BRONCO NATION UPDATES

October 6, 2025

Article By Nick Wade

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – Under the shadow of the Touchdown Jesus, in front of a roaring crowd of 77,622, Boise State faced one of the most storied programs in college football history. The setting was perfect for a monumental upset: an unseasonably hot South Bend afternoon, a sea of shamrock green and gold colliding with a proud pocket of blue and orange. Roughly eight thousand Boise State fans made the long journey east, filling their weekend with the full Notre Dame experience—from touring the hallowed steps of the Basilica, to gazing at the Golden Dome,  and legendary “Touchdown Jesus,” to walking alongside the Notre Dame faithful as the Irish players made their traditional walk from Mass to the stadium.

But when the final second ticked off the clock in Notre Dame Stadium, the scoreboard read a sobering truth: Notre Dame 28, Boise State 7. It wasn’t just a defeat—it was a reality check about execution, discipline, and seizing opportunity on the national stage.

Boise State entered South Bend riding momentum from a gritty conference-opening win at Air Force and a dominate win over Appalachian State. Dylan Riley had made national waves two weeks prior with a historic five-touchdown performance, Maddux Madsen was emerging as one of the Mountain West’s most efficient quarterbacks, and the defense—though inconsistent—was proving opportunistic. Yet against Notre Dame, the very things that defined Boise State’s identity evaporated. The offense turned the ball over four times, the defense missed tackles in open space, and the discipline that had separated this team from others faltered in critical moments.

Notre Dame didn’t dominate every phase, but they were patient, poised, and mostly mistake-free. Boise State, by contrast, was erratic, their flashes of brilliance drowned out by self-inflicted wounds. The result was a game that felt closer than the score indicated but underscored just how costly the details can be against a top-tier FBS opponent.

Quarterback Maddux “Maddog” Madsen finished the afternoon completing 23 of 36 passes for 215 yards with a single rushing touchdown—but four interceptions. Notre Dame’s secondary, led by the athletic Leonard More, who recorded two picks, capitalized on every Boise mistake. On paper, Madsen’s numbers suggested rhythm; in reality, his rhythm was constantly disrupted by a Notre Dame front that applied consistent pressure, sacking him four times and collapsing pockets before Boise State could develop downfield routes.

The rushing attack that had been so critical in previous wins—particularly through Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines—never truly found traction. Gaines led the team with 39 yards on 11 carries, while Riley, was limited to just 33 yards on five attempts. Notre Dame’s defensive line clogged lanes, forcing the Broncos into predictable passing downs. With 100 total rushing yards on the day, Boise State couldn’t establish balance, and without balance, offensive coordinator Nate Potter’s playbook shrank.

What was most striking, though, wasn’t the physical dominance of Notre Dame, but the mental lapses by both teams. Boise State committed thirteen penalties for 112 yards, while the Irish were flagged for eleven. The volume of penalties was comparable, but the timing of Boise State’s mistakes was devastating. False starts on third and short, personal fouls extending Irish drives, and a holding call negating a key completion to Latrell Caples—it all accumulated into a portrait of frustration.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, played with a sense of composure. Quarterback CJ Carr, the highly touted freshman with a pro-style frame, executed the game plan to perfection. Carr threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns, completing 15 of 23 passes with a 74.7 QBR. He didn’t need to be spectacular—he needed only to be efficient. His favorite target, Jordan Faison, was steady and explosive, collecting 83 receiving yards on six receptions. The ground game, spearheaded by Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, was the difference-maker. Love ran for 103 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, while Price added 83 yards and a score, including a 49-yard burst that broke the game open.

That, more than anything, is where the game slipped away. Boise State had spent the entire week emphasizing defensive discipline—holding gaps, maintaining leverage, and executing open-field tackles. Those keys were outlined in last week’s Bronco Nation Updates preview as the blueprint to surviving Notre Dame’s balanced attack. Yet on Saturday, those fundamentals faltered. Missed tackles in space turned short gains into drive-sustaining plays. Linebackers were slow to fill gaps, allowing Notre Dame’s backs to reach the second level at times with ease. Boise State’s defense, which had looked so sharp in the App State win, appeared hesitant and reactive.

