No. 21/22 Broncos Set to Travel to Washington State - Boise State University Athletics

BOISE, Idaho – Boise State will look to claim its sixth consecutive victory when it travels to Washington State on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT at Gesa Field.

The game will be broadcast nationally on USA Sports, with Nate Gatter (play-by-play), Ryan Leaf (analyst) and Lauren Green (sideline) on the call. Bob Behler (play-by-play) and Michael Callahan (analyst) on the Bronco Radio Network (Flagship: KBOI 93.1 FM/670 AM) and on SiriusXM Channel 385.

OPENING KICKOFF
1.) Boise State's offense is humming, generating 30+ points in five consecutive contests, the sixth time the program has done so since 2011 and the first time since 2024. The Broncos have totaled over 500 yards three times this season. Boise State leads the nation in time of possession (36:41) and has generated five drives lasting more than seven minutes this season. The Broncos have scored on their opening drive in five of the six contests this season.

2.) Quarterback Maddux Madsen has played at an elite level through the first half of the regular season. The fifth-year has thrown for 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions, becoming one of two FBS quarterbacks with double-digit touchdowns without throwing a pick. He has thrown for 200+ yards in five of the six games this season, and has done so in 14 of the last 16 games in which he has played all four quarters. As a starting quarterback, Madsen is 16-1 in conference play, his lone loss occurring when he left a game with an injury in the first quarter.

3.) Dylan Riley has also had a dominant start to the season. The junior running back is ranked second nationally in rushing yards per game (139.2) and all-purpose yards per game (166.3). His 6.6 yards per carry and 139.2 rushing yards per game are both currently ranked third in Boise State's single-season history. He has three runs of 70+ yards, the most of any single player across the FBS ranks. He has totaled 100+ yards rushing in four halves this season.

4.) Boise State has been elite in critical situations, leading the nation in "money down" stops. The Broncos have held opposing offenses to a 24.3% success rate (18/74) on third and fourth downs on the year. Boise State has allowed opponents to convert on 27.4% of third downs (17/62) and only one fourth down conversion in 12 attempts.

5.) There will be a lot of familiar faces on Saturday. Cougar head coach Kirby Moore and offensive coordinator Matt Miller both played wide receiver for the Broncos, with Miller spending the previous six years on the coaching staff at Boise State. Washington State cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson and rush/defensive run game coordinator Andrew Browning also played for the Broncos. Boise State running backs coach James Montgomery played his final two seasons with the Cougars.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Series History
Boise State trails Washington State in the all-time series, 5-2. The Broncos have won two of the last three contests, with the loss occurring in a 47-44 triple overtime defeat in Pullman, Wash., on Sept. 9, 2017. Boise State has a 0-3 record against the Cougars in Pullman.

Last Time Out
The Broncos and Cougars last faced off on Sept. 28, 2024. The 25th-ranked Broncos, led by a four-touchdown performance from Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty, routed Washington State 45-24 on The Blue. Jeanty finished with 259 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Maddux Madsen finished 12-of-21 for 184 yards and two passing touchdowns.

Familiar Faces
There will be familiar faces all over the field during Saturday's matchup. Boise State running backs coach James Montgomery will make his first trip back to Pullman after playing for two seasons with the Cougars (2009-10). Bronco defensive line coach Frank Maile also spent two seasons (2023-24) as Washington State's EDGE coach. On the Cougar sideline, head coach Kirby Moore was a former Boise State wide receiver (2009-13), totaling 115 receptions, 1,136 yards and six touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Matt Miller was teammates with Moore at Boise State (2010-14), boasting 244 receptions, 3,049 receiving yards and 29 touchdown receptions. Following Miller's graduation, he spent a year with the Broncos as an offensive quality control coach. After spending four seasons at Montana State, Miller returned to Boise State as a wide receivers coach, adding pass-game coordinator to his role in 2024 and co-offensive coordinator in 2025. Cougar cornerback coach Brandyn Thompson also played at Boise State (2007-10), totaling 146 tackles (95 solo) and seven TFLs in 48 games. He also tallied 13 career interceptions, including one for a touchdown. Washington State rush/defensive run game coordinator Andrew Browning played for the Broncos from 2003-26, earning All-WAC honors three times and totaling 143 tackles, 21.5 TFLs and 12.5 sacks. He also spent three years coaching the Broncos (2010-12), first as a defensive quality control coach before moving into a defensive graduate assistant position.

