Boise State gets one last non-conference test Saturday, and the assignment comes with a familiar label: the Broncos have to clean up a few things if they want to leave Waldo Stadium with a win.
Boise State, 2-1 and now part of the Pac-12, visits Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. Mountain time in a game that will air nationally on ESPN2. Western Michigan is also 2-1, and DraftKings Sportsbook lists Boise State as a seven-point favorite.
The matchup brings together two teams with very different recent résumés. Boise State closed its Mountain West run with three straight conference titles. Western Michigan won the 2025 MAC title and finished 10-4 overall.
One issue for Boise State has been the way its defense has handled explosive plays. The Broncos have already given up 12 plays of 40 yards or more, the most in FBS.
That’s a glaring number, especially after opening against Oregon, Memphis and South Dakota, three offenses that could stretch the field. Western Michigan doesn’t play the same way.
The Broncos lean on a methodical, ball-control attack built around running quarterback Broc Lowry and tailback Jalen Buckley.
Lowry’s longest completions this season have gone for 34, 39 and 44 yards, and all three were thrown to Aveion Chenault, who is questionable because of a lower body injury. Buckley’s only chunk run came on a 66-yard carry against Rice. That sets up a very different challenge for Boise State, one that could tilt heavily toward the defense if it stays disciplined and keeps Western Michigan in front of it.
Boise State also needs more from its passing game. For the second straight season, the downfield element with Maddux Madsen at quarterback has been missing.
Through three games, Boise State has only five completions of 30 yards or more. Two of those - completions of 31 and 32 yards to Rasean Jones - are the only plays that really qualify as deep shots.
The good news is that Boise State’s rushing game should have room to work. The concern is that the passing attack has to contribute more, especially on the road.
Western Michigan’s defense has allowed only two passes of 30-plus yards this season, and one of those apparently should not have counted. Boise State can’t rely on the ground game alone if it wants to make this trip count.
Then there’s the pass rush, which has been underwhelming so far. Boise State has only five sacks through three games, and this Saturday won’t hand it many obvious passing downs.
Western Michigan runs the ball far more than it throws it, with a 64:36 run-to-pass ratio in 2026. That means Boise State has to cash in whenever it gets the chance.
The target is clear: three sacks of Lowry. He’s already been taken down five times in Western Michigan’s first three games.
Boise State has the better odds, but the path to a clean win is pretty straightforward. Limit the explosives, get something going through the air, and make the most of the few pass-rush chances that come along.
In Other News...
Boise State Faces An Early CFP Threat Fans Cant Ignore
A trip to Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo brings Boise State into a September game that already carries unusual weight, with Western Michigan standing in the way of a matchup that could shape the College Football Playoff picture for the Group of Six. Both teams are 2-1, and with only one guaranteed playoff bid available to those conferences, this is the kind of game that can matter long after the opening month.
Boise State enters as a 7-point favorite, but the margin for error is thin when two teams with the same record are chasing the same narrow path. For the Broncos, this is more than just another road test in the early schedule, because the winner keeps its playoff hopes cleaner and the loser starts feeling the pressure of every game that follows. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State's Backfield Suddenly Carries A Big Question Into Western Michigan
A week after taking on an upper-body injury, Boise State junior running back Sire Gaines has become the biggest uncertainty heading into the Broncos nonconference trip to Western Michigan. Head coach Spencer Danielson and offensive coordinator Nate Potter said Gaines is working with team doctors and could still be available, though his role might be limited if he is able to go.
The timing matters because Boise States backfield has to be ready either way, and the Broncos have other options if Gaines cannot answer the bell. Junior Dylan Riley would likely see a bigger workload, while transfers Juelz Goff and Harry Stewart III could also be asked to handle more carries as Boise State looks to sort out the rotation before kicking off a road game with an unsettled plan at running back. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Heads Into Its First Real Test With Key Uncertainty
Boise States comfort level took a hit in the aftermath of its win over South Dakota, as the Broncos came out of the game with injuries to several important players. Running back Sire Gaines, offensive guard Roger Carreon and edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan all were among the names dinged up, and head coach Spencer Danielson said only that some players are back on the practice field while others remain limited as the Broncos prepare for a much stiffer challenge.
Western Michigan, meanwhile, brings some uncertainty of its own into the matchup, with leading receiver Aveion Chenault and starting safety Micah Davis both possibly unavailable. For Boise State, the bigger concern is how well it can handle its first real test while still sorting out the health of key pieces on both sides of the ball, a task that will say plenty about where this team stands early in the season. [Read more 🡒]