Junior Ryan Mathews sprinted for another breakout night with 234 rushing yards, the third highest single-game mark in school history, and three touchdowns of more than 60 yards in Fresno State's high-scoring battle with No. 10 Boise State that ended in a 51-34 defeat for the home team on Friday night.

The nationally-ranked Broncos, only the third Top 10 school to play in Bulldog Stadium, jumped out to an early 24-3 midway through the second quarter, highlighted by an early 30-yard Winston Venable interception return for a touchdown and a 60-yard DJ Harper scamper.

But the Bulldogs relied on their powerful running game and talented offensive weapons to cut the deficit to 24-17 at halftime after Mathews recorded a pair of 60-plus yard runs to quickly jumpstart the Dogs' comeback bid.

Fresno State climbed back within a field goal with 11:39 left in the third quarter when the lighting-quick Devon Wylie grabbed a 21-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Ryan Colburn in the corner of the endzone to cut Boise State's lead to 27-24.

Boise State's Jeremy Avery led his Broncos with 186 yards, with the longest coming on a 74-yard dash that Fresno State's A.J. Jefferson jarred loose at the goal line. The ball bounced straight into the hands of a trailing Titus Young for a critical Boise State score on a two-play drive immediately following the Wylie touchdown.

Mathews added his third touchdown just over a minute and a half into the fourth quarter on a 68-yard run to keep the Bulldogs fighting late in the game to climb back within a possession at 41-34.
Avery then answered with a 67-yard screen pass that restored Boise State's 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter and ended the Bulldogs valiant threat on a 69-yard run that set up a field goal. Avery finished with 186 yards on 11 carries, with 83 more yards receiving.

Colburn finished the night with 187 passing yards and converted two key fourth down conversions.

Bulldog safety Moses Harris led the Bulldog defense with 9 tackles, followed by A.J. Jefferson's eight tackles with six of them unassisted and one for a two-yard loss.

Fresno State (1-2, 0-1 WAC) will next face the Big East's Cincinnati Bearcats on the road in Ohio.