No. 25 Boise State heads to Fort Collins on Saturday with the College Football Playoff path sitting in front of it, but the Broncos know the route only stays open if they keep stacking wins.
That means handling business at Colorado State, where Boise State will look to move one step closer in a Pac-12 Conference matchup. Coach Spencer Danielson said the late-season grind changes everything.
"Everything that came maybe easy in-season is really hard now -- meetings, practice, a little cold outside," Danielson said. "You have to be your best now and it's hard. That's why you're going to see the college football landscape in the next month drastically shift and change, and the best teams will continue to grow."
Boise State comes in at 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play after surviving a wild one last week, edging Texas State 46-45 at home. The Broncos were down 39-28 before backup quarterback Max Cutforth caught fire, throwing three touchdown passes in a little more than 3 1/2 minutes. The last one, a 2:40 strike to Akeem Wright, finished off the comeback.
Cutforth may be back under center again if Maddux Madsen is not fully recovered from the left knee injury he picked up in the fourth quarter against Texas State. Madsen has completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,681 yards with 15 touchdowns and just one interception.
Danielson said the offense should stay largely the same if Cutforth gets the nod.
"They both have strengths and weaknesses different from each other," Danielson said. "But schematically, it's been our goal to have Max be able to go out and do all the things we need to do in order to execute the game plan."
The Broncos bring one of the nation’s most balanced attacks, averaging 222.8 rushing yards and 226.5 passing yards per game.
Colorado State enters at 3-5 and 1-3 after dropping five of its last six. The Rams were beaten 31-14 at Utah State last week, a game in which their offense managed a season-low point total and just 263 yards.
The numbers tell the story on both sides for Colorado State: 35.5 points per game on offense and 435.5 yards per game, but FBS-worst marks in total defense at 526.4 yards per game, scoring defense at 42.4 points per game and rushing defense at 261.1 yards per game.
First-year coach Jim Mora Jr. knows the challenge in front of his team, especially against Boise State’s passing game and a ground attack led by Dylan Riley. Riley has rushed for an FBS-best 1,049 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns, including nine on the ground and one through the air.
"He’s one of the best players in the country, one of the best running backs in the country," Mora said. "Huge challenge this week against Boise State.
They do things well. They run the ball well, they stop the ball well.
It’ll be a great opportunity for us to bounce back."
If Colorado State is going to spring the upset, Hauss Hejny likely has to deliver a big performance. Hejny has thrown 14 touchdown passes against two interceptions and missed time earlier this season because of an injury.
Last week, he completed 19 of 30 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown.
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What comes next is a demanding closing run that starts with Colorado State and rolls through Oregon State and San Diego State, a stretch that leaves little margin for error. Colorado State brings quarterback Hauss Hejny, while Oregon State offers a tougher test with Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree, and the stakes only grow from there with Pac-12 Championship Game hosting implications tied to that matchup and a possible playoff berth still in play if Boise State can keep winning. [Read more 🡒]