New league, same result for Boise State.
The 22nd-ranked Broncos opened Pac-12 play Saturday with a 37-18 win over Utah State at Albertsons Stadium, rolling past the Aggies in a game that looked familiar in all the right ways for a team that closed its Mountain West run with three straight championships. Boise State improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while Utah State fell to 1-4 and 0-1.
It was also another notch in a lopsided series and another clean start in league play. The Broncos beat Utah State for the 11th straight time and stretched their streak of conference-opening wins to 27 in a row.
Boise State wasted no time setting the tone. The Broncos scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and jumped out to a 21-0 lead.
After a rare Oscar Doyle punt, Jake Ripp turned a McCae Hillstead interception into six points with a 21-yard return to the end zone, pushing the margin to 28-7 late in the first half. Maddux Madsen and Dylan Riley drove the offense all afternoon, and the numbers told the story: Madsen finished 17 of 21 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, while Riley carried 18 times for 93 yards and two scores.
Madsen’s three-play, 75-yard touchdown march midway through the fourth quarter restored Boise State’s cushion to 37-18 after Utah State briefly cut into it.
For all the attention on the Broncos’ new conference home, the game also offered a clear look at the young receiver talent Danielson has been talking up. Head coach Spencer Danielson had been upbeat about the group during fall camp, and the pieces he pointed to were front and center against the Aggies.
Rasean Jones, a three-star local product from Rocky Mountain High School, quickly became Madsen’s favorite target. Terrious Favors, a four-star recruit from Georgia’s Carver High School, needed a little more time, but with Cam Bates and Darren Morris out because of injury, he got his first college snaps Saturday.
Favors added a 10-yard carry on the opening drive.
Jones made his presence felt immediately, hauling in a 63-yard catch on Boise State’s third play from scrimmage. He finished with five receptions for 88 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit. The early returns were strong enough to make the outlook in that room easy to see.
The defense, though, had a few too many leaks. Boise State has been solid on that side of the ball through five games, but Utah State found explosives both on the ground and through the air. Javen Jacobs ripped off runs of 46 and 64 yards in the first half, and the Aggies hit on four chunk pass plays, including a 31-yard touchdown from Grady Brosterhous to Eli Wood in the fourth quarter.
Jacobs finished with 10 carries for a career-high 139 yards and a receiving touchdown. Through five games, Boise State has given up 14 plays of 40 yards or more, and defensive coordinator Erik Chinander now has a clear issue to clean up with Colorado State, Oregon State and Texas State coming up next.
In Other News...
Boise State Made Its Pac-12 Statement But One Concern Lingers
Boise State handled Utah State 37-18 at Albertsons Stadium, a result that served as another reminder of how comfortably the Broncos have controlled this matchup over the years. The win lifted Boise State to 4-1 and kept it unbeaten in Pac-12 play, while also preserving its spot among the nationally ranked teams, with quarterback Maddux Madsen and running back Dylan Riley leading the way on offense.
Madsen was sharp throughout, completing 81% of his passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and Riley added 93 rushing yards and two scores to keep the Broncos in command. Even with the strong showing and the conference statement it provided, Boise State still leaves the game with one issue to sort through as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Keeps Winning But One Poll Snub Still Looms
Boise State kept its momentum rolling with a win over Utah State and got a little more recognition in the Week 5 Coaches Poll, but the Broncos are still waiting for a number next to their name. Quarterback Maddux Madsen turned in a strong performance, and Boise State drew the most votes among Group of Six teams, a sign that the people doing the voting are at least paying closer attention.
Still, the Broncos remain on the outside looking in while the top seven stayed put and Florida slid from No. 8 to No. 15 after a loss. For Boise State, the frustration is clear: the wins are piling up, the respect is inching forward, but the ranking itself is still just out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Looked In Control But Fresno State Questions Are Already Building
Boise State wasted little time establishing control against Utah State, scoring touchdowns on its first three drives and never really letting the game drift after that. The Broncos rolled to a 37-18 win, moving to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in Pac-12 play, with quarterback Maddux Madsen handling the offense efficiently and the defense adding its own spark through linebacker Jake Ripps pick-six.
The bigger test now is whether that momentum carries into a Fresno State matchup that already has some built-in questions around it. Boise State looked sharp in every phase against Utah State, with Madsen completing 17 of 21 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns and Dylan Riley adding 93 rushing yards and two scores, but the next step will be proving that kind of control can travel into a game where the pressure figure is likely to be much higher. [Read more 🡒]