December 9, 2025

Article By Nick Wade

The surroundings of SoFi Stadium are made for spectacle, for moments that stretch beyond the field and into the glamour of California life and college football. On Saturday evening in Los Angeles, that stage will belong to the Mountain West Champion Boise State Broncos as they meet the Big Ten’s Washington Huskies in the Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk, a matchup that offers both an ending and a beginning. The Broncos arrive at 9–4, riding the high of a rain-soaked championship performance that cemented their three-peat in the Mountain West before leaving for the PAC-12. Washington enters at 8–4, bruised by a physical Big Ten slate but still loaded with NFL talent and armed with a roster that can punish any opponent that slips for even a moment. The stakes are monumental for Boise State, not just because it is a bowl game on ABC in a primetime slot, but because it provides Coach Spencer Danielson with an opportunity to earn his first victory against a Power Four opponent and launch the program into its new era with momentum that could reshape everything.

Danielson’s voice all week has carried the conviction of someone who knows exactly how good his team can be when they play clean, focused, and physical football. He did not shy away from the challenge Washington presents, acknowledging the size, speed, and experience of a roster built through Big Ten recruiting pipelines. Their defensive front, as Danielson put it, “is really good,” which is almost an understatement when examining the personnel on tape. Their two running backs, Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed, run behind one of the most physical offensive lines in the country. Their corners, Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis, stand at a rare 6-foot-4 each, possessing both the length and recovery speed to disrupt every contested throw. Their quarterback, Demond Williams Jr., plays with the swagger and improvisational talent of someone destined for Sundays. Every inch of the Huskies roster is dangerous.

And yet Danielson followed every acknowledgment of Washington’s strengths with a statement that defines the culture inside the Boise State locker room. “I believe in our team.”

Belief is not bravado, not when the Broncos take the field having won seven Mountain West championships and three straight titles under Danielson’s leadership as interim and then head coach. Belief is earned. Belief is built. Belief becomes a force when a team proves it can withstand adversity and rise again. Boise State has done exactly that this season, climbing out of the early-season offensive struggles that left them searching for rhythm and rediscovering themselves behind the return of Maddux Madsen, the emergence of Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, and a defense that evolved into one of the nation’s best statistically.

This showdown with Washington is more than a bowl game. It is a referendum on identity, on physicality, on whether Boise State’s brand of football can stand nose-to-nose with one of the country’s most athletically gifted programs and win the kinds of battles that separate contenders from merely competitive teams.

To win, the Broncos must begin by controlling the turnover margin, an element that has become the single greatest predictor of their success. Against the Huskies’ explosive offense, every possession carries heightened consequences. Williams’ dual-threat ability is capable of flipping field position instantly, and Washington’s running backs punish poor tackling with ruthless consistency. Boise State cannot afford to waste drives with giveaways or place their defense into short-field situations that tilt the game script toward the Huskies. Danielson has emphasized that Boise State must play “a near-clean game,” and that begins with valuing the football as if every possession is a piece of the game itself.

The reason the turnover margin looms so large is because Boise State must dictate tempo from the opening snap. Establishing the run—something Danielson has admitted will be exceptionally difficult against Washington’s defensive front—is the spine of this game plan. Dylan Riley, the engine of Boise State’s offense with 1,091 yards and ten touchdowns on the season, has the home-run speed needed to exploit even the smallest crease. When he finds the edge, the defense stretches. When he breaks through an arm tackle, safeties are forced to creep down. Those moments matter because they are the foundation of the Broncos’ play-action attack.

But Riley cannot shoulder the burden alone. Sire Gaines, who bruised his way to 795 yards and eight touchdowns this season, is the physical presence Boise State will use to test Washington’s linebackers. He punishes tacklers, wears down defensive fronts, and forces collisions that amplify the brutality of inside football. His strength between the tackles is the counter to Riley’s explosive cuts outside them, giving Boise State the ability to manipulate formation and run tendencies to keep Washington off balance.

The X-factor in the running game may be Malik Sherrod, whose value out of the backfield has grown into one of the Broncos’ most dangerous schematic edges. With 406 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and another 244 yards receiving, Sherrod is a matchup breaker—particularly on screens, where his acceleration and lateral agility allow him to turn a simple dump-off into a demoralizing chunk gain. In my opinion Sherrod could be “a great weapon” against Washington’s front, and that may prove prophetic. Screens, misdirections, and angle routes are the antidote to an aggressive Big Ten pass rush, and Sherrod thrives in exactly those situations.

Running the football, though, serves a deeper purpose. It opens up the playbook. It slows down Washington’s defensive ends. It sets up the play-action passing game that transformed Boise State’s offense from stagnant to sharp down the stretch. It gives Mountain West Championship Offensive MVP Maddux Madsen the platform he needs to attack the Huskies’ secondary with rhythm and timing.

