Boise State rolls past Miami (Ohio) 39-12

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - D.J. Harper rushed for a career-high 162 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns to power Boise State past Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.

Boise State (1-1) won its eleventh straight home opener, rebounding from a season-opening loss two weeks ago at Michigan State.

Miami (1-2) lost for the second time in as many visits to Boise State, faring better than the RedHawks' previous 48-0 loss in 2009.

Harper, a sixth-year senior who was granted a medical redshirt and an extra year of eligibility, topped his previous career high of 153 yards against Fresno State in 2007.

"I've waited a long time for this and I'm really excited for the opportunity," said Harper, who also caught a 21-yard touchdown pass and ran in a 2-point conversion. "When an opportunity presents itself you want to make the most of it, and I felt like that's what I did today."

After Boise State's offense struggled against Michigan State, quarterback Joe Southwick completed 24-of-31 passing attempts for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

"We were able to stay on the field a little bit longer than the last game, and we were able to get into a rhythm," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "We were still a little bit shaky early on.

"But it was probably good for us to go through that, stumble on ourselves a bit, because we're going to have some tight games down the road. It's good for those kids to have to battle through those things."

Miami took advantage of Boise State's early miscues to keep pace, intercepting a pass in the end zone and forcing a fumble deep in Broncos' territory.

With Miami trailing 8-3 midway through the second quarter, RedHawk linebacker Pat Hinkel recovered a fumble at the Boise State 9.

Three plays later, Andy Cruse caught a 2-yard pass from running back Spencer Treadwell to give the RedHawks a 9-8 lead with 4:39 left in the half.

But Boise State answered with a six-play, 75-yard drive, which included a 53-yard pass play from Southwick to Aaron Burks and ended on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Harper. The extra point gave Boise State a 15-9 halftime lead.

In the second half, Boise State took control, scoring on its first four possessions and holding Miami to 92 yards of total offense. The RedHawks finished with 227 yards of total offense, while Boise State rolled up 599 yards.

Miami quarterback Zac Dysert, who entered the season as the third leading passer among active FBS quarterbacks, was 20-of-27 passing for 176 yards.

"I think through the course of the game, you have to be perfect from our perspective, and be hitting all cylinders when you play against a tremendous team like Boise," Miami coach Don Treadwell said. "There were some times that we did that, and at the same time, they've got great players. And at some point, they are going to make some great plays, too, as they did."