Broncos In The Rankings
Boise State is represented in the AP Poll for the fourth consecutive week, rising two spots to No. 21. The Broncos also moved up two slots in the Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 22. The Broncos have been ranked at least once in each of Spencer Danielson's three full-time seasons and have been ranked in 22 of the last 25 seasons. Boise State has a 235-77-1 (75.2%) all-time record when ranked, including a 137-18 (88.4%) mark at home and 131-24 (84.5%) mark in the FBS era.

Owning The Clock
Boise State leads the nation in time of possession, owning the ball for an average 36:41, nearly 20 seconds ahead of second-place Air Force's 36:22. The next-highest Pac-12 team is Oregon State, who is 35th with 31:32. The Broncos had the ball for 32:50 against Oregon, 39:56 against Memphis, 39:26 against South Dakota, 36:46 against Western Michigan, 32:14 against Utah State, and 38:56 against Fresno State.

5 In A Row
After dropping the season opener to No. 2 Oregon, Boise State has rattled off five consecutive wins. The Broncos are one of 17 teams nationally that have recorded a 5-game win streak at some point during the 2026 campaign. It is the second season Spencer Danielson has led the Broncos on a 5+ game win streak, having won 11 straight in 2024. Boise State has tallied a 5+ game win streak in 20 seasons since joining the FBS ranks in 1996.

Hot Start In Conference Play
Boise State's 38-31 victory over Fresno State marked the fifth consecutive season the Broncos have started 2-0 in conference play. Boise State will look to start 3-0 in conference play in three consecutive seasons and four of the last five against Washington State.

Broncos For 500
Boise State generated 512 yards of total offense against Fresno State on Oct. 10, marking the third time this season the Broncos have generated 500+ yards of offense. Previously, Boise State recorded 533 yards against South Dakota (Sept. 19) and 578 yards against Memphis (Sept. 12). Since Spencer Danielson assumed the head coaching role, Bronco offenses have generated 500+ yards 13 times.

Putting Points On The Board
Boise State has scored 30+ points in five consecutive matchups, a feat the program hasn't accomplished since 2024. The Broncos put up 38 points against both Memphis (Sept. 12) and South Dakota (Sept. 19), 32 points at Western Michigan (Sept. 26), 37 points against Utah State (Oct. 3) and 38 points against Fresno State (Oct. 10). The Broncos have only scored 30+ in six consecutive games five times since joining the Mountain West in 2011.

Converting The Big Plays
Boise State has a 50.6% third-down conversion rate (41-of-81) and a 64.3% fourth-down conversion rate (9-of-14), ranking 16th and 35th nationally, respectively. The Broncos lead the Pac-12 in fourth-down conversion percentage, and trail only Texas State (55.4%) in third-down conversions.

Setting The Pace
Boise State has scored points on the first drive of five of its six games this season. The Broncos did so on their first two offensive possessions in each of the first two games of the season, the first time the program has done so since 2018. The Broncos opened the 2026 season with an 11-play, 75- yard touchdown drive against Oregon. Boise State opened the game against Memphis with a 39-yard field goal from Canaan Moore following a 12-play, 53-yard drive. Against Western Michigan, Matt Wagner capped off a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown reception. Dylan Riley capped off a 6-play, 89-yard opening drive with a 5-yard score against Utah State on Oct. 3, and took the second offensive play against Fresno State 72 yards to the house.

Converting When It Counts
Boise State is currently 41-of-81 on third-down attempts (50.6%), ranking 16th in the nation. The Broncos are also 9-of-14 on fourth-down attempts (64.3%) after going 4-for-4 against Fresno State. Since Spencer Danielson took over in 2023, the Broncos are 290-for-592 (49.0%) on combined 3rd and 4th down attempts. In 2024, Boise State ranked fifth in the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage at 49.5% (91-for-184). The success rate jumped to a 58.3% mark (28-for-48) when attempting to convert in the fourth quarter. Since 2012, only once (2022) has Boise State finished the season outside of the top 50 in 3rd downs. Six times in those 14 years, the Broncos have finished in the top 20. The 49.5% success rate Boise State experienced in 2024 is the highest since 2018, when the Broncos had a 52.5% conversion rate.

