No. 20 Boise State is heading into Saturday night with its College Football Playoff push still very much alive, and the Broncos will try to keep the momentum rolling against Texas State in Boise.
The Broncos are the only non-power-conference team in the rankings as Halloween comes around, and at 6-1 overall and 3-0 in Pac-12 play, they have put themselves in the driver’s seat for a CFP berth. Their next test comes against a Texas State team that can score in bunches and has the kind of offense Boise State can’t afford to let get comfortable.
Texas State enters at 4-3, 2-1, with the 18th-ranked scoring offense at 37.1 points per game. Quarterback Brad Jackson is the focal point, and Broncos coach Spencer Danielson made it clear he knows exactly what that means.
"That quarterback is big-time," Danielson said of Jackson. "He can make every throw. If everything is covered and he takes off, hold your stinkin' breath, because he is explosive."
Jackson has thrown for 1,606 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions while also adding 382 rushing yards and five more scores. He’ll be paired against a Boise State defense that has helped keep the Broncos unbeaten since their season-opening 34-27 loss to Oregon.
That loss feels distant now. Boise State has won six straight, and every one of those victories has come with at least 30 points on the board. Last weekend, the streak almost slipped away before the Broncos erupted for three fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 31-10 road win over Washington State.
Dylan Riley was central to that finish. The national rushing leader went quiet for much of the day before breaking loose for touchdown runs of 33 and 72 yards in the final quarter. He ended with 128 yards on 13 carries, good for his fifth 100-yard game of the season and a total of 963 rushing yards.
"I knew eventually it was going to pop. I wasn't frustrated," Riley said of his fifth 100-yard outing of the season. "I just knew it was a matter of time, and it came when we really needed it."
Texas State brings its own workhorse to the table in Torrance Burgess Jr., who is fourth nationally with 889 rushing yards. The Bobcats have taken four of their last five as they prepare for their first trip to the Blue Turf.
"Boise has kind of been the standard of this level of football for a really long time," Texas State coach GJ Kinne said. "They have a really quality coaching staff, really good team, really good culture, the Blue Turf, all the things."
There’s another layer around Boise State this week, too. Danielson’s name has been tied to the Baylor opening that surfaced over the weekend, but he said he has "zero interest" in other jobs.
"I am so committed to this team and what it is and that's not coach speech, because I know everyone will say that and then two months later they take a job," Danielson said. "I can't be more upfront and honest."
Kinne has also been linked to Baylor, and his connection to the school runs through his father, Gary Joe, who was a linebacker there from 1986-89 and later an assistant coach from 2006-07. Kinne is 27-19 with three bowl victories in three-plus seasons at Texas State, and one of those wins came in a 42-31 road victory over Baylor in 2023.
"I love this place," Kinne said Tuesday. "We're working on Boise State.
I promise I can't think about anything else or we'll get killed. I'm super happy here."
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen has protected the football all season, with no interceptions in 189 attempts. He has thrown for 1,445 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Saturday will also bring a celebration of one of the program’s biggest names. Boise State plans to unveil a statue of Kellen Moore at halftime. Moore went 50-3 as a starter from 2008-11 and is now head coach of the New Orleans Saints, who are on bye this weekend.
In Other News...
Boise States Playoff Path Suddenly Looks A Lot More Real
Boise States road to the College Football Playoff got a little clearer after a Week 8 win over Washington State, and the rest of the Group of Six race did the Broncos a favor, too. The latest odds have Boise State at +105 to make the playoff, a notable jump from earlier in the season, and the Broncos are now in the best position among the Group of Six contenders.
There is still work to do, starting with a home game against Texas State and later a matchup with Oregon State. The opportunity is real enough now that every week matters, especially for a Boise State team that suddenly has a path worth watching all the way into the playoff conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Has Extra Buzz Around A Game That Already Feels Huge
Texas State coach G.J. Kinne is already treating Saturdays trip to No. 20 Boise State like a measuring-stick game, and it is easy to see why. He praised the Broncos culture and the challenge they present, noting the physical style both teams bring to the field, which should make for a rugged matchup even before kickoff.
The extra attention around the game has only raised the profile of a meeting that was going to draw interest anyway. Kinne also brushed aside the coaching chatter swirling around both sidelines, saying his focus is on Boise State and nothing else, as the Broncos prepare for a day that will carry added significance around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Maddux Madsen Now Has A New Link To Boise State Greatness
Boise States ties to its quarterback past are about to get a little more literal this weekend, with the school set to honor Kellen Moore in a way that underscores just how high the bar still sits in Boise. Moores college career made him one of the defining figures in program history, and now the former Broncos star is back in the conversation again as the current team prepares for a spotlight moment against Texas State.
For Maddux Madsen, the connection is more than ceremonial. The current Boise State quarterback has already heard from Moore, getting a surprise good-luck text from the man he is effectively chasing in the programs lineage. It adds a fitting layer to a game week that already has some extra meaning, with one Boise State quarterback legacy being celebrated while another continues to build his own. [Read more 🡒]