Boise State’s 2025 Season: A Championship Exit, but Questions Remain Heading Into the Pac-12
The 2025 Boise State football season wrapped with a thud - a 38-10 loss to Washington in the LA Bowl - but the full body of work tells a more nuanced story. The Broncos claimed a third straight Mountain West title and showed flashes of high-level play, but they also finished with five losses for the second time in three seasons and dropped their third consecutive bowl game. As they now prepare to transition into the new-look Pac-12, there are some clear areas that need addressing.
Let’s break it down: what worked, what didn’t, and what Boise State has to clean up if it wants to be more than just a conference power in its next chapter.
The Highs: Another Mountain West Crown
Let’s start with the good. Boise State went 3-1 against the teams it shared the Mountain West’s top spot with - a group that included UNLV, whom the Broncos beat convincingly, 38-21, in the conference championship game. That win marked their third straight Mountain West title and showed, once again, that when this team is clicking, it can dominate.
But the season never quite reached the heights that many in Boise had hoped for. A 34-7 drubbing at the hands of South Florida in the opener set the tone, and Boise State never fully recovered in the national conversation.
With the College Football Playoff now expanded, and two Group of Five teams - Tulane and James Madison - making the field, the door was open. Boise State just couldn’t walk through it.
Back-to-back conference losses in early November - to Fresno State and San Diego State - sealed their fate. Both of those teams, notably, will join the Broncos in the rebuilt Pac-12 next season. And while Boise State did finish strong in the Mountain West, the broader postseason picture slipped away.
Offensive Consistency: Feast or Fizzle
If there’s one theme that defined Boise State’s 2025 campaign, it was the offense’s Jekyll-and-Hyde nature.
When the Broncos were rolling, they were nearly unstoppable. In their nine wins, they averaged a blistering 42.2 points per game.
That kind of production would’ve placed them among the top four scoring offenses in the country if sustained across the season. They scored at least 24 points in every win - and topped 38 in seven of them.
But in their five losses? The offense completely stalled.
The 10 points they managed against Washington in the LA Bowl were actually the most they scored in a loss. In the other four defeats, they put up just seven points each time.
Injuries played a role. Starting quarterback Maddux Madsen missed time in three of the five losses, and his absence was felt. Still, the drop-off in execution went beyond just one position.
Explosive plays - a point of emphasis for head coach Spencer Danielson all year - were a major indicator of success. Boise State recorded 75 plays of 20 yards or more this season.
A whopping 64 of those came in wins. Every single one of their 19 touchdowns of 20+ yards came in victories.
When they hit big, they won big. But when the explosive plays dried up, so did the scoreboard.
Penalties: A Self-Inflicted Wound
Another recurring issue? Penalties - and lots of them.
Boise State was among the most penalized teams in the country in 2025. With 97 penalties for 832 yards, the Broncos ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in both categories.
And the timing of those flags often made things worse. In losses, Boise State averaged nearly two more penalties per game than in wins.
Those mistakes weren’t just empty yardage - they wiped out gains on offense and extended drives for opponents. In tight games, those moments matter.
And in a season where margins were often thin, the Broncos too frequently beat themselves.
Quarterback Pressure: From Relentless to Regressed
A year ago, Boise State led the nation in sacks with 55 and rode that defensive pressure all the way to the College Football Playoff. But in 2025, the pass rush took a major step back.
Despite returning key contributors like Jayden Virgin-Morgan - who led the team in sacks again this year - the Broncos finished with just 28 sacks. That’s barely more than half of last year’s total.
Virgin-Morgan’s production dropped from 10 sacks to six. And the supporting cast didn’t pick up the slack.
Last season, safety Seyi Oladipo and even members of the secondary contributed heavily to the sack totals, combining for 13. This year?
Just 2.5 sacks from the entire secondary.
The Broncos did manage five sacks in the LA Bowl loss to Washington, but that was an outlier. In losses to Notre Dame, Fresno State, and San Diego State, they didn’t register a single sack. That lack of disruption up front allowed opposing quarterbacks too much time, and the defense couldn’t consistently get off the field.
Looking Ahead: The Pac-12 Era Begins
Boise State now turns the page to a new era. With the Mountain West in the rearview mirror and a spot in the restructured Pac-12 on deck, the stakes are rising. The Broncos have the pedigree, the facilities, and the fan base to compete at a higher level - but they’ll need to clean up the inconsistency, discipline, and defensive pressure issues that held them back in 2025.
There’s no question that the foundation is still strong. Championship banners don’t hang themselves. But if Boise State wants to contend for more than just conference titles in its next chapter, the offseason work starts now.