Boise State Returns to The Blue for Homecoming Clash with New Mexico: Focus, Fire, and the Thick of the Title Defense
October 8, 2025
Article By Nick Wade
The crisp autumn air in Boise will hold a little extra electricity this Saturday night. As the sun sets behind the Boise foothills and the lights shimmer off the blue turf, the Broncos return home for the first time in Mountain West Conference play this season — and it’s not just another home game. It’s Homecoming Weekend, it’s prime time under the lights on FS1, and it’s time to lock in the main stretch of Boise State’s Mountain West title defense. The 3-2 (1-0) Broncos welcome the 3-2 (0-1) New Mexico Lobos to Albertsons Stadium in what promises to be a statement game for a team that’s still defining its 2025 identity.
Boise State enters this game fresh off a humbling 28-7 loss to Notre Dame in South Bend, a game that underscored both the Broncos’ potential and the discipline they must sustain to play at a national level. It was a game that exposed familiar cracks — open-field tackling, missed assignments, and the inability to finish drives — but also a reminder of the level this program aspires to reach again. With that chapter closed, the Broncos now turn fully toward their Mountain West campaign, where every snap, every assignment, and every moment carries weight.
New Mexico, meanwhile, arrives in Boise with a renewed identity under first-year head coach Jason Eck. Once known for grinding, methodical football, the Lobos have become one of the league’s most surprising offenses — fast-paced, creative, and unafraid of risk. Their attack is led by quarterback Jack Lane, who has thrown for 1,162 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions through five games. Lane’s efficiency has grown each week as he’s adapted to Eck’s up-tempo system, but what makes this offense particularly dangerous is its unpredictability.
The two-headed monster in the backfield — Damon Bankston (43 carries for 289 yards and three touchdowns) and Scottre Humphrey (53 carries for 273 yards and four touchdowns) — gives the Lobos a balanced, relentless rushing identity. Both backs possess home-run capability, with long runs of 55 and 61 yards respectively, and both are comfortable operating in misdirection packages that stretch defenses horizontally before striking vertically. That’s been the hallmark of Eck’s system in its first year: an insistence on tempo, motion, and creativity.
Their passing game, while not prolific in terms of volume, is devastatingly efficient. Wide receiver Keagan Johnson has emerged as Lane’s top target with 26 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Dorian Thomas has quietly been one of the most productive in the conference, hauling in 28 passes for 287 yards and three scores. Thomas’ combination of size and mobility allows the Lobos to flex him out wide or use him as a traditional inline weapon, adding layers to their play-action looks.
The Broncos’ defense will need to be at its most disciplined and physical to handle this type of offensive tempo and deception. The keys to the game are simple, but critical: control the run, maintain gap integrity, and tackle in space. In the loss to Notre Dame, too many plays were extended by missed tackles and poor pursuit angles. Against a team like New Mexico, which thrives on chaos and rhythm, that simply cannot happen.
Leading the defensive front is the force of Jayden Virgin-Morgan, whose 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks have made him one of the most consistent disruptors on the line. Alongside him, Braxton Fely continues to wreak havoc inside with 12 tackles and 3.5 sacks, providing a strong interior push that forces quarterbacks to make hurried throws. Behind them, Marco Notarainni (33 tackles) and Buck Benefield (41 tackles and an interception) serve as the emotional anchors of the defense — players who embody the blue-collar attitude that Boise State football has been built on for decades.
But make no mistake: Boise State’s success in this matchup begins with tackling. The Lobos’ creative play-calling will test every discipline of the Broncos’ defense — eyes, angles, and trust. Staying on assignment against motion and trick plays will be paramount, and the defensive front must not allow New Mexico’s backs to reach the second level untouched. The Broncos will look to rely on their front seven to disrupt the rhythm early, forcing Lane into uncomfortable third-down situations and limiting the explosive plays that have defined the Lobos’ success so far this year.
Offensively, Boise State’s focus will be on rediscovering its rhythm and explosiveness after a frustrating outing in South Bend. Quarterback Maddux “Maddog” Madsen continues to show growth and resilience, completing 101 of 169 passes for 1,344 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. His poise and leadership have been evident, even when adversity hits. Last week’s four-interception performance was a reminder of how narrow the margin for error can be against elite defenses, but Madsen has proven time and again that he can bounce back stronger.
