Boise State’s march toward the College Football Playoff keeps rolling into Fort Collins, and the Broncos may have to keep it going with a backup quarterback.
No. 25 Boise State heads to Colorado State on Saturday for a Pac-12 Conference matchup, still unbeaten in league play and still in position to keep stacking wins. The Broncos are 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference after surviving a wild one last week, outlasting Texas State 46-45 at home.
That game turned on a rapid-fire burst from Max Cutforth, who came off the bench and ripped off three touchdown passes in a span of just over 3 1/2 minutes. The final strike, a 2:40 connection to Akeem Wright, finished off the comeback after Boise State had fallen behind 39-28.
Cutforth is in line to start this week because Maddux Madsen is still working back from the left knee injury he suffered in the fourth quarter against Texas State. Before the injury, Madsen had completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,681 yards, 15 touchdowns and only one interception.
Spencer Danielson said the offense shouldn’t look drastically different with Cutforth running it.
"They both have strengths and weaknesses different from each other," Danielson said. "But schematically, it's been our goal to have Max be able to go out and do all the things we need to do in order to execute the game plan."
Boise State’s attack has been built on balance all season. The Broncos are averaging 222.8 rushing yards and 226.5 passing yards per game, a mix that has helped keep them on track in the conference race.
Danielson also pointed to the grind that comes with this stretch of the season.
"Everything that came maybe easy in-season is really hard now -- meetings, practice, a little cold outside," Danielson said. "You have to be your best now and it's hard. That's why you're going to see the college football landscape in the next month drastically shift and change, and the best teams will continue to grow."
Colorado State enters at 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference, with the season sliding after a promising start. The Rams have dropped five of their last six, including a 31-14 loss at Utah State last week. In that game, their offense was held to a season-low point total and managed just 263 yards.
The numbers tell a rough story for Colorado State on the defensive side. The Rams are allowing 42.4 points per game, 526.4 yards per game and 261.1 rushing yards per game, all FBS-worst marks.
Offensively, though, they’ve been productive enough to stay dangerous. Colorado State is scoring 35.5 points per game and averaging 435.5 yards.
Jim Mora Jr. knows the challenge in front of his team, especially with Boise State’s passing game and Dylan Riley on the other side of the ball. Riley leads the FBS with 1,049 rushing yards and has scored 10 total touchdowns, nine on the ground and one through the air.
"He’s one of the best players in the country, one of the best running backs in the country," Mora said. "Huge challenge this week against Boise State.
They do things well. They run the ball well, they stop the ball well.
It’ll be a great opportunity for us to bounce back."
If Colorado State is going to spring the upset, quarterback Hauss Hejny likely has to deliver a big performance. Hejny has thrown 14 touchdown passes against two interceptions, though he missed time earlier this season because of an injury. Last week, he completed 19 of 30 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown.
In Other News...
Boise State Faces A New Playoff Concern Heading To Colorado State
Boise State heads into Colorado State carrying more than just the pressure that comes with being ranked No. 25 and sitting in the initial College Football Playoff bracket as the highest-ranked Group of 6 team. The Broncos are in position as the No. 12 seed for now, but every week matters from here with Oregon State and San Diego State still looming on the schedule before the final bracket is set Dec. 6.
The bigger concern is under center, where Maddux Madsen is dealing with a left knee injury and remains questionable. A decision is expected right up to kickoff, and if Madsen cannot go, Max Cutforth is lined up to make the start. For a team trying to protect its place in the playoff picture, the quarterback situation adds another layer of uncertainty at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Suddenly Has More Riding On Colorado State Than Fans Realize
The first College Football Playoff rankings have already sharpened the stakes for a weekend that was loaded before a single snap was played, and Boise State is right in the middle of it. The Broncos meeting with Colorado State now carries more weight than a routine Mountain West game, because the committees opening look put a spotlight on where the contenders stand and how much movement is still possible with so many Top 25 matchups on deck.
For Boise State, the attention is especially pointed because its place in the Group of 6 conversation is no longer just about winning games, but about how convincingly it can keep winning them. The Broncos also have to navigate uncertainty around Maddux Madsen, whose status for the Colorado State game remains unclear, adding another layer to a matchup that already matters well beyond the conference standings. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Finally Gets The Early Test Fans Have Been Waiting For
Boise State finally gets the kind of early-season measuring stick fans have been waiting for when Butler comes to town Sunday, a non-conference matchup that should tell a lot more about where the Broncos stand than their recent blowout over West Coast Baptist. That win came with record-setting numbers, but this one brings a different kind of pressure, the sort that comes with facing a higher-level opponent before the schedule settles in.
Leon Rice has already pointed to Butlers strong start and the challenge it presents, and the timing makes the game even more interesting for Boise State. The Broncos are still in the opening stretch of the 2026-27 season, but this is the first chance to see how their early momentum holds up when the opponent can push back, test their execution and force them into a real game. [Read more 🡒]