September 17, 2026

Article By Josh Fife

FCS vs. FBS – usually a no-nerves kind of game. But is this one?

Appalachian State in 2007. James Madison in 2010. Eastern Washington in 2013. North Dakota State in 2016. Montana in 2021.

If you’re a CFB geek, you know what those games mean.

They mean our Broncos had better not mess around and find out this Saturday.

The South Dakota Coyotes come to The Blue for an 8 PM kickoff, bringing a 3-0 record, with an offense averaging 46 points a game. I know, I know, I can hear you saying it already. “But come on, who have theyplayed.”

Remember, we are often THAT team. The team that the P4 elites and the media personalities say, “Yeah, but look who they’ve played.”

Boise State cannot afford to fall into that trap after a nail-biting loss to Oregon, and a “Thank-God-for-the-second-half” game against Memphis. South Dakota is one of those FCS teams that would LOVE to beadded to the list at the start of this article. And if you weren’t sure why I led the article with those teams, it’s a list of FCS teams that pulled off regular-season upsets against top-25 FBS teams. We may not be top-25 according to the voters. But makeno mistake, we are the team that South Dakota would love to catch sleeping.

A quick bit of history on those teams. The 2007 App State team had just come off a 2006 FCS National Championship. The 2009 James Madison team that shocked Virginia Tech in 2010 went just 6-5 in 2009 and missedthe playoffs. The 2012 EWU team fell in the semi-finals of the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State won their ‘ship for the 5^th time in a row in 2015. Montana’s 2020 season was shortened to only two games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All that to say, there’s some precedent for teams who had a really good FCS season previously to come into a big-time game the next season and knock off their FBS powerhouse opponent.

The 2025 version of the South Dakota Coyotes made it to the quarterfinals in the FCS playoffs. I have zero doubt we are viewed as that “powerhouse” opponent for them this season. However, in the second halfof the Memphis game, the Broncos showed just how high the ceiling is for this team, and hopefully they can push that ceiling even higher against South Dakota on Saturday. Let’s dive into it.

South Dakota’s offense is run by their QB Austyn Modrzewski. Oh, and he’s only #1 in QB Efficiency in all of FCS with a 214.19 efficiency. For perspective, the highest official single-season passing efficiencyrating in FBS history was 208.0.

That was just a dude named Jayden Daniels.

Modrzewski posts nearly a 70% completion rate, 11 touchdowns to only 1 interception, and has only been sacked once. There’s no question this dude can ball. This is the “trap” we can’t fall into. Don’t think,“Oh, look who they’ve played” is a reason to believe “Oh, they’ll never win this game.” Guys that can play at the level Modrzewski is playing will do everything in their power to win games like this. BSU’s D-Line and secondary cannot take off plays in thisgame. And if Memphis showed us anything, there is work to be done in the secondary.

The Coyotes also have a beast in the backfield in Charles Pierre Jr. Coming in at 5’10”, 210 pounds, Pierre has racked up 261 yards on 35 carries. That’s an average of 7.5 yards per carry. Regardless of FCS or FBS, that’s GOOD. Again, the Broncos’ D-Line and linebackers will need to stay sharp and physical early on. Boise State knows a little about short guys who are built like a bulldozer. Doug Martin was listed as 5’9”, 215 pounds. Pierre has a similar build. We’ll see if his speed can give the Bronco D problems.

Over on defense, South Dakota has an athletic group who can get to quarterbacks. They are tied for 14^th in sacks (8) among all FCS schools. Outside of that, the stats tell a story of a mid-level FCS defensive squad. Should Boise State play a complete game and handle their business, this game could get out of hand quickly, something we can (and should) all hope for.

However, that cannot be the mentality going into the game. One possession at a time, one down at a time, one quarter at a time, just like usual. Business mentality. Do your job, handle your position, your reads, your assignments, and then and only then will we all walk out of Bronco Stadium with that 30-ish point victory. If Boise State gets ahead of themselves and starts looking to the Western Michigan game, and if they take any of this week’s game for granted … well, let’s just pretend that isn’t going to happen. STAY FOCUSED.

Let’s dive into some quick comparisons, because when FCS teams come to town, size is often a topic of conversation.

Oregon’s average starting D-Lineman is 6’4” and 316 pounds. South Dakota’s starting D-Line average is 277 pounds and 6’3”. The point there isn’t to compare their sizes. BSU was able to compete in a big waywith the Ducks’ size and physicality. That should bode well for the Broncos when it comes to handling the Coyotes’ defensive front and linebackers.

For the Broncos, this week is very much “stay the course”.  Let’s check The Three Big Things.

The Three Big Things

1. Continue Getting Better

In all aspects. And the parts that were a mess against Memphis, particularly in the first half? It would be fantastic to see as close to 60 minutes of mistake-free football as possible. I am really hopingour offense continues to spread the wealth. Get the main guys their touches, no doubt. But, hopefully, this game can also be used for live, in-game reps for several down-the-depth-chart players to show what they’ve got. Fine tune any mistakes we don’t seeas fans, and grow as a team in any and all aspects the coaching staff sees as a must.

2. Control The Line

The O-Line has been nothing short of amazing to start this season. The run game should flourish once again, which will open several long-ball opportunities for Maddog (and hopefully, for Cutforth in the 2^ndhalf.) A 50-yard bomb would be great to see, even if it’s just an attempt or two. Madsen has seen his best start to a season in his career, and his PFF grade from the Memphis game was elite-level stuff. Give him that kind of protection again, and this offenseshould have every opportunity to put up some big numbers against the Coyotes.

3. Secondary Must Keep Explosives Down

The secondary needs glue-like coverage. Don’t let South Dakota’s QB get comfortable and into some type of rhythm that gives the Coyotes hope early on. If we go into halftime tied, that’s the time everyonebegins to say, “Wait, what?” A 20-point lead at halftime would be a nice sigh-of-relief, although not a reason to let up.

In recent years, Boise State has had high levels of success against FCS schools. In ’25, BSU beat Eastern Washington 51-14. In ’24, it was a 56-14 drubbing of Portland State. In ’23, a 24-point victory against North Dakota. In ’22, a 30-7 W over UT Martin.

Let’s hope this trend continues.

The social-media fan sphere is full of excitement that we haven’t seen in quite some time. Yes, we had the ’24 Jeanty season, but so much of that run was about one guy and his quest for immortality in Boise State fan lore and putting the team on his back.  This season feels SO much like a team coming together as a full TEAM. The coaching staff seems to have transcended a level that many felt was stagnant. We keep hearing about the camaraderie and togetherness of this group. We’re all praying that’s true.

The Boise State culture that we’ve known for so long now feels fully in place. The promise of great things to come this season hasn’t felt this real for quite some time.

And, with all of that said, a 1-0 mentality MUST remain. Get the Coyotes this weekend Broncos. Don’t look beyond them. Too many FBS teams have been caught looking past an FCS team in the last two decades,and that’s a look the team can’t afford this Saturday.

Wear white on Saturday Bronco Fam, but make the Coyotes feel the power of The Blue!