The offensive identity for Boise State starts with the ground game, and no player embodies that more than Dylan Riley. With 53 carries for 393 yards and five touchdowns, Riley has become the emotional spark plug for the Broncos’ offense — a runner who thrives on contact, yet possesses the vision to break long gains when given a crease. His 77-yard touchdown earlier this season was a statement of what happens when the offensive line opens a lane, and getting him involved early and often will be key to controlling the tempo.
Complementing Riley is Sire Gaines, whose 49 carries for 284 yards and a touchdown have provided a thunder-and-lightning dynamic to Boise State’s rushing attack. Gaines’ physicality between the tackles allows Riley to operate in space, and when the two are rotating efficiently, it opens the door for offensive coordinator Nate Potter to build off play-action and misdirection.
Through the air, Boise State boasts a quietly potent receiving corps that has grown more balanced each week. Chris Marshall (14 catches for 274 yards and a touchdown) has proven to be a consistent deep threat, stretching defenses vertically and creating room underneath for Latrell Caples (21 catches, 292 yards, two touchdowns) and Ben Ford (14 catches, 221 yards, three touchdowns). Caples’ chemistry with Madsen is evident in key third-down situations, while Ford’s knack for finding soft spots in coverage has become one of the team’s hidden strengths.
It all begins, though, with the offensive line — a unit that has quietly become one of the most dominant in the Mountain West. Their ability to win at the point of attack has fueled the Broncos’ recent offensive surges, and against a New Mexico front anchored by Jaxton Eck (26 tackles, one sack), that battle in the trenches will dictate the game’s flow. Boise State’s offensive line will need to protect Madsen long enough for routes to develop while also generating the push necessary to establish the run game early.
Defensively, the Broncos’ challenge will be containing a system designed to create chaos. Expect defensive coordinator Erik Chinander to emphasize early penetration from Fely and Virgin-Morgan, forcing the Lobos’ backfield to make quick decisions and minimizing the effectiveness of their misdirection. Linebackers Jake Ripp and Marco Notarainni will need to play downhill and communicate constantly, particularly against motion and disguised screens.
What will also be crucial is the secondary’s response after an up-and-down stretch of performances. Jaden Mickey, A’Marion McCoy, and Jeremiah Erby has each shown flashes of excellence, but consistency in coverage and tackling will determine whether New Mexico can exploit the middle of the field. My opinion remains unchanged — I want to see more jamming at the line of scrimmage, something Mickey excels at, to throw off timing and disrupt rhythm. When Boise State corners get their hands on receivers early, the defense plays with a different swagger.
This week, the task is straightforward but not simple: stop the run, win the line of scrimmage, tackle in space, and play fast but disciplined football. Boise State has the personnel to do it, the coaching staff to scheme it, and the home-field advantage to make it loud and uncomfortable for a New Mexico team still finding its footing in high-pressure environments.
Homecoming at Boise State is more than a game — it’s a celebration of tradition, unity, and pride. The blue turf has seen its share of legends, miracles, and statement wins, and this matchup against the Lobos represents the beginning of the defining stretch of the season. The Broncos are not just defending a title; they are defending a standard.
A 3-2 record may not scream dominance, but it tells a story of resilience and recalibration. Every season has its inflection point, the moment where a team decides whether it will merely compete or truly contend. For Boise State, that moment comes Saturday night. The loss in South Bend can either linger as a setback or serve as the spark for a midseason surge.
If the Broncos play to their identity — physical, efficient, and aggressive — the outcome should favor the home team. The offense has the firepower, the defense has the tools, and the coaching staff has the blueprint. Now it’s about execution.
When the ball kicks off at 7:45 p.m. MST and the roar of 34,000 fans fills Albertsons Stadium, Boise State will have the opportunity to remind the Mountain West — and itself — exactly who it is. The path to a three-peat begins at home, under the lights, with every eye on the blue.
This is the stretch where contenders separate themselves from the rest. For Boise State, it’s time to rise.