November 1, 2026

Article By Nick Wade  

No. 20 Boise State defeats the Bobcats 46-45 in an absolute thriller, making this PAC-12 After Dark a win for the ages.

BOISE, Idaho. — There are football games that test a team’s talent, games that test its preparation, and games that reveal something deeper about the character of a program. Then there are nights like Halloween at Albertsons Stadium, when the rain never lets up, the scoreboard seems to defy reality, and a season hangs in the balance with every snap. Boise State’s 46-45 victory over Texas State was all of those things, an unforgettable PAC-12 After Dark thriller that Bronco Nation will be talking about for years. I’m calling it the Kellen Moore Game, because on the night Boise State honored one of the greatest quarterbacks in program history with a bronze statue, the current Broncos needed every ounce of that championship DNA to survive.

It was a fully loaded Halloween for Bronco Nation Updates and KBOI. Alongside my field reporter, Amber Wade, I spent the day covering the pregame festivities, interviewing Kellen Moore, capturing the Blue Chaos flag raising and the unveiling of his statue, and bringing Bronco Nation along for the ride through our Bronco Game Day Show. The rain-soaked night eventually carried us from the stadium to the postgame press conference and then into the Bronco Nation Live Post Game Show. It was a privilege to document a day that had the feel of a major Boise State celebration before turning into one of the wildest games in recent memory.

The statue ceremony gave the evening its emotional center. Moore’s return, his raising of the Blue Chaos flag, and the recognition of his place in Boise State history reminded everyone what the program has built and what it expects from those who wear the uniform. The Broncos entered the night 6-1, ranked No. 20/22, and unbeaten in conference play. They left 7-1 and 4-0 in the PAC-12, with their seventh consecutive victory and a story that could hardly have been scripted.

Boise State looked every bit the team expected to control the night during the first half. The defense opened with a three-and-out, and the offense responded with an eight-minute, 13-play drive covering 83 yards. Maddux Madsen finished it himself with a six-yard touchdown run. Dylan Riley added a five-yard scoring run early in the second quarter, and Madsen found the end zone again on a one-yard keeper. With four seconds remaining before halftime, Madsen connected with Rasean Jones for a 12-yard touchdown. Boise State went to the locker room leading 28-3, and the 34,429 fans inside Albertsons Stadium had every reason to believe they were watching a comfortable homecoming celebration for Kellen Moore.

The second half became a different game entirely.

Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson began attacking the field vertically, and the Bobcats found the explosive plays that had been a recurring concern throughout Boise State’s season. Chris Dawn Jr. caught a 67-yard touchdown, a Boise State fumble gave Texas State another opportunity, and Jackson added a 35-yard rushing score. The Bobcats erased the comfortable lead, then took control with a 44-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. When Jayden Bradley returned Madsen’s first interception of the season 20 yards for a touchdown, Texas State led 39-28.

The Broncos had surrendered 36 unanswered points. The offense had gone quiet, the defense was giving up chunk plays, and now the starting quarterback was down.

Madsen had completed 24 of 33 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown, while adding two rushing touchdowns. His interception was his first of the season, and the hit that injured his left knee brought the stadium to a stunned silence. He left the field and watched the rest of the game from the sideline on crutches. The medical evaluation was still ongoing after the game, and Danielson acknowledged that the initial outlook was concerning without offering a diagnosis.

The potential implications are significant. If the injury ultimately ends Madsen’s season, Boise State would lose a fifth-year senior whose career has placed him among the program’s most productive passers. After the Texas State game, the official postgame notes credited him with 8,267 career passing yards, sixth in school history, 655 completions, third all-time, and 64 career touchdown passes. His 236 passing yards against the Bobcats brought his 2026 season total to 1,681 yards. He also entered the night with an impressive conference résumé; after the win, his conference record as a starter stood at 18-1, building on the 17-1 mark entering the game. His overall career record as a starter is 27-7 while the injury outlook remains uncertain.

Enter Max Cutforth.

The former walk-on and Nampa native, a Skyview High School product, was suddenly asked to rescue a game that had slipped away. He did not look overwhelmed by the moment. He looked ready. Cutforth completed eight of 13 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns, delivering every scoring strike Boise State needed to climb out of the hole. His connection with Jones was extraordinary, and the timing and placement of the throws made it seem as though the receivers’ hands were magnets.

