Carr, Fresno State avoid collapse, edge Boise State

FRESNO, Calif. — Derek Carr threw for 460 yards and four touchdowns and led the game-winning drive that helped Fresno State avoid a fourth-quarter collapse and snap a seven-game losing streak to Boise State with a 41-40 victory on Friday night.

Josh Quezada capped a 13-play, 87-yard drive with a 1-yard run with 2:14 remaining that put the Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 Mountain West) back ahead after they had blown a 15-point lead.

Aaron Baltazar had run for two scores, and quarterback Joe Southwick added another as Boise State (2-2, 1-1) scored three touchdowns in less than nine minutes to turn a 34-19 deficit into a 40-34 lead with just over seven minutes left.

But Carr completed 8 of 11 passes on the ensuing drive in front of a sellout crowd that included his older brother, David, before Quezada ran it in for the go-ahead score.

The game was sealed when cornerback Jonathan Norton broke up a pass to wide receiver Kirby Moore on fourth-and-6 near midfield in the final minute, setting off a long-awaited celebration.

Josh Harper caught two touchdown passes, fellow Fresno State wide receiver Davante Adams had another to extend his streak to 11 straight games, and Quezada scored twice.

The Broncos have dominated the series since upsetting then-No. 8 Fresno State and David Carr 35-30 in 2001. Boise State had won 11 of 12 meetings coming into this game, with the loss coming in 2005. Most of the games haven’t even been close, with the Broncos outscoring the Bulldogs by more than 30 a game the past seven years.

But Carr did just enough to give the Bulldogs the win with help from his defense at the end.

Boise State made uncharacteristic mistakes. Southwick threw an interception deep in Fresno State territory in the first half, and Jay Ajayi lost a fumble deep in Bulldogs territory after appearing to convert a fourth-and-1 carry.