Boise State escaped Saturday night with a win, but the Broncos also walked away with a fresh reminder of what’s been bothering them on defense.
The Broncos beat South Dakota 38-24 at Albertsons Stadium, finishing the game with the final 14 points after the undefeated Coyotes pushed them all the way into the fourth quarter. Boise State was a heavy favorite entering the night, but the Football Championship Subdivision’s No. 10 team made it messy for long stretches and kept the home crowd uneasy until the end.
South Dakota struck first and kept answering. The Coyotes led 7-0 and 14-7 in the first half, then hung around long enough to make this one feel far more competitive than a typical Boise State nonconference game.
They were down only 21-14 at halftime, pulled even at 24-24 with seven minutes left, and even had another chance after a muffed punt. The Broncos’ defense finally slammed the door on downs, and Dylan Riley followed with an 83-yard touchdown run to finish it off.
Boise State’s offense had to fight through another sluggish opening before it could settle in. The Broncos started with a punt, then a Riley fumble, then a turnover on downs before stringing together three long touchdown drives.
That’s now become a trend at home, where Boise State also fell behind 17-3 against Memphis last week. After the season-opening game at Oregon, where the Broncos led 17-14 at halftime, the early energy at Albertsons Stadium has looked a lot different.
“There’s a reason for it. Sitting here right now in front of you, if I had the answer, I would have fixed it last week,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said.
“But we’ve got to find a way to start better. And I’m going to look at practice, look at messaging, look at what we’re doing to make sure our guys can come out and play fast and execute at a high level.”
One reason the offense eventually found its footing: freshman receiver Rasean Jones keeps making plays that look way beyond his age.
The 18-year-old, 6-foot-2 target made one of the night’s most impressive grabs when he slipped on a 3rd-and-5 route, still managed to haul in a 5-yard catch, and kept the drive alive. One play later, he turned that sequence into a 9-yard touchdown catch from fifth-year quarterback Maddux Madsen to tie the game at 7-7.
“I’m getting a lot of trust with (Madsen), for sure,” Jones said. “Just understanding his thought process and what’s going through his head, and how I can be in my spots and make sure when he’s ready to throw, I’m available.”
Jones finished with 95 yards on eight catches, including receptions of 31 and 14 yards. Through three games, he leads Boise State with 15 catches for 232 yards, and Saturday’s touchdown was his first. Senior Akeem Wright is next on the list with six catches for 107 yards.
The bigger issue, though, is still on the other side of the ball. Boise State came in already near the bottom nationally in passing yards allowed per game, and the numbers against South Dakota didn’t help much.
Of the 279 total yards the Broncos allowed, 243 came through the air. South Dakota completed just 11 passes, but two of them went for touchdowns, and the Coyotes repeatedly found space downfield for chunk gains of 46, 40, 59 and 16 yards.
Danielson pointed to the coverage breakdowns afterward.
“We had a lack of leverage tonight at certain times,” Danielson said. “... You’ve got to trust your leverage because there’s help outside of where you have leverage, and we didn’t keep that.”
The Broncos did get a major lift from junior defensive back Travis Anderson. The 5-foot-11 safety picked off two passes, giving him three interceptions on the season. His second interception ended South Dakota’s final possession and helped seal the victory.
“I think success leaves clues,” said senior defensive end Max Stege, who had two solo tackles. “When you watch at Trav, the way he works every day, it’s no surprise to me that he’s a man of the moment.”
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