Boise State’s path to a 38-20 win over Memphis looked shaky for a long stretch Saturday night, but once the Broncos found their rhythm, the game turned fast. A two-touchdown deficit in the first half disappeared in a flash, and Boise State finished the night on a 35-3 run at Albertsons Stadium.
The swing came in a furious 81-second burst late in the first half. Down 17-3, Maddux Madsen hit Akeem Wright for a 37-yard fourth-down touchdown.
On the next Memphis possession, Travis Anderson jumped Marcus Stokes on a deep ball for an interception. Then Dylan Riley ripped off a 71-yard gain, and Rasean Jones punched in a 19-yard fly sweep touchdown to tie it.
Just like that, the Broncos had flipped the energy in the building.
Boise State kept rolling after halftime. Sire Gaines powered in from 11 yards out midway through the third quarter to put the Broncos ahead 24-20. Then came the knockout sequence: a 72-yard Cam Bates punt return touchdown and a one-yard Madsen plunge early in the fourth quarter pushed the margin to 38-20 and sent Boise State cruising home.
The Broncos leaned hard on their running backs when it mattered most, and it paid off in a big way. Riley carried 19 times for a career-high 206 yards, while Gaines added 93 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts.
As a team, Boise State ran the ball 47 times for 357 yards and three touchdowns. That ground game took the air out of Memphis in the second half.
The defense had a rough start. After giving up 378 passing yards last week to Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and nine explosive plays overall, Boise State was again tested early.
Hunter Tipton beat Sherrod Smith for a 41-yard gain on Memphis’ opening drive, then got loose for an 87-yard play-action touchdown that gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter. Jaylin Carter later burst through the middle for an 80-yard touchdown, and another Tipton catch, this one for 37 yards, helped Memphis take a 20-17 halftime edge.
Tipton finished with nine catches for 229 yards.
Boise State did settle down after the break and posted a shutout in the second half, but defensive coordinator Erik Chinander still has work ahead before next week’s matchup with South Dakota.
The win also sharpened Boise State’s standing as the Group of 6’s leading College Football Playoff candidate. Last week’s 34-27 loss at Oregon does not carry the same weight after the sixth-ranked Ducks dropped a 39-31 decision at Oklahoma State on Saturday.
The Cowboys snapped a 21-game losing streak against FBS opponents and out-gained Oregon 554-281 while controlling both lines of scrimmage. With Oregon likely headed well down the AP Poll in two weeks, Boise State’s CFP case remains in strong shape through two games.
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Boise State Fans Need To See Whos Starting Against Memphis
The Week 2 meeting between Boise State and Memphis at Albertsons Stadium comes with plenty of buildup already, from a national USA Network broadcast to the kind of matchup that has both fan bases watching the details closely. Memphis coach Charles Huff added a little fuel in his press conference by acknowledging the Broncos strength, and the pregame buzz only grew as the matchup approached.
Now the attention turns to how both teams will line up once the game begins, especially with the latest odds leaning Boise States way by 9.5 points. For Memphis, the opening snaps can tell a lot about how Huff wants to attack a difficult road environment, and for Boise State, the early personnel choices will say plenty about how it plans to protect its edge. [Read more 🡒]