For three quarters at Martin Stadium, Boise State was in a fight it could not yet pull away from. Then the Broncos looked every bit like the ranked team they are supposed to be.
No. 21 Boise State broke free late Saturday and buried Washington State with three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter, turning a 10-10 game into a 31-10 win. The Broncos moved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in Pac-12 play, and they did it in a place where they had never won before.
“It was a battle,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said in his postgame radio interview. “We know we’re always going to get everyone’s best; it’s our job to bring our fastball.
…. Proud of our guys for finding a way to get a big-time conference win on the road.”
Washington State, now 1-7 and 0-4, had hung around long enough to make things interesting. The Cougars were down 10-7 at halftime, then tied it on a 47-yard Jack Stevens field goal with 5:53 left in the third quarter.
That was the last time the game was even.
Boise State answered with a 15-play, 70-yard touchdown march, then slammed the door with two explosive Dylan Riley scoring runs, from 33 yards and 72 yards, to put the game away.
“You go through these where you’re in the fourth quarter, it’s a one-score game, you’re on the road, and you’re just battling,” Danielson said. “There’s things that aren’t going your way … calls that don’t go your way, plays that you don’t execute. And you just have to stay together.
“It has nothing to do with your record, it has nothing to do with anything but execution. And our guys went to work, and our players made big-time plays down the stretch, and I’m proud of them.”
The Bronco defense also did its part, keeping Washington State quarterback Owen Eshelman from getting loose after his breakout start a week earlier against Oregon State. Eshelman, a redshirt freshman, ran for just 33 yards on 23 carries and went 21 of 40 passing for 190 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
Last week had looked very different for him: 289 passing yards, 136 rushing yards and three total touchdowns against Oregon State.
Danielson said the defense’s response showed real growth from two weeks ago against Fresno State.
“I’m really proud of our defense for learning and growing a lot,” Danielson said. “Two weeks ago when we played Fresno State, that was not our best outing on defense. We had a lot to learn and grow from, and I felt like our (defensive) staff and our players … did some really good things.
“We tackled way better, found a way to finish in the red zone, and just really proud of what we were able to do. We had to deal with a lot of formations, a lot of movers, and I think our defense made a big step this week.”
In Other News...
Boise State Faces A Real Test Against A Dangerous Texas State Team
Boise State gets a Halloween night stage at Albertsons Stadium on Oct. 31, with Texas State coming in for an 8 p.m. Mountain kickoff in a game that looks more dangerous than the point spread suggests. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Broncos as 11.5-point favorites, but that number has not changed the way Spencer Danielson is talking about the matchup, especially with a Bobcats team that has enough firepower to make things uncomfortable if Boise State is not sharp early.
Danielson pointed directly to Texas States offense and its dual-threat quarterback Brad Jackson as the biggest challenge, and that is the kind of profile that can stress a defense on any given night. With more Pac-12 games and betting lines in the mix around the schedule, this one stands out for Boise State because it is the sort of late-season test that can reveal a lot about how complete the Broncos really are. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Strong Finish Changes The Feel Of The Pac-12 Race
A road win in Pullman has kept Boise State right in the thick of the Pac-12 race, and the way the Broncos handled Washington State made the result feel bigger than just another conference victory. With the standings still crowded at the top alongside Oregon State, Boise State has now paired strong recent results with the kind of balanced team performance that travels well, leaning on the run game and a defense that made life difficult for the Cougars.
That matters even more with the schedule tightening and other league contenders dealing with their own swings in form, because every Saturday now seems to reshape the picture a little more. Boise States latest performance did more than protect its place near the top - it also added another layer of pressure to the teams chasing it, with the next stretch likely to say plenty about whether this early advantage holds. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Danielson Just Gave Boise State Fans What They Needed
Spencer Danielson has done enough in a short time to make Boise State fans plenty comfortable with the direction of the program. A 30-9 start as head coach, three Mountain West championships and a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2024 have already put him in rare company, and his rise has naturally started to attract attention from programs looking for a new leader.
So when Danielson was connected to the Baylor opening after Dave Aranda was fired, it was the kind of outside noise that could have sparked real concern in Boise. Instead, he made clear where his focus is, stressing his commitment to the Broncos, the community and the future of the program. For a fan base that has watched him deliver on the field, the message was exactly the kind of reassurance it wanted. [Read more 🡒]