Boise State’s ground game has become the kind of problem defenses have to spend all week trying to solve, and Washington State is next in line Saturday at Gesa Field in Martin Stadium.
The 21st-ranked Broncos come in off a bye, and coach Spencer Danielson made it clear he expects a lively atmosphere.
“I know (the Cougars) are going to be ready to rock,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said.
At the center of Boise State’s attack is Dylan Riley, a runner who can turn a crease into a highlight. He leads the Broncos with 835 yards on 127 carries and has found the end zone six times.
Before the bye, he sat atop the national rushing leaderboard, and he has since slipped to No. 4.
Then there’s Sire Gaines, who gives Boise State a completely different look. If Riley is the space player, Gaines is the hammer, piling up 354 yards on 65 carries with three touchdowns. Washington State coach Kirby Moore knows exactly what makes the pairing so hard to corral.
“Good (offensive) front, good scheme, good backs and they put the back on the (cornerback), and a lot of times they make the cornerback miss,” WSU coach Kirby Moore said. “Both do a great job with the ball in their hands.”
That one-two punch has fueled a program that has continued to climb under Danielson. When Boise State changed course late in the 2023 season and moved on from Andy Avalos, Danielson was elevated from defensive coordinator to interim head coach. Since then, the Broncos are 29-9, have reached the 2024 CFP playoffs and lost to Penn State in the national quarterfinals.
This season has only added to that resume. Boise State’s lone defeat came at then-No.
2 Oregon in the opener at Autzen Stadium, and Danielson has now become the fifth coach in program history to win 20 of his first 25 games. The Broncos also captured their third straight Mountain West Conference championship in 2025.
Danielson’s rise has been a long way from his coaching start at Azusa Pacific, his alma mater, where he played linebacker from 2009-12.
On the defensive side, Boen Phelps has followed a similarly winding route to becoming a key figure. The Freeman, Wash., native went from starring as one of the state’s top dual-threat quarterbacks in high school to walking on at Boise State as a safety. He later moved from safety to linebacker last season, and now leads the team with 35 tackles.
“It’s been a very long journey, but I always remember having that patience,” Phelps told a local reporter a couple of weeks ago.
With several young linebackers around him, Phelps has become the steady voice in the room.
“I like to say I am playmaker, using my athleticism in space and playing downhill", Phelps said.
In Other News...
WSU Offense Suddenly Has A Boise State Problem Fans Will Watch
Washington States offense is heading into the Boise State game with a couple of important injury questions hanging over it. Coach Kirby Moore said left tackle Ashton Tripp is day-to-day with an ankle injury, while wide receiver Darrius Clemons is also managing an ankle issue. Moore added that defensive ends Malachi Wrice and Michael Hughes are expected to be full-go this weekend, and he also addressed a separate talking point by saying NIL earnings do not factor into playing-time decisions.
The timing matters because both Tripp and Clemons fill spots that can shape how comfortable the Cougars feel on offense, especially against a Boise State opponent that will pressure any weakness it sees. Washington State has not had much room for error as it tries to settle things up front and keep its passing game on schedule, so the status of those two players is one to watch as kickoff gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Faces A New Road Problem At Washington State
Boise States trip to Pullman comes with a little more uncertainty than a typical road game, thanks to Washington States latest change under center. The Cougars have turned to redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman after moving on from Caden Pinnick, and the timing adds a fresh wrinkle to a matchup that already had plenty of numbers to sort through on both sides of the ball heading into Saturday.
For Boise State, the challenge is not just facing a new quarterback, but trying to do it on the road against a Washington State team still settling into its revised offensive identity. The statistical comparison of the two teams key players suggests there are matchups worth watching all over the field, and Eshelmans first extended look gives the Cougars at least one variable the Broncos could not have fully planned around. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Moore Faces A Personal Test As Cougars Meet Boise State
Kirby Moore has already spent enough time around Boise State to understand why this matchup feels different. The first-year Washington State head coach is preparing to face the school where he once played receiver, and it comes with the extra layer that he knows the program from both sides of the line. He has coached against the Broncos before, but this one lands closer to home, with a familiar opponent and a familiar coach in Spencer Danielson on the other sideline.
Moore has pointed to Boise States balance as the challenge, praising an offense that can control games and a defense that has been just as sturdy. For Washington State, the meeting is as much about handling a well-rounded opponent as it is about the personal backdrop for its new coach. It also leaves a meaningful thread hanging: how Moores ties to Boise State will shape the tone of the game once the ball is actually kicked off. [Read more 🡒]