Boise State-Arizona final score: 3 things we learned from the Broncos’ 38-30 Fiesta Bowl win

Another year, another Boise State Fiesta Bowl victory. After a slow start to the season, the Broncos finished a strong debut campaign under Bryan Harsin Wednesday with a 38-30 victory over the Arizona Wildcats in Glendale.

Boise State got off to a quick start, scoring three straight touchdowns in the first quarter. The first was a 56-yard run on Jay Ajayi’s first touch of the game, the second was a 57-yard touchdown pass to converted defensive back Chaz Anderson and the third was a Statue of Liberty touchdown run for Ajayi. After Arizona responded with a touchdown, Ajayi went full extension for his third touchdown of the half. The Wildcats ended up scoring 10 more points before the half, but a late Boise field goal made it 31-17 at the break.

With the game fairly stagnated at 31-20 near the end of the third quarter, the Broncos came through with another huge play. Boise State pressured Anu Solomon in the pocket, forcing an errant pass and a pick-six by Donte Deayon. If that sounds familiar, well ...

Arizona responded with a quickfire 51-yard touchdown from Solomon to Samajie Grant, and recovered a Boise State fumble with nine minutes left to give them another chance. The Wildcats turned that possession into a field goal, making it a one possession game with about six minutes to play. With one last shot at the end zone, the Broncos sacked Solomon to end the game.

For Boise State, it’s their fifth bowl win in six years, and their third Fiesta Bowl victory in three tries. For Arizona, the loss breaks Rich Rodriguez’s mark of three consecutive bowl victories with the school.

1. The Broncos aren’t going anywhere. Chris Petersen may have given way to Bryan Harsin, but Boise State is still Boise State -- beating bigger programs in the Fiesta Bowl. With their usual combination of clever offensive playcalling and strong play in the trenches, the Broncos of 2014 looked just like the Broncos of old, and it’s hard to see that changing anytime soon.

Boise State loses three starters from their offense: graduating seniors WR Dallas Burroughs and QB Grant Hedrick, and RB Jay Ajayi, headed to the NFL. They return all five starting offensive linemen and a potential star at wide receiver in Shane Williams-Rhodes. On defense, the Broncos graduate three starters (one on the defensive line, two in the secondary). That’s 16 of 22 possible starters returning for Boise State, who will make another run at a major bowl berth..

2. This might be the best mid-majors can hope for in the playoff era. Even with an undefeated record, it’s hard to imagine a school from a smaller conference ever cracking the top four for a chance at the national title. It would take a combination of an historic out-of-conference schedule, a relatively good conference slate and a whole lot of “eye test” talk, and the combination of those three things in one season seems unlikely at best.

A major bowl win over a power conference program is nothing to scoff at, and Boise State has gone out and achieved it yet again. The Broncos may never get their national title shot, but they have the opportunity for consistent ranked finishes and marquee bowl wins.

3. Arizona could take a step back in 2015. Arizona graduates six starters on offense, including three on an offensive line that struggled to deal with Boise’s aggressive front. The good news? Important playmakers Cayleb Jones, Samajie Grant and Nick Wilson return, and quarterback Anu Solomon will no longer be a freshman. On defense, five starters graduate, but All-American linebacker Scooby Wright III returns.

Rich Rodriguez has worked wonders with this program before, and it’s probably more than a bit foolish to doubt him. The Pac-12 South is one of the toughest divisions in the country, however, and any step back could result in a significant drop-off in the standings.