Boise State left Kalamazoo with more than a win Saturday night. It left with a message.
The Broncos rolled past Western Michigan 32-7 at Waldo Stadium, and the part that really had Spencer Danielson heated was the one thing his team missed: the shutout.
“As a competitor, I’m pissed that we didn’t get the shutout. I mean, I was hot,” Danielson said after the game.
That says plenty about how one-sided this game was. Boise State (3-1 overall) controlled the night almost from the opening snap, then watched the Broncos of Western Michigan finally get on the board with 63 seconds left on a 2-yard touchdown. A play earlier, the shutout was right there - Western Michigan had thrown incomplete on fourth-and-2, but Boise State was flagged for both pass interference and roughing the passer.
Even with that late score, this was a clean, convincing road win for Boise State, and Danielson didn’t hide how much he enjoyed the way his team played.
“That’s the most joy I’ve had coaching because it’s a great group of players to be around,” Danielson said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, we’ve got a lot of stuff to fix, but I’m proud of how our guys competed today for all four quarters: offensively, defensively, special teams.”
The matchup had been framed as one between two of the stronger teams from the Group of Six conferences. Boise State arrived with a narrow loss to then-No.
2 Oregon and a 38-20 win over Memphis, another G6 playoff contender. Western Michigan came in at 2-2, with its only defeat coming against ranked Michigan in a game the NCAA determined Western Michigan should have won.
But the close contest many expected never really materialized.
Boise State finished with 377 yards of offense to Western Michigan’s 223 and moved the chains 21 times to the home team’s 12. The Broncos also came up with two fourth-down stops and got an interception from senior nickel Roman Tillmon in the second half.
If the shutout had held, it would have been Boise State’s first since a 37-0 win over New Mexico in 2021. It also would have been the program’s first road shutout since a 48-0 victory at San Jose State in 2010.
“We wanted it bad. We wanted a donut.
We were saying it all day,” senior defensive lineman Mikaio Edward said. “Kind of sucks that they scored at the end, but we still had a dominant day.”
Edward set the tone early, too, with the only sack of the game on Western Michigan’s first drive. Boise State’s defense also smothered the run, holding a Western Michigan offense that came in averaging 174.5 rushing yards per game to just 113 on the ground. That was especially notable with Western Michigan’s lead receiver, Aveion Chenault, ruled out before kickoff.
“I think we came out with great energy, great execution,” Edward said about the run defense. “The whole week of practice, everybody’s amped up. Everybody’s executing at a high level, and that just really translated into today.”
The win gives Boise State two Football Bowl Subdivision victories over teams in the mix to win their conferences, including Memphis. When the College Football Playoff Committee starts sorting things out in December, those results figure to carry real weight.
“I think we sent a huge statement,” senior tight end Matt Wagner said, after finishing with a game-high 94 receiving yards. “Two great teams on the field today, and being able to go out there and dominate as we did in all four quarters was awesome to see.”
In Other News...
Boise State Opens Pac-12 Play With Pressure To Look The Part
Boise State enters Pac-12 play carrying a three-game winning streak and the kind of attention that comes with a No. 22 ranking. After opening the season with a loss to Oregon, the Broncos have steadied themselves and now get their first conference test at home, where Utah State visits for a 5:30 p.m. Mountain kickoff on CBS Sports Network.
The opener brings more than the usual league-pageantry feel, because Boise State is expected to look the part in a conference race that will help define its standing nationally. Early betting lines have made the Broncos a strong home favorite, which only adds to the pressure to handle business and keep the momentum from their recent run from getting interrupted. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Sent A Clear Message Before Pac-12 Play
Boise States trip to Western Michigan offered the kind of complete performance coaches usually point to when the calendar starts turning toward league play. The Broncos left with a 32-7 win built on efficiency and control, with quarterback Maddux Madsen throwing three touchdown passes without an interception and Dylan Riley powering the run game with 138 yards and a score.
What stood out just as much was how thoroughly Boise State handled things on the other side of the ball. The Broncos owned time of possession and held Western Michigan to 223 total yards and seven points, the sort of road showing that can travel well as Pac-12 play approaches and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Is Turning Its Pac-12 Home Opener Into A Throwback Moment
Before Boise State begins Pac-12 conference play at home against Utah State, the program is leaning into a piece of its own history. Coach Spencer Danielson helped set the tone at a recent press conference by wearing a special hoodie honoring the 20th anniversary of the Broncos undefeated 2007 team, the group that capped that unforgettable run with a Fiesta Bowl win.
The milestone celebration will carry into Albertsons Stadium, where several members of that 2007 team are set to be on hand, including Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson. For a fan base that still takes pride in that era, it gives this home opener a little extra meaning beyond the standings and the conference debut. [Read more 🡒]