I do hope people are cutting Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen some slack now. We’re through September, and the month went better than hoped, with the Broncos ranked 22nd in the AP Poll, and Madsen has been more than solid. Western Michigan was not a Power 4 opponent, but you can’t dispute that it was a big game, and it was Mad Dog’s best yet this season. Sam Khan Jr. at The Athletic has ranked the top 10 Group of 6 quarterbacks so far, and he has Madsen at No. 2, giving him credit for having Boise State “in the thick of College Football Playoff chase”. Madsen has accounted for 10 touchdowns without turning the ball over once, his completion percentage is up to 63 percent, and his pass efficiency rating has risen to 151.4 (which is good).
IMPRESSIONISTS
Last Saturday was Matt Wagner’s day in Kalamazoo. Wagner did his best impression of 2024 Matt Lauter, pulling in seven Madsen throws for 94 yards and two touchdowns in Boise State’s 32-7 domination of Western Michigan. In fact, Lauter had seven catches only once, and his career-high in yards was 91 (both numbers coming against Portland State in 2024). Wagner’s big game came on a national stage against a fellow Group of 6 playoff hopeful. And speaking of impressions, Ben Ford performed a nice 2025 Ben Ford when he made a six-yard TD catch in the third quarter. What a feeling for Ford, who scored for the first time since his two touchdowns in the win over New Mexico last October, one week before suffering a third career torn ACL.
THE PICTURE OF PREPARATION
Boise State may not have been focused against South Dakota, but it was 180 degrees opposite in the Battle of the Broncos in Kalamazoo. Outside of some penalties they’d like to have back and a few missed tackles, the more familiar Broncos were all business in execution and effort in the 32-7 domination of the other Broncos. The mindset was evident on Boise State’s first drive, when it followed the touchdown by going for two points and getting it. The Broncos would not let Western Michigan up for air. They came within 93 seconds of their first shutout in five years. Coach Spencer Danielson enlisted his backups on defense to get it, and he was torqued that it didn’t happen. It was Boise State’s best big-game road performance since the 2023 Mountain West title game.
THE MUCH DEBATED ‘T-O-P’ STAT
Boise State is tied for first in the nation in fewest interceptions thrown, zero, and fewest fourth down conversions allowed, zero. But the Broncos are also leading the country in a stat that has a number: time of possession at 37 minutes, 14 seconds per game. Is that something to be proud of? The big picture is yes. It kept Boise State in the game at Oregon. It wore down Memphis in the second half. And it turned the tables on a Western Michigan team that had the ball for more than 40 minutes in the loss that should have been a win at Michigan. Exhibit No. 1 was the Broncos drive that started near the end of the first quarter and ended midway through the second—15 plays, 78 yards and a touchdown, covering almost eight minutes. Time of possession matters right now.
RUNNING BACKS’ ROLES
Will Boise State be able to replicate that Saturday against Utah State? Having Sire Gaines back would help. When Gaines went through warmups at Western Michigan, it looked like Boise State might have some semblance of its one-two punch at running back. But alas, Gaines did not play due to his arm/wrist injury. So it was one punch with Dylan Riley, and he had 17 carries for 103 yards by halftime. Western completely keyed on Riley in the second half, holding him to 35 yards on 11 attempts, but the rest of the Broncos offense stepped up and put the hammer down on the other Broncos. Boise State tried both of its transfers as backups—Juelz Goff rushed four times for five yards and Harry Stewart III three times for six.
THE ‘EXPLOSIVES’ OUTLOOK
The Boise State pass defense made strides in the rout of Western Michigan, but it’s riding a fine line. So it’s still a prudent weekly exercise to see if the opposing quarterback can throw downfield. The QBs the first three weeks definitely could, while WMU’s Broc Lowry was challenged in that area last Saturday, resulting in only 110 passing yards. Utah State’s opening day quarterback was McCae Hillstead, but he was injured in the Aggies’ loss to Idaho State and hasn’t played since. Grady Brosterhous has taken the snaps since then. The duo has combined to complete only 55 percent of their attempts, with six touchdowns against nine interceptions. And the key stat: they’re averaging only 6.4 yards per attempt. So you have to like Boise State’s chances of preventing those “explosives”.