The defensive bright spots were there. Buck Benefield, the relentless leader who has become the emotional heartbeat of this defense, once again filled the stat sheet with eight tackles and a handful of pressure plays that kept the Irish offense honest. Jake Ripp added six tackles, two of them for loss, earning the Sam Talks Sports Defensive Player of the Game honor. Ripp’s instincts were sharp—he read gaps decisively and made several key stops on early downs. Yet as a unit, the Broncos struggled with tackling consistency, a concern that will need immediate attention before returning to conference play.

Offensively, the story was no less frustrating. Boise State moved the ball but couldn’t finish drives. Their lone touchdown came on a one-yard left bootleg by Maddux Madsen for the score.
Chris Marshall, who continues to ascend as a breakout receiver, recorded 58 yards on four catches and was later awarded the Sam Talks Sports Offensive Player of the Game. His precise route-running and ability to fight through contact were among the few offensive highlights. Latrell Caples added 52 yards on six receptions, but the explosive downfield threat that had defined Boise State’s previous two wins never materialized. Notre Dame’s corners, disciplined and technically sound, kept the Broncos’ perimeter weapons contained throughout.

Boise State actually outgained Notre Dame through the air, posting 215 passing yards to Notre Dame’s 189. But the Irish’s advantage on the ground—203 yards to Boise’s 100—created a decisive difference in tempo and control. Time of possession leaned heavily in Notre Dame’s favor in the middle quarters, where Boise’s defense was repeatedly asked to respond to short fields after turnovers.

Perhaps the most telling statistic of the afternoon was the turnover margin. Notre Dame finished with zero giveaways. Boise State had four. Against a program like Notre Dame, that disparity is fatal. Each interception erased precious momentum and flipped field position in Notre Dame’s favor. The Irish, to their credit, converted nearly every Boise mistake into points or sustained drives.

As the game wound down and the shadows stretched across the hallowed turf, the outcome was clear. Boise State wasn’t outclassed in talent; they were out-executed in the details that separate great teams from good ones. It was a reminder that the margin for error against elite competition is razor-thin.

Still, perspective matters. This was not a loss that derails Boise State’s season—it merely redirects it. The dream of a College Football Playoff appearance, already a longshot in the new expanded field, effectively closed with the loss. But the quest for a Mountain West three-peat remains fully alive. Head Coach Spencer Danielson’s postgame message echoed that sentiment: learn from the loss, fix the fundamentals, and refocus on conference play.

The blueprint moving forward is simple but demanding. Boise State must return to its identity—a physical rushing attack built on precision blocking and complementary play-action, paired with a defense that tackles soundly and forces turnovers. Coach Potter will need to open the playbook in a sense of urgency to steal points. The misdirection plays to Cam Bates that drew mixed reactions in South Bend weren’t what Bronco Nation were looking for in trick plays; they were just ordinary glimpses of offensive creativity. But creativity means little without execution, and Boise State’s offense will need to be sharper, cleaner, and more confident within its rhythm.

It’s also time for the secondary to regroup. The open-field tackling issues that haunted the Air Force and Notre Dame games can’t linger into the next stretch of the schedule. Benefield and Ripp will continue anchoring the middle, but Boise State’s defensive personnel must play with greater physicality and anticipation. Against Notre Dame, their coverage held up in stretches, yet critical breakdowns on the edge turned manageable drives into scoring opportunities.

Despite the loss, the Bronco Nation contingent in South Bend remained proud. As the clock wound down, the section of traveling fans—some at the edge of the south endzone awaiting supporting handshakes to the Boise State players departing the field, others standing quietly beneath the glow of the setting sky—offered applause that resonated deeper than disappointment. They had seen their team battle in one of college football’s cathedrals, and they understood that seasons are defined not by one loss, but by how teams respond to it.

Boise State’s record now stands at 3-2 overall, matching Notre Dame’s mark. But while the Irish will continue chasing national prominence, Boise State’s mission turns homeward—to the Mountain West, to the blue turf, and to the pursuit of a third straight conference crown.

As the charter flight lifted off from South Bend late Saturday night, the message among players and coaches was one of resolve. The Broncos are wounded but not broken, tested but not toppled. This was a lesson learned under the lens of one of football’s grandest stages—a lesson about discipline, preparation, and staying true to the program’s DNA.

The chapter on a potential playoff bid may be closed, but a new one begins: the drive to defend the Mountain West title and remind the nation that Boise State football remains built on grit, faith, and the unyielding pursuit of excellence.