Maddux Madsen’s biggest test of the season arrives right away.
Boise State opens at No. 2 Oregon on Saturday afternoon, and the fifth-year quarterback has been handed a clear message all offseason: this has to be the year he takes over games. Offensive coordinator Nate Potter has put it bluntly for him.
“This is the year you need to be the best player on the field,” Potter has told Madsen. “And you need to be able to make it happen if it’s not there.”
That challenge lands in the loudest possible setting. Oregon will be the highest-ranked opponent Boise State has ever faced, and with the Broncos now in the revived Pac-12 and eyeing a return to the College Football Playoff, the spotlight will be bright from the start.
Madsen has already been through this road trip once before. The last time Boise State went to Eugene, he was starting just his third college game.
The Broncos came up short, 37-34, on a last-second field goal. Ashton Jeanty carried much of the offense that day, announcing his Heisman Trophy campaign with 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Madsen’s numbers in that game were modest: 17 completions on 40 attempts for 148 yards and a touchdown.
“That place is loud,” Madsen said Tuesday. “It’s gonna be loud, and so managing that and making sure I operate and everyone else can hear me is a huge deal.”
He also came away with a technical lesson from that trip. After going back to the film, Madsen said he noticed he was holding the ball too long when a receiver was already open. That kind of hesitation could be costly against an Oregon defense built on size and speed, with linemen averaging more than 300 pounds and a linebacker group Madsen described as incredibly fast and dangerous.
Oregon’s defense averaged a little more than two sacks per game in 2025 and had 15 interceptions.
“The speed of play, knowing that windows are going to be tight, if you can see jersey, if a guy’s open, I’ve got to give them that opportunity,” Madsen said.
His track record against Power Four opponents is going to be part of the conversation this week, too. In four career starts against those teams, Madsen is 0-4, with 69 completions on 128 attempts for 718 yards, two touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The roughest outing came in last season’s 28-7 loss at Notre Dame, when he went 22-for-37 for 215 yards and four interceptions. Notre Dame repeatedly forced him out of the pocket and made life difficult whenever he tried to throw on the move.
Turnovers have been the biggest issue in those games. Madsen did throw for more than 300 yards against Penn State in the College Football Playoff two years ago, but he also had three interceptions and took three sacks in a game where pressure again shaped everything.
“I think at times he’s been really good outside the pocket,” Potter said Monday. “Other times, not so much. I do think that’s an area where he’s trying to improve and grow.”
Potter expects Madsen will have to move Saturday, whether that means escaping pressure or extending plays. The key, he said, is making sure the quarterback handles it the right way.
“If it involves using your legs, extending plays, making something happen, then that’s what he’s got to do,” Potter said. “...
You can’t just be a statue back there; you’ve got to be able to move. But I do think he has gotten better at throwing on the run.”
Boise State and Oregon both enter at 0-0. The game will be carried on KBOI 670 AM and KBOI 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 84, with Bob Behler and Pete Cavender on the call.
Oregon is a 24.5-point favorite. The forecast calls for a high of 68, a low of 51, humidity at 73%, mostly cloudy skies and a 15% chance of rain.
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