DON’T FORGET THE FIESTA
This deserves all the promotion it can get. At the Utah State game, Boise State will celebrate the ongoing 20th anniversary of the 2006 season that ended with the you-know-what. There’s a reunion of players from that undefeated team this week. If you were around here 20 years ago, you remember the feeling: the takedown of Oregon State with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit calling it on ESPN, the rout of Utah in Salt Lake City (which happened to be 20 years ago today), the first Statue of Liberty at Idaho, the close call at San Jose State, the Tostitos and sombreros on the field at Mackay Stadium in Reno, and the grand finale in Glendale. That, of course, just scratches the surface. Fans need to rally around this happening and bring the house down for these guys on Saturday.
GROUP OF 6 QUIRKS
Chris Vannini’s re-rank of all 138 FBS teams is out. And there’s interesting stuff this week from the respected writer at The Athletic. First, Vannini has Boise State at No. 17, up from No. 22 last week. And despite the pounding it took Saturday, Western Michigan remains the second-highest Group of 6 team at No. 34 (Tulsa plummeted all the way from No. 19 to No. 68). Here’s a sobering number for the Pac-12 as conference play begins: the next highest-ranked team after the Broncos is Oregon State at No. 62. Texas State is No. 69 and Fresno State No. 74. Utah State is the lowest-ranked Pac-12 entry at No. 118.
THE RANKED AND THE UNRANKED
There are three ranked teams in the state of Idaho this week. Boise State became the third, of course, by debuting in the AP Poll last Sunday at No. 22. Idaho State continues to climb after its 28-24 win at Southern Utah last week. The Bengals, who are 4-0 for the first time in 31 years. are up two spots to No. 14 in the FCS Coaches Poll. ISU hosts Northern Arizona on Saturday. And last but not least, College of Idaho is tied with Keiser University atop the NAIA Coaches Poll after pulling away from previously second-ranked Montana Tech 35-19 at Simplot Stadium. Yes, we’re talkin’ No. 1. The Yotes are home again versus Simpson Univeristy on Saturday. Idaho is obviously unranked at 0-4 and has the thankless job of playing Montana State Friday night. But the game will be shown on ESPN from the Kibbie Dome.
KELLEN VS. ASHTON
I haven’t liked the Raiders since they left Oakland (both times). So the perfect scenario for me last Sunday in the “Boise State Hashmark Bowl” would have been Kellen Moore and the Saints winning—and Ashton Jeanty having a good game for Las Vegas. Neither thing came to pass, as the Raiders improved to a shocking 3-0 with their 35-27 win in New Orleans. Jeanty was held to 56 yards on 19 carries (he did have three catches for 37 yards). Elsewhere in the NFL, with Baker Mayfield out due to a dislocated thumb, Tampa Bay has signed former Boise State star Brett Rypien to their practice squad. The Bucs are the 10th different team Rypien has played for in his eight-year NFL career, although he’s only appeared in regular season games with three of them.
SOCCER’S A GAME OF INCHES, TOO
AC Boise took a painful 2-1 loss at FC Corpus Christi last Saturday, almost netting a stoppage-time winner when Thomas Amang hit the crossbar and Jake Dengler the post in a wild sequence. Then Corpus Christi scored the decisive goal in the 97th minute. That ended Boise’s eight-game unbeaten streak. They’ll have a chance to retool tonight before the final four games of the USL League One regular season when they host FC Cancun in their second international friendly. Cancun competes in Liga de Expansión, the second tier of Mexican soccer. ACB resumes league play Saturday afternoon versus Greenville Triumph SC at Athletic Club Boise Stadium.
THE ICEMEN COMETH
It’s already time for Idaho Steelheads training camp, as players officially gather tomorrow and begin practice Friday at Idaho Central Arena. And the ice will be packed with familiar players, as 14 members of last year’s Steelheads squad have returned. I don’t think the number has ever been that high as the team begins its 29th season—it’s a testament to the organization and to Boise and the Treasure Valley. The contingent is led by forward Ty Pelton-Byce, who enters his fifth season as a Steelie. Pelton-Byce has played 218 career regular-season games for Idaho.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by PINNACLE WINDOWS & DOORS and BOISE PREMIER BLINDS.
September 30, 2006, 20 years ago today: Boise State wins its 11th straight game over then-members of the Mountain West Conference by shocking Utah 36-3 in sold-out Rice-Eccles Stadium. It was a pivotal point in the Broncos’ march to an undefeated season and their first Fiesta Bowl win. Star linebacker Korey Hall set up two scores with interceptions, and fellow senior Colt Brooks notched his first career touchdown on another, as the Broncos had four picks on the day and held the Utes to 178 yards. Things were just as impressive in the stands, as the Salt Lake Tribune estimated that 8,000 Boise State fans made the trip. And they made noise wire-to-wire.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
