Fresno State beats Boise State 28-16 for Mountain West title

BOISE, Idaho -- , When Fresno State’s Jake Haener was presented with his biggest challenge of the season , taking down perennial conference power Boise State , coach Jeff Tedford long knew his quarterback would be up for the challenge. Haener, who didn’t play against Boise State when the two teams met earlier in the season due to an ankle injury, threw for 184 yards and a touchdown to lead Fresno State to a 28-16 victory over the Broncos on Saturday in the Mountain West Conference championship game. Fresno State (9-4) overcame a 1-4 start to the season and a rash of injuries to win its final eight games, claiming the program’s third Mountain West crown. “We’ve come a long way since the first part of the year when a lot of people didn’t believe in us,” Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said. “But the staff did and the kids did.