It was a 2-second battle of David versus Goliath.
On the last play of the game, Fresno State nickelback Jonathan Norton’s job was to cover Boise State Broncos wide receiver Kirby Moore.
“We were playing coverage that if I brought Norton in as nickel, he was going to do a good job matchup-wise,” said Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter.
The Broncos’ goal was to get the ball within field-goal range. They were down 41-40 in a close matchup. It was 4th and 6, and the ball was at midfield.
Boise State quarterback Joe Southwick took the snap, glanced to his left and tossed the ball in the air. The ball was headed straight for the 6-foot-3 Moore. His arms were stretched out.
“I think Kirby had a chance at it,” said Boise State head coach Chris Petersen.
But the ball did not touch Moore’s hands. Instead, the 5-foot-6 Norton reached out and blocked the play. The pass fell incomplete and the Bulldogs’ victory was sealed.
The game-ending play was a part of a strong defensive night for Fresno State. Junior linebacker Karl Mickelsen’s 16 tackles were the most by a Bulldog in six years. He also forced a fumble by Broncos running back Jay Ajayi on a 4th-and-1 in the third quarter.
The Broncos ran 100 plays during the game, and that kept the Bulldogs busy.
“We were tired, but we were prepared,” Mickelsen said. “Coach [Joey] Boese has us in shape. We were well prepared for this. We knew we were going to get that W.”
“With the offense that we run, we know that [the defense is] going to keep playing a lot of snaps on this field,” said safety Derron Smith.
The Norton play was not surprising for the team. His impact on the field was more than just that game-ending save.
“He’s such a competitor,” DeRuyter said. “He does so many good things on and off the field, he’s a great locker room guy. People outside of our team probably don’t know much about him, but he’s a huge reason why we’re so close.”
Added Carr: “We know how good of a player [he] is. He’s a man-to-man guy. He’s feisty, just like [Robbie] Rouse was.”