Boise State handles Southern Miss 40-14

Published 12:01 am Sunday, October 7, 2012

HATTIESBURG (AP) — Joe Southwick threw for three touchdowns and Boise State took advantage of five turnovers to breeze past Southern Mississippi 40-14 Saturday.

The Broncos (4-1) won their fourth straight by intercepting Golden Eagles quarterback Ricky Lloyd twice and recovering three of four fumbles by Southern Miss, which is 0-5 for the first time since 1976.

The 5-1 edge in turnovers came one week after coach Chris Peterson’s team used three New Mexico fumbles to survive a 32-29 scare.

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“I don’t know how we keep getting turnovers,” Peterson said. “But it sure makes things different for us. I’m not sure why we’re getting them — whether we’re just in the right place at the right time or what — but as long as they are coming like they did today, we’re going to be in every game and we have a chance to win most of them.”

The first interception came on Lloyd’s fifth attempt of the game and set up Southwick’s 11-yard scoring pass to Matt Miller that put the Broncos on top 7-0. Linebacker Tyler Gray returned his first-career interception 34 yards to the Golden Eagle 11-yard line, and Southwick and Miller connected on the ensuing play.

The lead swelled to 24-0 at the half when another Southern Miss turnover set up Southwick’s second touchdown, a 33-yard strike to Chris Potter with 6 seconds left in the second quarter. That proved to be an insurmountable deficit for the Golden Eagles, who came into Saturday ranked 119th in the country in total offense.