Madsen’s growth this season has been nothing short of remarkable. After battling a lower-leg injury that sidelined him for nearly a month, he returned with the command of a veteran and the accuracy of a quarterback fully in tune with his system. His season totals—2,283 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 142 passer rating—do not capture the full story. He has added 80 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, often converting clutch downs with his legs. More importantly, he has guided the Broncos to a 20–5 record as a starter, placing him eighth all-time among Boise State quarterbacks in career passing yardage, just 71 yards behind Hank Bachmeier for seventh. His efficiency, poise, and resilience define the modern Boise State identity.

Against Washington’s 50th-ranked secondary—flanked by cornerbacks who stand eye-to-eye with their receivers—Boise State will need every ounce of Madsen’s creativity. That requires near-perfect execution from the receiving corps. Chris Marshall, with 477 yards and two touchdowns, must stretch the field vertically. His deep routes can pry Washington’s safeties out of their comfort zone and create opportunities underneath. Cam Bates, with 307 yards and a touchdown, has shown he can win isolated matchups on the boundary and must play with the physicality required against oversized corners. Chase Penry, who has become one of Madsen’s most trusted third-down targets, must be crisp with his routes and fearless over the middle. Latrell Caples, who leads the team with 547 yards and three touchdowns, must continue to deliver in the slot, finding open seams and providing the steady reliability Madsen depends on. Boise State cannot afford drops. Every target must matter.

The offensive line, led by veterans who have weathered an entire season of scrutiny, now faces its most important test. Washington’s defensive front is long, explosive, and violent. Winning the trenches will not come easy, but it will dictate whether Boise State controls the game or plays from behind. If the Broncos’ offensive line holds its ground, everything Danielson wants becomes possible: clock control, tempo, defensive fatigue, play-action pressure-release plays, and the kind of balance that keeps a Big Ten defense guessing.

Defensively, Boise State will be tested by one of the most dynamic quarterback-running back tandems they’ve seen all season. Demond Williams Jr. is the type of quarterback who forces defensive coordinators into sleepless nights. He has thrown for 2,850 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 595 yards and six more scores. His dual-threat capabilities turn broken plays into highlight runs. His mobility extends drives that should be over. When the first read is covered, he becomes even more dangerous. Boise State must play their most disciplined assignment football of the season, maintaining gap integrity and ensuring the edges never collapse to allow Williams free escape lanes.

Washington does not rely solely on Williams. Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed are a punishing one-two punch at running back, combining for over 1,100 yards and 19 touchdowns. Coleman in particular, with 673 yards and fourteen touchdowns, runs with balance, low-pad leverage, and the kind of burst that punishes linebackers who hesitate. Stopping Washington’s run game requires physicality at the point of attack and collective gang tackling, a strength that Boise State has demonstrated all season.

The Broncos’ defense, ranked 34th nationally and 11th against the pass, is built for these kinds of matchups. Buck Benefield, coming off a performance in the Mountain West Championship that earned him the Championship Defensive MVP, anchors the unit with his 98 tackles, two interceptions, and leadership that elevates the entire defense. Bo Phelps, with 61 tackles and a pick-six, must be fearless in run support. Jeremiah Erby, one of the most dynamic corners in the conference with 55 tackles, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups, has the length and instincts needed to neutralize Washington’s taller receivers. Jaden Mickey’s physicality in coverage and ability to force turnovers will be invaluable. Sherrod Smith, with his five pass breakups, must stay disciplined in his footwork. Zion Washington brings 59 tackles and a steady presence in the middle. Braxton Fely and Jayden Virgin-Morgan bring the pressure, combining for 9.5 sacks. Marco Notarainni, whose 69 tackles and 2.5 sacks make him one of the most reliable tacklers on the team, becomes the central figure in containing Williams’ scrambles.

Boise State’s secondary, one of the nation’s finest, will be tested by Washington’s receivers. Denzel Boston, a 6-foot-4, 209-pound junior with 755 receiving yards and ten touchdowns, wins with size and catch radius. Freshman Dezmen Roebuck, with 554 yards and six touchdowns, attacks zones with fearlessness and plays beyond his years. The Broncos must jam early, disrupt timing, and force contested throws. They must tackle cleanly. They must communicate on every pre-snap motion and every scramble drill.

The margin is thin. The game is huge. The opponent is formidable. But this Boise State team, forged in adversity and hardened by a championship run, understands exactly what waits for them in Los Angeles.

A win would give Coach Danielson his first Power Four victory and launch the Broncos into their PAC-12 future with a signature moment that resonates far beyond one night in December. It would validate the toughness of a season marked by doubt, injury, and second chances. It would prove that Boise State’s blueprint—built on development, discipline, and belief—remains potent even against the biggest and fastest teams in the country.

The path to victory is clear. Win the turnover battle. Establish the run. Attack through play action. Dominate clock. Punish mistakes. And play with the physical identity that has carried Boise State to three straight conference championships.

Danielson believes in his team. The players believe in each other. And on Saturday night in SoFi Stadium, under the brightest lights of the bowl season, the Broncos will have the chance to show the nation why that belief is justified.