Boise State wins shootout agianst Fresno State, 51-34

Just when it looked like another Boise State blowout against host Fresno State, the game turned into a wild WAC shootout.

Jeremy Avery scored on a 67-yard screen pass and added a 74-yard run, providing just two of the many highlight-reel plays in No. 10 Boise State’s 51-34 victory at Fresno State on Friday night.

Titus Young scored two touchdowns, including a diving fumble recovery in the end zone after Avery ran it 74 yards to the one as Boise State (3-0, 1-0) won for the 57th time in its last 59 Western Athletic Conference games.

Yet few were as entertaining as this one. The Broncos broke out to a 24-3 lead then had to scramble to win and keep alive their hopes for making it back to a Bowl Championship Series game.

Fresno State (1-2, 0-1) got three touchdown runs of at least 60 yards from Ryan Mathews, but again fell short against a ranked team, losing for the 10th straight time against teams ranked in the Top 25. The skid started with a 50-42 loss to No. 1 USC in 2005. With the Friday night stage to themselves, Boise State and Fresno State provided enough big plays to last the weekend.

The Broncos had two 77-yard kickoff returns, an interception return for a touchdown, a 60-yard touchdown run by D.J. Harper, and three plays of more than 60 yards by Avery.

The first came on a long run that appeared to be bound for the end zone. But A.J. Jefferson poked the ball loose just before Avery scored.

With the ball rolling toward the back of the end zone for an apparent touchback and Boise State turnover, Young made a diving recovery before sliding out of bounds for the score that made it 34-24.

Big Ten suspends Michigan player

The Big Ten Conference has suspended Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton for one game for punching a Notre Dame player during last week’s game.

Video of the incident during Saturday’s 38-34 Wolverines victory in Ann Arbor, Mich., spread on the Internet. Mouton appears to swing at the chin of lineman Eric Olsen as they get up from the turf after a play midway through the second quarter.

Big Ten Commissioner James Delaney called the punch “unacceptable.”

Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez said he never saw the punch and that an official would have called any infraction. The Big Ten said the school had accepted the suspension.

Cincinnati loses linebacker Young

Starting linebacker Curtis Young is expected to miss up to six weeks for No. 17 Cincinnati after having surgery on his right knee.

The senior had surgery Friday, leaving the Bearcats (2-0) without one of their best defensive playmakers Saturday at Oregon State. Young started in Cincinnati’s wins against Rutgers and Southeast Missouri State, making 13 tackles with one sack.

Coach Brian Kelly also announced Friday that sophomore defensive back Malik James has left the team to return home to California.

California adds Texas to schedule

California has added a home-and-home series with Texas to its football schedule in 2015 and 2016.

Cal Athletic Director Sandy Barbour announced that the Golden Bears will travel to Austin to play Sept. 12, 2015, and then host the Longhorns on Sept. 10, 2016.

The teams have not played since 1970. Texas has won all four meetings.