Boise State will be without one of its biggest playmakers when it takes on Fresno State on Saturday night.
True freshman receiver Rasean Jones has been ruled out for the matchup, the Broncos said in their game day player availability report. Kickoff for No.
23 Boise State (4-1, 1-0 Pac-12) and Fresno State (4-1, 1-0) is set for 8:30 p.m. Mountain time.
Jones left last week’s win over Utah State after taking a helmet-to-helmet shot in the fourth quarter and appeared to be dealing with a head injury. His absence stings because he has been one of Boise State’s breakout performers, pacing the team with 23 catches for 359 yards and adding two touchdowns.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson didn’t dress it up much when asked about replacing him.
“It’s next man up for us,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said on Thursday. “I love Rasean, he’s one of our best players, but it’s next man up.
That’s what I tell the whole team. Carry the flag.
That’s the way it is, it’s no different if anyone at another position is down. … The great teams can do that.
The great teams have the depth to be able to step up and make sure the standard does not change.
“We’ve got a great receiver room, I think the world of our receiver room. There’s some receivers in our room that haven’t played a ton.
They’re going to be asked to play more, and that’s the reality of where we’re at. They’re going to step up and they’re going to be their best.
That’s what they have to do.”
Boise State has already been navigating several absences. The Broncos previously ruled out wide receiver Cam Bates, left guard Carson Rasmussen, and reserves Deuce Alailefaleula, Logan Brantley, Darren Morris and Jaden Williams.
With Rasmussen still sidelined by an undisclosed injury, Jason Steele is set to start at left guard for the second straight game.
There was better news elsewhere on the offense. Running backs Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines were not listed on this week’s injury report.
Riley has been the nation’s leading rusher with 108 carries for 685 yards and five touchdowns. He briefly exited the Utah State game in the fourth quarter after limping off, but he returned and practiced this week.
Gaines, who has missed the past two games with a wrist injury, is Boise State’s second-leading rusher with 234 yards and three total touchdowns on 45 carries.
“Those are two huge parts of our offense, huge parts of our team,” Danielson said. “So having them be able to go out there and compete on Saturday is a huge piece for us being successful. I was proud of the guys that stepped up in Si’s absence, and I’m glad he’s back.”
In Other News...
Boise State Just Found Passing Game Help In An Unexpected Place
Boise States 38-31 win over Fresno State offered a glimpse of where the passing game might be headed if the Broncos have to keep piecing things together on the fly. Underclassmen Terrious Favors, Qumonte Williams Jr. and Quinton Brown all stepped into bigger roles and combined for six catches and 55 yards, while quarterback Maddux Madsen spread the ball to nine different teammates in a game that looked a lot less top-heavy than Boise States offense has sometimes been.
The urgency behind that shift was obvious, too, with the Broncos leaning on younger receivers because of injuries to key starters. Head coach Spencer Danielson and Madsen both came away encouraged by what they saw from that group, and the performance gave Boise State something it has been searching for as the season moves along: a little more confidence that the next wave of pass catchers can handle real snaps when the game asks for them. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Enters Fresno State Rivalry With One Big Concern
Boise State heads into its Milk Can rivalry game with Fresno State in a familiar spot: highly ranked in the Mountain West chase, favored by 8.5 points at DraftKings Sportsbook and tied with the Bulldogs at 4-1. The timing also adds a little extra weight, with UNLV hosting North Dakota State in another game that could help shape the league picture while Boise State and Fresno State renew a rivalry that usually carries more than bragging rights.
The bigger issue for the Broncos is availability, because they will be without starting wide receivers Rasean Jones and Cam Bates, along with left guard Carson Rasmussen. Jones has been the teams most productive target so far, and losing that kind of production on the perimeter changes how Boise State can approach a game that already demands clean execution up front and enough balance to keep Fresno State from keying on one side of the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Got The Ranking Broncos Fans Have Waited For
Boise States surge into the top 25 of the Week 6 Coaches Poll gave the Broncos the kind of national recognition they had been chasing, and it came after a 38-31 road win over Fresno State that carried extra weight because of the way it was earned. Even short-handed, the Broncos found enough offense to keep moving, with quarterback Maddux Madsen throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns to help steady a game that tested their depth.
The ranking matters because it signals that Boise States early-season work is starting to register beyond its own locker room, with Georgia still sitting No. 1 and the usual national contenders filling out the top of the poll. For a program trying to build momentum, the challenge now is making sure the vote reflects more than one strong road win, especially with injuries already forcing the Broncos to adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]