Boise State waited until the fourth quarter to take control, then leaned on Dylan Riley to slam the door in a 38-24 win over South Dakota on Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium.
The game was deadlocked at 24 with just over 10 minutes left when Riley took over. He scored twice in the final period, and the Broncos’ defense backed it up with a key stop inside the two-minute mark before Travis Anderson sealed it with an interception on the next South Dakota drive.
South Dakota struck first after turning a Boise State fumble into a touchdown midway through the opening quarter. Boise State answered before the period ended, as Maddux Madsen hit Rasean Jones on a 9-yard touchdown pass.
The Coyotes punched right back early in the second quarter, but the Broncos settled in with a 12-play, 70-yard march that ended with Sire Gaines scoring from 3 yards out to tie things at 14.
Anderson then came up with his first interception of the night on the next South Dakota possession, setting up another Boise State score. Madsen connected with Cam Bates for a 4-yard touchdown, sending the Broncos to halftime with a 21-14 edge.
Boise State stretched the lead to 24-14 when Canaan Moore drilled a 38-yard field goal midway through the third quarter. South Dakota answered with a 59-yard touchdown pass late in the period to trim the margin to three, then tied the game on a 43-yard field goal with 10:33 left in the fourth.
That’s when Riley finished the job. He scored on a 2-yard run with 6:25 remaining, then ripped off an 83-yard touchdown on the first play after Boise State’s stop on downs to put the game away. Anderson’s second interception on the following drive closed out the Broncos’ 38-24 victory.
Riley led the way with 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Gaines added 102 on the ground. Madsen finished 22 of 31 for 208 yards with two touchdown passes, and Jones caught eight passes for 95 yards and a score. Boen Phelps paced Boise State with five tackles, including one for loss.
The win moved Spencer Danielson to 16-1 as head coach on The Blue.
Boise State also had a rare two-headed rushing day, with Riley and Gaines both topping 100 yards. It marked the 15th time the Broncos have done that since joining the FBS in 1996, and the first since Ashton Jeanty and Gaines did it against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31, 2024.
Jones’ eight catches for 95 yards made him the second Bronco freshman since the program joined the FBS to post at least eight receptions for 95 yards in a game.
Riley’s 198-yard, two-touchdown performance also put him in a select group, as he became the 10th Bronco to rush for more than 190 yards and score twice in the same game.
Defensively, Boise State held South Dakota to 36 rushing yards, the lowest total the Broncos have allowed on the ground since Hawaii managed 15 on Oct. 10, 2024.
Anderson’s two-interception night was the first by a Bronco since Jeremiah Earby did it against Colorado State on Nov. 22, 2025.
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The most eye-catching moment came on a flea-flicker, when Jeanty completed a pass to Kirk Cousins that turned into a 27-yard gain and helped set up a touchdown. For Boise State followers keeping tabs on the NFL pipeline, it was the kind of play that stands out even in a busy slate, especially with other former Broncos also turning in their own performances around the league in Week 2. [Read more 🡒]