The Pac-12 heads into conference play with a split personality after an uneven final week of non-conference action.
Through four weeks of the 2026 season, only two teams in the league have a winning record, and both of them kept rolling on Saturday. Boise State and Fresno State each came through with convincing victories, while the middle and lower tiers of the conference kept wobbling.
Boise State made the loudest statement of the bunch, going on the road and flattening Western Michigan 32-7. The Broncos, now 3-1, controlled the game from start to finish and only allowed the reigning MAC champions to spoil the shutout with 63 seconds left.
Afterward, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson praised how his team handled the game.
“We have a lot to improve on and we have to be better down the stretch, but this is absolutely the most complete game we’ve played, and I’m proud of our guys for learning and growing,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said after the game. “We continued to chip away and play really good football, sound football, against a really good football team. Super proud of our players.”
Maddux Madsen delivered one of his cleanest outings of the season, throwing for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Dylan Riley gave Boise State balance on the ground, piling up 138 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
Fresno State matched that momentum with a comeback win of its own, beating Rice 38-24 to stretch its winning streak to three. The Bulldogs trailed 17-14 at halftime, then took over with 17 unanswered points to open the second half and seize control.
Jayden Mandal kept the offense moving, completing 22 of 34 passes for 210 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Fresno State head coach Matt Entz was especially pleased with how Mandal responded after a rough Week 1 showing against USC.
“Our kids trust him, our coaches trust him,” Fresno State head coach Matt Entz said of Mandal, who struggled mightily in a Week 1 loss to USC. “He’s going to make the right decisions.
When he does make mistakes, he doesn’t make them again, so he’s always learning. Again, this was his fourth game starting as a quarterback.
His best football is still ahead of him.”
Rayshon Luke was just as dangerous, rushing 11 times for 167 yards and a touchdown.
Elsewhere, three Pac-12 teams are parked at 2-2: Colorado State, Oregon State and Texas State.
Oregon State closed out its non-conference slate with authority, rolling past UTEP 33-7 on the road. Braden Atkinson threw for 301 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and freshman receiver Jesse Legree continued his breakout stretch with six catches for 109 yards and two scores.
Texas State delivered the biggest margin of the week, blasting FCS opponent Incarnate Word 63-10 at home. Brad Jackson was in total command, throwing for 244 yards and five touchdowns.
Colorado State, meanwhile, took its second straight loss, falling 59-45 at UTSA. The Rams were without starting quarterback Hauss Hejny, who is dealing with a hamstring injury.
At the bottom end of the standings, Utah State showed some life with a 21-10 home win over Troy. Washington State started fast against Arizona, jumping ahead 14-0 in the first quarter, but the Cougars couldn’t hold on and lost 34-24 at home.
San Diego State’s skid also continued. The Aztecs, dealing with injuries, were thumped 41-16 at Toledo and have now lost three in a row.
Conference play begins next Saturday with four intraconference games on the schedule, all listed in Mountain Daylight time:
Oregon State at Colorado State, 4 p.m. (USA Network)
Utah State at Boise State, 5:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Fresno State at Washington State, 7:30 p.m. (USA Network)
Texas State at San Diego State, 8:30 p.m. (The CW)
In Other News...
Oregon State Heads To Colorado State With One Big Depth Concern
Oregon States trip to Colorado State comes with the usual road-game challenges, but the bigger question for JaMarcus Shephard is how much help hell have at cornerback. The Beavers coach laid out the injury picture in his pregame update and made clear that depth in the secondary is an issue worth watching, even as the team tries to keep its focus on the matchup ahead and not the noise around it.
Shephard also touched on how the group has responded to previous game situations and what it will be walking into in Fort Collins, where he expects a strong crowd. The Beavers are still sorting through a few injury-related questions, including several defensive backs whose availability could shape the way Oregon State handles Colorado States offense. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Opens New Era With A Road Test That Could Get Tricky
Oregon States next trip brings a fresh challenge in more ways than one, with Saturdays game at Colorado State offering an early look at how the Beavers handle a road environment that has plenty of moving parts around it. The Rams are in the middle of a rebuild after a coaching change, now under Jim Mora, and the roster has been reshaped by transfers who have already given the offense a different look, from quarterbacks Hauss Hejny and Ksaan Farrar to running back Mel Brown, wideout RJ Vick and linebacker Oumar Diomande.
Even with the uncertainty that comes with a new era, Colorado State has enough offensive pieces to make this one interesting for Oregon State. The bigger question is whether the Beavers can sort through the chaos fast enough to take advantage of a defense still trying to find its footing, because if the game tilts into a higher-scoring track meet, the pressure on Oregon States first road test of the season only grows. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Enters Pac-12 Play With A Secondary Problem It Can't Ignore
With Pac-12 play arriving, Oregon States attention has shifted to a secondary issue it can no longer afford to paper over. The Beavers are thin at cornerback because of injuries, leaving only five scholarship players available at the position as the schedule turns toward conference competition. Coaches JaMarcus Shephard and Mike MacIntyre have been working through the depth concerns while also trying to keep the group moving forward on development.
Trey Glasper is expected to be available for the upcoming game, which is a small boost for a unit that needs bodies as much as it needs experience. The tougher news is the situation around Noble Thomas Jr., whose setback has complicated an already tight rotation and left Oregon State searching for stability at a spot where every healthy practice rep matters. [Read more 🡒]