Boise State didn’t just get a win at Western Michigan on Saturday. It got a breakout from a tight end who had been waiting his turn.
Senior Matt Wagner entered the game with modest season numbers - seven catches, 63 yards and a touchdown - after spending years behind former Broncos tight end Matt Lauter. With Lauter graduated, Wagner finally stepped into the starting job this season, and his role had been growing little by little. Against Western Michigan, it changed fast.
Wagner was Boise State’s top receiver in the 32-7 victory, finishing with seven catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Every one of those marks at least doubled what he had done previously this season.
“Matt Wagner comes out here and just absolutely balls, gets the attention, gets the throws,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said after the game.
Danielson had already pointed to Wagner’s blocking and team-first approach as traits that would eventually lead to bigger moments in the passing game. On Saturday, the Broncos built the game around him in a way that matched the matchup.
Quarterback Maddux Madsen threw for 204 yards, and 46% of that total went to Wagner. At 6-foot-5, Wagner found room against a Western Michigan defense that likes to swarm the quarterback, settling into the soft spots at the second level and turning them into chunk plays.
“There were definitely opportunities when we were looking at the installs throughout the week,” Wagner said after the game.
His biggest moment came on Boise State’s first touchdown. Facing third-and-7, the Broncos called a four-verticals concept against a Western Michigan look that showed a cover-three shell with a blitz. Wagner wasn’t rerouted cleanly, slipped into open space and turned the throw into a 34-yard touchdown.
“I was able to free release and split the safety in the corner there, and it was just a good play call against that kind of defense,” Wagner said. “It was executed perfectly, and obviously a good ball by Maddux.”
He wasn’t done there. Wagner later worked open down the middle for a 29-yard catch in the second half, then finished the night with Boise State’s final touchdown - a 2-yard lob to the corner that he said had been installed earlier in the week.
The Broncos’ tight end room had another encouraging development, too. Freshman Keawe Browne picked up the first two catches of his college career, totaling 21 yards. His first grab went for 16 yards and came right after a dropped pass that he could have secured.
“He’s growing really, really fast,” Wagner said.
“We’re gonna see him build a lot of confidence as the season goes,” he continued. “Similar to how it was for me: that redshirt freshman year, slowly building my role and slowly getting snaps. The more he plays, the more confident he’s going to be.”
In Other News...
Boise State Opens Pac-12 Play With Pressure To Look The Part
Boise State enters Pac-12 play carrying a three-game winning streak and the kind of attention that comes with a No. 22 ranking. After opening the season with a loss to Oregon, the Broncos have steadied themselves and now get their first conference test at home, where Utah State visits for a 5:30 p.m. Mountain kickoff on CBS Sports Network.
The opener brings more than the usual league-pageantry feel, because Boise State is expected to look the part in a conference race that will help define its standing nationally. Early betting lines have made the Broncos a strong home favorite, which only adds to the pressure to handle business and keep the momentum from their recent run from getting interrupted. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Sent A Clear Message Before Pac-12 Play
Boise States trip to Western Michigan offered the kind of complete performance coaches usually point to when the calendar starts turning toward league play. The Broncos left with a 32-7 win built on efficiency and control, with quarterback Maddux Madsen throwing three touchdown passes without an interception and Dylan Riley powering the run game with 138 yards and a score.
What stood out just as much was how thoroughly Boise State handled things on the other side of the ball. The Broncos owned time of possession and held Western Michigan to 223 total yards and seven points, the sort of road showing that can travel well as Pac-12 play approaches and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Is Turning Its Pac-12 Home Opener Into A Throwback Moment
Before Boise State begins Pac-12 conference play at home against Utah State, the program is leaning into a piece of its own history. Coach Spencer Danielson helped set the tone at a recent press conference by wearing a special hoodie honoring the 20th anniversary of the Broncos undefeated 2007 team, the group that capped that unforgettable run with a Fiesta Bowl win.
The milestone celebration will carry into Albertsons Stadium, where several members of that 2007 team are set to be on hand, including Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson. For a fan base that still takes pride in that era, it gives this home opener a little extra meaning beyond the standings and the conference debut. [Read more 🡒]