Boise State is back from its bye, still riding a five-game winning streak and still chasing cleaner football.
The No. 21 Broncos head to Pullman, Wash., on Saturday to face Washington State, with coach Spencer Danielson using the extra week to dig into the details.
“Transitioning from the bye week, obviously had a lot of stuff as a team that we needed to look at, improve in, self-scout, grow in,” Danielson said. “Had a lot of things that we've done well but a lot that needs to get fixed. It was a good opportunity for us to grow, good opportunity for us to look at those things and have real conversations with players, real conversations as a staff (about) where we grow.”
Boise State arrives at 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-12 after opening the season with a 34-27 loss at then-No. 2 Oregon.
Since then, the Broncos have settled in and let veteran quarterback Maddux Madsen steer the offense with remarkable efficiency. He has completed 66.3% of his passes for 1,296 yards, 13 touchdowns and no interceptions.
The ground game has been just as important. Dylan Riley is fourth nationally with 835 rushing yards and 6.6 yards per carry, and he has added six rushing touchdowns. In the passing game, Rasean Jones leads the receivers with 23 catches, while tight end Matt Wagner is right behind him with 22 receptions and a team-best four touchdown grabs.
There is still one area Boise State wants tightened up: explosive plays allowed. The Broncos went into the bye ranked last nationally in giving up plays of 40-plus yards, with 15, and plays of 50-plus yards, with nine.
Washington State comes in at 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the conference after dropping four straight, including last week’s 48-30 loss at Oregon State, the other unbeaten team in Pac-12 play besides Boise State.
The Cougars made a change at quarterback last week, turning to redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman. In his first start, he completed 32 of 49 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while also leading the team on the ground with 136 rushing yards and a score on 15 carries. Branden Ganashamoorthy was his favorite target, finishing with 11 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, both career highs.
“We just had a much better rhythm,” Washington State coach Kirby Moore said of the offense in Eshelman's debut. “That takes all 11 being on the same page, whether it's communication, whether it's in the run game, the (run-pass options), obviously the pass game. It's about landmarks and alignments there with the receivers and guys winning versus man and the quarterback trusting them.”
Eshelman took over from Caden Pinnick, the transfer who was Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year last season at UC Davis. This season, Pinnick has gone 110 of 178 for 952 yards in six games, with three touchdown passes and five interceptions.
Moore said NIL money was not a factor in the decision.
“No, the best players are gonna play,” he said. “We've had those evaluations at a number of positions, whether that's quarterback, receiver, D-tackle. It's really about who gives us the best opportunity to win.”
He also said Eshelman had shown signs earlier, before his debut performance.
“I think the one thing, and he would say it as well, in fall camp there, there was probably some (issues) in terms of taking care of the football,” the coach said. “Probably had a few more (turnovers) than we wanted, and he's definitely grown from that. Obviously, it starts in practice and preparing like you're the starter, and he continued to do that throughout the season.”
Moore also has a Boise State connection of his own. He played wide receiver for the Broncos from 2009-13, and his brother is former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, now the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
In Other News...
Boise States Playoff Grip Suddenly Looks Less Comfortable
Boise States position in the College Football Playoff picture still looks strong, but the race among the Group of Six contenders has started to tighten. The Broncos remain the sportsbook favorite to land that coveted spot, even as James Madison has made a noticeable move up the board after its latest win, adding a little more pressure to a race Boise State has spent much of the season trying to control.
Spencer Danielson has downplayed the outside chatter, sticking to a message about daily performance rather than playoff rankings, which is about as on-brand as it gets for a team trying to avoid scoreboard watching. The next chance to reinforce that stance comes against Washington State, where Boise State is still projected to be a heavy favorite, but every week now carries a little more weight than the last. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Run-Game Identity Is Fueling Something Bigger
Boise State has settled into the kind of offense that travels well in November, with Spencer Danielsons group leaning into a physical rushing identity that keeps drives alive and wears on defenses. The Broncos have been one of the nations most efficient teams on the ground and on third down, and much of that starts up front, where a mix of returnees and new starters has given the line enough cohesion to keep the run game humming.
Dylan Riley has been a steady part of that formula, and the backfield gets even more dangerous when Sire Gaines is healthy enough to add another layer to it. Gaines recently came back from injury and immediately reminded Boise State what he can bring, giving the Broncos another downhill option as they continue to build an offense that is doing more than just moving the chains. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Best Surprise Might Be Powering Everything Right Now
Boise States offense has been rolling because the front five has done more than hold up its end of the bargain. The unit earned a place on the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, a recognition reserved for some of the nations best offensive lines, and that fits the way the Broncos have been functioning this fall. The line has been a major reason Boise State has climbed near the top of national rankings in both rushing and quarterback protection.
Stewart Taufas emergence at center has been part of that rise, too, giving the Broncos a steady anchor in the middle as a sophomore. His play has been strong enough to put him on the Rimington Trophy Watchlist, another sign that Boise States front is getting noticed beyond the Mountain West. For a team trying to keep its offense humming, the next question is whether this surge from the line can keep carrying over as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]