Cutforth first found Jones for a nine-yard touchdown with 6:15 remaining. Mana Tuioti then changed the game with an interception on a Texas State trick play, returning it 15 yards to the Bobcats’ 11-yard line. On fourth down, Cutforth went right back to Jones for an 11-yard touchdown and a 40-39 Boise State lead. Texas State answered almost immediately with a 72-yard touchdown pass to Zechariah Sample, putting the Broncos behind 45-40 with less than four minutes remaining.

Cutforth did not blink. Jones opened the next drive with a 44-yard reception, and Akeem Wright finished it with an 18-yard touchdown catch. Boise State led 46-45 with 2:40 remaining. The two-point attempt failed, but the Broncos had finally reclaimed the lead. The defense still needed one final stop, and Jaden Mickey delivered it, breaking up a fourth-down pass to seal the victory.

Jones was spectacular, finishing with nine catches for 117 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs. Wright added eight receptions for 116 yards and the decisive touchdown. Matt Wagner caught six passes for 67 yards. Riley rushed for 86 yards on 25 carries, reaching 1,049 yards for the season and becoming the 10th Bronco to rush for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Madsen finished 24-of-33 for 236 yards, while Cutforth’s three touchdown passes gave Boise State the late spark it desperately needed.

The team numbers tell the story of a game that Boise State won despite losing control of its own rhythm. The Broncos totaled 484 yards, including 367 passing and 117 rushing, and recorded 29 first downs. Texas State finished with 429 yards, 327 through the air and 102 on the ground, with 16 first downs. Boise State converted nine of 16 third downs and all three fourth-down attempts. The Broncos got back to it’s domination in time of possession. Boise State held the ball for 37:01 compared with Texas State’s 22:59. The Broncos also committed two fumbles, losing one, and Madsen’s interception was returned for a touchdown.

The defensive concerns cannot be ignored simply because the final score went Boise State’s way. Throughout the season, I have made a point of asking defensive coordinator Erik Chinander for explanations about the explosive plays surrendered by this defense. Through the first half of the season, the Broncos had allowed 31 explosive plays by my tracking. Against Texas State, another four or five plays changed the complexion of the game. That is not a sustainable formula for a team with championship aspirations.

Travis Anderson, Sherrod Smith, and Jaden Mickey have shown they can execute at a high level, and Mickey’s fourth-down breakup was the defining defensive play of the night. But JeRico Washington, Madden Soliai and Derek Ganter Jr. have struggled in the secondary, and the communication, leverage and consistency have to improve. Texas State demonstrated how quickly a game can turn when receivers get behind the coverage and the defense fails to limit explosive gains. Boise State cannot continue to rely on late-game heroics to overcome those breakdowns.

There were still individual performances worth celebrating on defense. Mickey is our Bronco Nation Updates Defensive Player of the Game, and his story carried a personal meaning beyond the stat sheet. With his father watching from the stands, Mickey drew strength from the memory of his mother and delivered when the team needed him most. Boen Phelps led the Broncos with eight tackles, while Mana Tuioti recorded his first career interception and Jayden Virgin-Morgan and Lopez Sanusi combined for a fourth-quarter sack.

Our Bronco Nation Offensive Players of the Game are Max Cutforth and Rasean Jones. Nitro was outstanding, Jones was extraordinary, and Cutforth showed the poise of a quarterback who understood the moment was his to seize. Their performance was the difference between a devastating home loss and a Halloween night that will live in Boise State history.

Afterward, Danielson did not hide from the team’s shortcomings. He called the third quarter one of the worst quarters of football he had ever been part of and accepted responsibility for the failure to execute. But he also praised the leadership that refused to fold. His message was clear: the Broncos found a way to win, but they must become a more consistent football team.

That is the lesson inside the celebration. Boise State earned its 300th FBS victory, extended its winning streak to seven, remained unbeaten in PAC-12 play, and gave a sellout crowd a comeback it will never forget. But the road ahead will demand more discipline, better tackling, and far fewer explosive plays allowed.

On a night dedicated to Kellen Moore, the Broncos needed a little of that old Boise State magic. They found it in a local walk-on quarterback, a freshman receiver with three touchdowns, a defense that made one final stand, and a fan base that kept believing through the rain.

This was the Kellen Moore Game. This was Boise State Surviving a Halloween Thriller. And for Bronco Nation, 46-45 will always be more than a final score.