No. 9 Boise State Routs Fresno, 61-10

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore (11) throws against Fresno State during the first half of the NCAA college football game on Friday, Nov. 28, 2008 in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)

(AP)

Kyle Wilson returned a punt 90 yards, wide receiver Tanyon Bissell threw for another touchdown on a smooth reverse pass, and No. 9 Boise State went from endangered to dazzling by scoring 48 points after halftime to beat Fresno State 61-10 on Friday night.

Ian Johnson ran for 128 yards and scored two touchdowns as scouts from three BCS bowls watched from the press box. The senior tied the WAC record of 57 rushing touchdowns set by Marshall Faulk at San Diego State from 1991-93.

The Broncos (12-0) trailed for only the third time all season early and were up just 13-10 after halftime before Jeremy Avery ran for a 43-yard touchdown three minutes into the third quarter. Then came three more touchdowns in a 3 1/2-minute span to clinch Boise State's third undefeated regular season since 2004.

"Just goes to show you how stacked this team is," Johnson said of the Broncos' second-half romp.

Representatives of the Rose, Orange and Fiesta Bowls watched the rout, perhaps pondering whether to choose Boise State over one-loss Southern California or two-loss Ohio State for a final at-large spot in the BCS.

They were greeted by cries of injustice and chants of "BCS" from Broncos fans two years removed from their team's fairy-tale upset of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl at the end of the 2006 season — when Johnson proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend on national TV following the overtime drama.

Signs of "Obama: Bring Change Soon" and "Boycott the BCS" were at the bottom of the second deck of stands at midfield.

"We don't have really have a message," Johnson said. "The system is what the system is. It's taken care of us before. We have no complaints about it.

"We just want to play in a game we deserve."

Tom Brandstater was 23-for-36 with 212 yards passing for Fresno State (7-5), which was outscored 61-3 after taking the lead on Damion Owens' 68-yard interception return. The Bulldogs cemented their ninth bowl berth in 10 years last week by beating San Jose State.