Just days before Boise State and Oregon State meet in a Pac-12 game that ESPN’s “College GameDay” is spotlighting, both teams are dealing with quarterback uncertainty that could shape Saturday’s matchup at Albertsons Stadium.
The biggest question mark sits with Oregon State sophomore Braden Atkinson, who is “not expected” to play because of a hand injury he picked up last weekend, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who cited unnamed sources and will be in Boise for “GameDay.” Atkinson was listed as “doubtful” in the Beavers’ latest availability report.
That would be a major setback for Oregon State. Atkinson leads the nation with 3,169 passing yards, and the Beavers are already trying to stop a two-game skid.
“We’re still taking him through a few more tests to see if we’ll be able to get him out there,” Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard said on an Oregon radio show Thursday morning.
Boise State has its own quarterback situation to sort through. Fifth-year quarterback Maddux Madsen is still not a lock to return after suffering an apparent left knee injury in the fourth quarter of Boise State’s 46-45 win over Texas State on Oct.
- He sat out the Broncos’ 64-38 win over Colorado State last weekend, when senior backup Max Cutforth got the start.
On Thursday, Boise State coach Spencer Danielson sounded encouraged about Madsen’s progress.
“I’m going to work with our trainers for the official word, but really proud of where he’s trending this week,” Danielson said.
Madsen was listed as “questionable” in the latest availability report.
If Oregon State has to go without Atkinson, the Beavers would likely turn to senior Maalik Murphy. He came on in the third quarter of last week’s 42-21 loss to Texas State, finishing 5 of 7 passing with an interception.
Murphy’s path has taken him from Texas to Duke and then to Oregon State. He started his career at Texas before transferring to Duke for his sophomore year, then helped the Blue Devils go 9-4 in 2024. He transferred again to Oregon State, where he started in 2025 as the Beavers finished 2-10.
Danielson said Boise State has plenty of respect for Murphy if he’s the one under center.
“Braden Atkinson’s a phenomenal football player, but we’ve got a lot of respect for Maalik Murphy,” Danielson said. “He has a big-time arm.
He’s one of the top recruits in the country. Played a lot of football, started a lot of games, and has had a lot of success.”
No. 24 Boise State enters at 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Pac-12, while Oregon State is 5-4 and 3-2.
The Broncos lead by 14.5 points at the betting window. Oregon State owns a 6-5 edge in the series.
Saturday’s game is set for 4 p.m. at Albertsons Stadium, with USA carrying the broadcast. Nate Gatter, Ryan Leaf and Lauren Green will be on the call, while Bob Behler and Michael Callahan handle the radio broadcast on KBOI 670 AM and KBOI 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 84.
The forecast calls for a high of 54 and a low of 43, with 59% humidity, partly sunny skies and a 20% chance of rain.
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