Just a day after the Philadelphia Eagles won their second Super Bowl in franchise history, the Eagles are expected to lose one of their coordinators.
Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is expected to fill the New Orleans Saints head coaching vacancy. Reports were pointing toward the Saints naming Moore as their next head coach even before the Eagles’ 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
When/if Moore is given the job, he’ll already have a quarterback in place in Derek Carr. Although Moore and Carr have never been on the same team together in any capacity in the NFL, these two quarterbacks did face each other in college.
Carr played quarterback for Fresno State in 2011 when Moore was starring for Boise State, and they had a meeting on the gridiron that Carr would surely like to forget.
Let’s revisit when Moore’s Broncos defeated Carr’s Bulldogs by a whopping 50 points 15 years ago.
Did Kellen Moore play against Derek Carr in college?
These two quarterbacks dueled back in 2011. At the time, Moore was a senior quarterback for Boise State, and Carr was a redshirt sophomore in his first season as a starter at Fresno State.
The Broncos entered this game undefeated under longtime head coach Chris Peterson. Fresno State was 3-4, struggling during what would be head coach Pat Hill’s last season with the Bulldogs.
Moore’s Boise State team got the best of Fresno State in this one, as the Broncos won 57-7 in dominant fashion. The Broncos led 37-0 at halftime, as Fresno State’s offense was held to five three-and-outs and two fumbles in the first half. Carr threw one of Fresno’s two INTs in the second half before being benched, as Boise State cruised to a 50-point victory.
Moore had himself a day, going 23-for-31 with 254 yards passing and three touchdowns. Carr finished with 126 yards passing with two interceptions.
‘We have a sense of urgency,” Moore said after the win. ”We certainly understand the history between the two. You have to be prepared when you play these guys. You have to come with a lot of energy and start fast.”
Fresno State’s only points came off a punt return for a touchdown.
Fresno State finished 4-9 that season, firing head coach Pat Hill at the end of the year. Boise State finished 12-1, with a lone loss to TCU. The Broncos defeated Arizona State 56-24 in the Maaco Bowl.
Kellen Moore playing career
Moore spent four seasons in college at Boise State. From 2008-11, he threw for 14,667 yards with 142 touchdowns and 28 interceptions with the Broncos. Boise State won three straight WAC conference titles from 2008-10, including a Fiesta Bowl victory over TCU during the 2009-10 season. He still holds the record for most victories by a Division 1 quarterback with 50.
Moore entered the 2012 NFL Draft, but he was not selected. He spent 2012-2014 with the Detroit Lions, failing to see any playing time. He finished his career as a backup quarterback in Dallas from 2015-17, completing 61 passes for 779 yards four touchdowns, and six interceptions in his three games during the 2015 season. He retired from football in 2018.
Boise State-Fresno State rivalry history
These two teams play each other every year inside the Mountain West, but even before these teams both joined the MWC, they had a rivalry that dated back to the 1970s.
Although Fresno State won the first three games in this series in 1977, 1984, and 1996, the Broncos won 13 of the last 15 meetings from 2001-14.
One of the most memorable games in this rivalry came in 2001. Boise State had joined the Western Athletic Conference and faced a then-No. 8 Fresno State team and won 35-30. At the time, the Bulldogs were undefeated and in line for a BCS bowl bid.
Since 2014, the series is an even 3-3 split, and these teams have met four times in the Mountain West title game, dating back to 2014. The Broncos hold a 17-9 edge lead in the all-time series, with the Bulldogs winning the past two meetings.
The two play every year for a can of milk, which, sure, is a weird rivalry trophy, but they play for a trophy with each meeting nonetheless!
Victor E Bulldog guarding the milk can, which goes to the winner of the Fresno State-Boise state rivalry. Broncos lead at halftime, 16-7. pic.twitter.com/34lfByH9Jv
— Andrew Marden (@andrewmarden) November 7, 2021
Kellen Moore coaching career
After he retired from football in 2018, he joined the Cowboys staff as their quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019 and held the job through the 2022-23 season under head coaches Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy.
During the 2023-24 season, he was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers, who finished 5-12. With a new regime led by Jim Harbaugh coming in, Moore was relieved of his duties with L.A.
Before the 2024 season, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni hired Moore as his new offensive coordinator. It’s been Moore’s best coaching job yet, as the Eagles’ produced the league’s best rushing offense with running back Saquon Barkley. He also helped his quarterback Jalen Hurts win Super Bowl MVP after throwing for 221 yards with two touchdowns, including 72 rushing yards with another score against the Chiefs.
MORE: Sirianni wants to “run it back” with OC Kellen Moore
Saints QB depth chart
Derek Carr played in just 10 games for the Saints last season, dealing with a hand injury in addition to a concussion. The Saints rotated between backup quarterbacks Jake Haener, who also went to Fresno State, and Spencer Rattler. New Orleans finished 5-12 last season.
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Rank |
Player |
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Derek Carr |
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Spencer Rattler |
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Jake Haener |
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Ben DiNucci* |
*Reserve/future roster
