior running back Gerold Bright, pulled the Aggies to within 26-24 with 3:12 remaining in the game. That was the lone catch of the night for Bright, who also carried the ball five times for eight yards.
 
Boise State made sure that would be as close as Utah State would get as the Broncos essentially milked the remaining time off the clock. Running back Alex Mattison cemented the victory with his third rushing touchdown of the night with four seconds remaining, giving BSU its final margin of victory.
 
Mattison rushed for 200 yards on 37 carries, helping the Broncos outgain the Aggies 509-425.
 
Senior wide receiver Jalen Greene led Utah State with eight receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown, while fellow senior receiver Aaren Vaughns had seven catches for 107 yards – both career highs.
 
Utah State senior linebacker Chase Christiansen led the Aggies' defensive effort with a career-high 15 tackles. Sophomore linebacker David Woodward added 11 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks. It was his seventh double-digit tackle outing of the season.
 
The Aggies won the coin toss and elected to receive. The decision paid off as they marched 75 yards on nine plays, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Love to Greene in the right corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 11:14 showing on the clock.
 
Boise State was forced to punt on its first two drives before cashing in on the game's first turnover. Kekaula Kaniho intercepted a pass by Love and returned it nine yards to the Aggies' 39.
 
Seven plays later, the Broncos were in the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run by Mattison to tie it at 7-apiece. Haden Hoggarth made it 10-7 for the hosts early in the second quarter when he booted a 23-yard field goal.
 
A failed fake punt by the Aggies on the ensuing possession gave Boise State the ball on Utah State's 34-yard line. The Broncos turned the great field position into points as Mattison found the end zone for the second time in the game, this time from a yard out to make it 17-7.
 
Down by double figures for the first time since the season opener at then-No. 11 Michigan State, Utah State didn't take long to answer Boise State's TD with one of its own.
 
Like they did on the opening possession, the Aggies marched 75 yards on nine plays, capped this time by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Love to senior wide receiver Ron'quavion Tarver, making it 17-14 with 7:34 left in the half.
 
Those were the final points either team put on the board in the half as Hoggarth missed a 33-yard field goal wide left with just 27 seconds to go showing on the clock.
 
Boise State led 20-14 at the end of the third as the only points scored in the quarter came off the foot of Hoggarth, who made good on a field goal from 27 yards out. It was the first time all season the Aggies were held scoreless in the third.
 
Utah State junior placekicker Dominik Eberle kicked a 45-yard field goal just seven seconds into the fourth to trim the deficit to 20-17. Boise State made it a two-score game again, though, when Rypien threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Collingham, giving the Broncos a 26-17 lead with 7:23 left.
 
The Aggies, who are bowl eligible for the seventh time in the last eight years, will now wait to find out their postseason destination. Fans can sign up to receive bowl game and ticket updates at utahstateaggies.com/bowlgameinfo18.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.