Money Down Dominance
Boise State has been elite on money downs, holding opposing offenses to a 24.3% (18/74) success rate on third and fourth downs, the best mark in the country. The Broncos have allowed 17 third down conversions in 62 opportunities (27.4%) and have allowed only one fourth down in 12 chances. The Broncos are one of four teams that have allowed one or less fourth-down conversions. Of those four teams, the Broncos are the only team that have done so against double-digit attempts (12). The Broncos stopped three 4th-down attempts against Oregon, two from Memphis, one against South Dakota, three against Western Michigan and two against Utah State. Boise State is ranked sixth nationally in opponent third-down conversions and first nationally in opponent-fourth down conversions. The Broncos are the only team ranked inside the top 10 in both categories.

Stopping The Run
Boise State held Fresno State to 69 total rushing yards, the second time the Broncos have held their opponent under 100 rushing yards this season. They previously held South Dakota to 36 yards on the ground. Under Spencer Danielson, Boise State has held opponents under 100 rushing yards nine times.

Protecting The Ball
Maddux Madsen has 13 touchdown passes and zero interceptions on the season, making him one of two FBS players with at least 10 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He joins Josh Hoover (Indiana), who has thrown 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Boise State is one of six teams that has yet to throw an interception. Of those six teams, Boise State has thrown the most pass attempts per game (27.7). Madsen has not thrown an interception in 166 attempts, giving him a career interception ratio of 0.018 (18 interceptions in 1,000 attempts), the third-best in program history. He is the only Boise State quarterback in the program's FBS era to start a season with six consecutive games without throwing an interception, and has tied Kellen Moore for the most consecutive games without a pick. Moore did so in six straight games, going without a pick in the last five games of the 2009 campaign and the first game of the 2010 season.

Spreading The Love
Maddux Madsen has found seven or more different receivers in each of the last 15 games in which he has played all four quarters. He found a season-high nine different receivers against Fresno State and has found 8+ against Memphis, South Dakota and Utah State. Against the Ducks, he caught a deflected pass and ran for six yards to give himself his first career reception. His career-high is 10 different receivers which he accomplished twice in 2025: South Florida (Aug. 28) and App State (Sept. 27).

Having A Season
Entering the second half of the season, Dylan Riley has tallied 835 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown and 998 all-purpose yards. He currently ranks third in program history with 6.1 career yards per carry, and is tied for sixth with five career 200+ yard all-purpose games. His 2026 averages of 6.6 yards per carry and 139.2 rushing yards per game are both third in Boise State single-season history. On Oct. 15, Riley was named to the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated Midseason All-America Second Teams.

Riley Amongst The Nation's Leaders
Despite the off week, Dylan Riley remains in the top five in total rushing yards, entering the game against Washington State with 835. His 139.2 yards per game is the second-most in the country, trailing Texas State's Torrance Burgess Jr. (139.7 ypg). The junior running back also averages 166.3 all-purpose yards per contest, the second-best mark nationally behind Duke's Nate Sheppard (179.8 ypg). Riley also averages 6.6 yards per carry, the 18th-best mark in the nation and the second-best among Pac-12 running backs. Riley is tied with Colorado State's Durell Robinson for the most rushing touchdowns among Pac-12 players with six.

Two For 100
Dylan Riley (150) and Sire Gaines (120) both rushed over 100 yards against Fresno State on Oct. 10, marking the second time the pair has rushed for over 100 yards this season. The duo previously did so against South Dakota on Sept. 19, with Riley finishing with 198 and Gaines totaling 102. It is the 22nd time in program history Boise State has had multiple 100-yard rushing performances in the same game, and the 14th time since joining the FBS in 1996. It marks the fifth season in program history the Broncos have had multiple games with two 100+ yard rushers, and the first since 2022. Boise State is one of three teams that has had two games with multiple 100+ yard rushers this season, joining Air Force and West Virginia.

Dominating Halves
Dylan Riley rushed for over 100 yards in the first half against Fresno State on Oct. 10, marking his fourth 100+ yard rushing half this season. He rushed for 134 yards in the first half against Memphis (Sept. 12),164 yards in the second half against South Dakota (Sept. 19), and 103 yards in the opening half against Western Michigan (Sept. 26). He has rushed for 100+ yards in a single half six times in his career.

Hot Start With His Leg
Sophomore kicker Canaan Moore drilled a career-high three field goals against Fresno State on Oct. 10, converting from 49 yards, 38 yards and 39 yards respectively. His 49-yard field goal to end the first half was a career long. He is 9-of-10 on field goals on the season and is 10-of-12 in his career. He has made all 27 of his career PAT attempts, including 23 this season.

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Players Mentioned

Sire Gaines

Maddux Madsen

Canaan Moore

Dylan Riley

Matt Wagner

Boise State Athletics