Saturday’s matchup between No. 24 Boise State and Oregon State could turn into a backup-quarterback game, and the injury report is already pointing that way.
Boise State starting quarterback Maddux Madsen was listed as questionable in the Broncos’ initial Week 11 player availability report, released Wednesday evening. Madsen sat out last week’s lopsided win over Colorado State because of what appeared to be a knee injury.
If he can’t go, head coach Spencer Danielson said Monday that Max Cutforth will get the start against Oregon State.
On the other side, Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson was listed as doubtful after hurting his hand last week against Texas State. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday that Atkinson will not play against the Broncos.
That would leave both teams leaning on backups in a game that already has a different feel because of the quarterback situation. Boise State enters at 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Pac-12, while Oregon State is 5-4 and 3-2.
Cutforth has already shown he can handle the job. In five quarters filling in for Madsen, he has completed 24 of 32 passes for 448 yards, with eight total touchdowns and no turnovers.
He also made three starts for an injured Madsen last season, going 2-1 and helping the Broncos rally past Utah State in a game that clinched a Mountain West championship game spot. Madsen later returned and led Boise State to a third straight championship.
Danielson made it clear Monday that there isn’t any quarterback controversy brewing behind the scenes.
“It’s interesting that that conversation even comes up to me with how Maddux has played, who he is, the success he’s had,” Danielson said. “There’s a reason he’s our starting quarterback, and we can look at facts of the reason why. I believe in him not because I like Maddux more than Max or more than others, it’s because of what he’s done on the field.
“That takes nothing away from Max. Max has done a phenomenal job and he’s only going to get better.
And if for some reason a player on a team-any position-doesn’t play to the standard, the person behind him will take that spot. … But Maddux has done a really good job.
If he’s healthy, he’s going to be our starting quarterback.”
Madsen has thrown for 1,681 yards this season, completing 148 of 222 passes for 67 percent. He has 18 total touchdowns and one turnover, and he owns a 27-7 career record as a starter.
Boise State’s availability report also listed running back Sire Gaines and safety Travis Anderson as questionable. Left guard Carson Rasmussen was ruled out.
Gaines has missed four of Boise State’s nine games this season because of various injuries, but he still has 75 carries for 418 yards and five total touchdowns. Anderson has 37 tackles and a team-high three interceptions. Rasmussen started the Broncos’ first four games at left guard before being sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
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Oregon State Faces A Wide Open Chance In Boise State Shootout
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JaMarcus Shephards group also has its own work to do, especially after the defense has been asked to tighten up in recent weeks. Boise State has been living in shootout territory, which means Oregon State does not need perfection to stay in the fight, but it does need cleaner play than it has shown lately. If the Beavers can make the Broncos defend for four quarters and avoid giving away easy answers on the other side, they at least give themselves a real path into a game that looks wide open on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Is About To Test An Oregon State Defense In Flux
After the loss to Texas State, Oregon State head coach Jamarcus Shephard spent part of the week trying to steady a defense that has some obvious issues to clean up before Boise State arrives. The Beavers have been working through adjustments after getting exposed against the run, and the task does not get any easier with a Broncos offense built around a productive ground game and a physical backfield.
The challenge is made tougher by the absence of safety Sai Vadrawale, who remains sidelined with an injury, leaving Oregon State to sort through its options in the secondary while the front seven tries to tighten up. Boise State brings a dangerous rushing attack into the matchup, and for a defense already in flux, Saturday is shaping up as another early test of how quickly those fixes can take hold. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States Fast Start Faces Its Next Test Under Justin Joyner
Friday night brings another early measuring stick for a reshaped Oregon State roster, with Mississippi Valley State coming to Corvallis for a game that will be carried on the Pac-12 YouTube channel and the Beaver Sports Radio Network. The Beavers are 3-0 and already have the look of a team trying to establish a new identity quickly under first-year coach Justin Joyner, with one returning player and 12 newcomers helping steer the program back into Pac-12 play this season.
A 4-0 start would put Oregon State in familiar territory, something the program has done 33 times before, but this group is still in the early stages of figuring out how it fits together. Joyners first month has been about blending old and new while keeping the momentum rolling, and this matchup offers another chance to see whether the Beavers can keep their fast start intact before the schedule gets any more demanding. [Read more 🡒]