LAS VEGAS -- On the day last month when Boise State senior quarterback Kellen Moore tied the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record for career wins by a quarterback, he pointed at the pictures of all of the Broncos' seniors in the team room.
"A bunch of people up on this board all have the same record," he said. "It's pretty neat." A fitting thought from a team-first star quarterback, but the reality is much different.
Only three of those seniors have played in every game the past four seasons like Moore -- tight end Kyle Efaw, safety George Iloka and defensive tackle Billy Winn -- and coach Chris Petersen says the Broncos wouldn't have a 46-2 record since the start of the 2008 season with anyone else under center.
Moore earned his NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision-record 46th career victory Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, as the No. 5 Broncos came alive in the second half and rolled 48-21.
Moore was 18-of-31 for 224 yards and five touchdowns without a turnover.
"He's the best that I've ever been around, for sure," Petersen said.
On the record-setting night, the Broncos turned in a lackluster first-half performance -- dropped passes, fumbles, a sputtering run game and sloppy tackling.
Yet they led 21-14 at halftime because Moore put nearly every throw in a catchable spot -- throwing three touchdown passes.
He finished with the fifth five-TD game of his career.
The wins record is meaningful to Moore, even though he doesn't shows it.
"If one is important, that would certainly be the one," Moore said. "The bottom line is you play football to win games, play well, be on a successful team, be on something great -- and that's what I've been fortunate to be a part of."
Moore's run at the helm has been so smooth that the Broncos never have trailed by more than seven points and their losses have been by one point (TCU, 2008) and in overtime (Nevada, 2010).
He has thrown at least two touchdown passes in 21 straight games and posted a 7-2 record vs. ranked teams.
"You've got to stay healthy, you've got to have good guys around you, but ultimately when you're playing on a team like that it kind of boils down to the quarterback, and he's done a really nice job," said Colt McCoy, whose record Moore broke. "My hat's off to him."
