Boise State’s offense has been doing enough to cover for a defense that keeps leaving the door open. That’s a dangerous tradeoff with Oregon State coming to Boise on Saturday, because the Beavers arrive with the nation’s top passing attack and a quarterback who has barely blinked all season.
No. 24 Boise State is 8-1 overall and 5-0 in conference play, but the last two weeks have exposed the same issue in different ways.
The Broncos beat Texas State 46-45 at home after giving up 42 second-half points, then turned around and won 64-38 at Colorado State while allowing 28 more after halftime. The scoreboard has stayed in Boise State’s favor, but Spencer Danielson knows that formula won’t hold forever.
“It’s obviously explosive plays and it’s consistency to do your job for four quarters,” he said. “If you look at every single play, there’s some really good snaps. ... if you take five or six plays away from Saturday night, you feel a whole lot better.
“But you can’t and those plays are out there. And we are now playing a top 10 offense. We’re playing the No. 1 ranked passing offense and we haven’t done good against it.”
The numbers tell the same story. Boise State ranks 136th of 138 FBS teams in yards per completion allowed at 14.2. The Broncos are also 129th in passing yards allowed at 265.8 and 127th in yards per play allowed at 6.5.
That would be a major concern against almost anyone. Against Oregon State, it looks like a full-blown test.
The Broncos, though, keep leaning on an offense that has been relentless. They average 39 points per game and convert third downs at a 53.5% clip.
Last week, backup quarterback Max Cutforth threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, and Dylan Riley ripped off 192 rushing yards and two scores on only 19 carries. Riley leads the nation with 1,241 rushing yards.
Oregon State comes in at 5-4 and 3-2 after back-to-back losses, including a 42-21 home defeat to Texas State last week. The Beavers trailed 42-7 early in the fourth quarter before scoring twice late to make the final margin look a little less harsh.
If Oregon State is going to steal this one, it likely needs more than just Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree lighting up the stat sheet. Legree has 61 catches for 1,209 yards and 14 touchdowns, numbers that would put him in Heisman-style territory at a Power 4 school. He leads the nation in receiving yards and is tied for the national lead in touchdown receptions.
Atkinson has been just as sharp. In 368 attempts, he has thrown for a national-best 3,169 yards with 25 touchdowns and only three interceptions. His rise from FCS Mercer to this level has been seamless.
Still, Oregon State’s defense has to hold up its end, and that’s where the Beavers have real work to do. Texas State rolled up 600 total yards against them, including 386 on the ground. That puts even more pressure on a Boise State rushing attack that already looks ready to attack.
JaMarcus Shephard said the Beavers are trying to sort through the problems before Saturday.
“We’re making some adjustments for this week and we’re going to do everything in our power,” said first-year coach JaMarcus Shephard. “We’re going to reach into our treasure trove of information and try to come up with the best game plan to slow down Boise the best we can.”
In Other News...
Boise State Faces One Huge Week 11 Question Under Center
Boise State enters Week 11 with some uncertainty at the most important spot on the field, as starting quarterback Maddux Madsen is listed as questionable because of a knee injury. Head coach Spencer Danielson made clear Madsen remains the starter if he is healthy, while also shutting down any notion of a quarterback battle as the Broncos get ready for a game that could hinge on who is available and who is not.
The injury report does not stop there, either. Running back Sire Gaines and safety Travis Anderson are also questionable, while left guard Carson Rasmussen has already been ruled out, adding another layer of concern for a Boise State team trying to sort through its lineup late in the week. If Madsen cannot go, the Broncos will have to adjust quickly under center, and the ripple effects could shape how they approach the matchup from the opening snap. [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 🡒]