BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…October 6, 2017, five years ago today:
Boise State earns a victory in Provo for the first time since 2003, beating BYU 24-7 before almost 60,000 fans. The Broncos won the battle against Eagle High grad Tanner Mangum, the Cougars quarterback who returned from an ankle injury to face his hometown team. Interceptions by Idahoans Kekoa Nawahine and Leighton Vander Esch highlighted the defensive effort, and a methodical running game spurred by 118 yards and two touchdowns from Alexander Mattison led the offense.
Boise State won it with its running game, chewing clock and converting third downs. It didn’t start out that way, though. Mattison had gained just 23 yards in 13 carries over the previous two games, and there was a public clamoring for Robert Mahone to start at running back. The redshirt freshman did just that. But Mahone fumbled on his fourth carry, and he was not seen again. So, would the Broncos go back into the abyss, with only the passing game giving them a shot at moving the ball? Mattison made sure the answer was no.
Mattison’s first 100-yard game had come the previous November in a win over San Jose State — exactly 100 in relief of Jeremy McNichols. But the game at BYU was Mattison’s first big one as Boise State’s offensive workhorse, and it snowballed from there. He’d log 128 yards the following week at San Diego State and later piled up 242 in the Broncos’ wild overtime win at Colorado State. Mattison had 1,086 yards for the season.
There was no doubt who the bell cow would be in 2018. Mattison rushed for 1,415 yards and 17 touchdowns, capped by back-to-back efforts of exactly 200 yards. His final game on the blue turf came against Fresno State in the Mountain West championship game, a defensive slugfest that the Broncos trailed 13-7 midway through the fourth quarter. Mattison then unleashed a spectacular 34-yard TD slog through the snow that should have allowed Boise State to take the lead. The extra point was blocked, though, and the Bulldogs went on to win 19-16 in overtime.
Mattison was chosen in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He’s been Dalvin Cook’s backup ever since, but he strikes while the iron is hot. Just last Sunday, Mattison started the scoring for the Vikings by taking a swing pass from Kirk Cousins and weaving his way into the end zone. His biggest NFL moment was probably in Seattle in 2020 in a Sunday Night Football matchup when Cook was injured and he was called upon to carry the load. Mattison ran for 112 yards in 20 carries (although the Seahawks won the game 27-26).
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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