October 1, 2026

Article By Josh Fife

Well, the Bronco Brawl turned into a Bronco Beat down last Saturday in Kalamazoo. In their first matchup against each other, the Broncos of Boise State won their 11^th straight game against MAC opponents by defeating Western Michigan 32-7 in a game that was touted as THE G6 game of the year. While the spread indicated we may see a 1-score game, Boise State turned last Saturday’s matchup against the Broncos of the Midwest into a “Remember Us?” moment for the rest of the Group of Six.

                By early in the 2nd quarter, it became apparent that OUR Broncos were off and running. And, Bronco Nation started to breathe easy by the middle of the 3^rd quarter. Were there plays on both sides of the ball that were missed? Absolutely. An almost-shutout could have been a much closer game than the 25-point victory indicated. However, we can’t live in the what-ifs. What happened…happened. Boise State controlled the game start to finish, and moved to 3-1 on the year. And with the W, they earned an AP-Poll ranking of #22.

Moving forward, there is now a very clear path to…well, let’s not go there yet.

                Just a quick thought from the WMU game before the Utah State preview.

For all the back-and-forth surrounding Maddog, it is very clear this version of Maddux is just what this team needs. Calm, cool, collected, and certainly able to be efficient in the passing game. In the WMU game, so many good things happened, but Maddux’s 3^rd down conversions were not just good plays, they were huge, in-game moments that kept momentum completely on BSU’s side. Maddog showed smart and quick decision making on those plays. These kinds of plays are must-haves to extend drives and come away with wins. Three third-down conversions (on separate drives) on the ground for Maddux, all of which led to points on the board in those drives. Two of the drives ended in touchdowns, one in a field goal.

HUGE. The kind of moments we desperately want to see from our QB. (By the way, Madsen’s 9 touchdown passes are, quietly, tied for 21^st in the nation.)

And, on another note, what a moment for Ben Ford with his back-of-the-endzone touchdown snag. A major congrats to him – what an incredible story and recovery. SO happy he’s back and seeing success due to his work ethic, which is sure to inspire other players throughout the season.

Finally, how about Matt Wagner and Dylan Riley doing what they do. Catching passes, truckin’ players over, yards, TD’s, stats-stats-stats. Just great dudes putting up huge games, and they’re doing it consistently. (Here’s me telling my giddy, inner-2006-voice to be quiet and calm down).

With the big G6 game now behind us, all focus turns to yet another Bronco for a 2^nd week in a row; this time, it’s Bronco Mendenhall’s Utah State Aggies team as the Boise State Broncos open up Pac-12 play.

Utah State comes to Boise this Saturday with a 1-3 record. Two of their losses were 100% expected. The Aggies played a Washington team closely, losing by only two points. Kudos for a hard-fought game.

However, the week after was an absolute thrashing, losing to the Utes of Utah 33-0. And to start the year, the Bengals of Idaho State gave the FCS ranks one of their rare wins over an FBS school as Cody Hawkins (son of former BSU coach Dan Hawkins) led ISU to a 29-17 victory over the Aggies. USU finally got their first W of the year this past Saturday with a 21-10 victory over Troy.

Needless to say, it’s been a more-downs-than-ups kind of season to get things started for the Aggies.

But, it’s Utah State.

This is NEVER a team that we should take lightly, no matter how “down” they may be. You know the Aggie fan base, Bronco Nation. You know the pride that lives within that program. They want to win, badly. And they LOVE to beat Boise State. Winning this game to shut down the national dialogue surrounding Boise State would be a feather in their helmet.

Simply put, the Broncos cannot afford to look past this game, nor do I think they would. It’s very apparent this coaching staff and the players are a 1-0 mentality kind of team.

So, Saturday…any reason to be concerned? Well, the fact that it’s Utah State means yes. But let’s look on paper. Out of the 30+ statistics available at NCAA.com, the Aggie’s three highest ranked categories are passes intercepted (49^th in the nation with 3 picks), 4^th-Down-Conversion-Defense (11^th in the nation, holding opponents to just 1 for 6 on 4^th down attempts), and Team Passing Efficiency Defense. That last category is the one I worry about the most. The Aggies do have a decent passing defense, where they sit 27^th in the nation with a 111.18 defensive efficiency rating. While elite defenses can have that number in the 80’s and 90’s, 111.18 isn’t terrible. The Broncos will need to make sure they are focused, clicking on all cylinders, and establishing a run game to open up a passing game that Utah State can’t shut down completely.

With the O-Line moving into “elite” status after the WMU game, I think we see more of the same. The Broncos O-Line has done a tremendous job getting push and opening up spots for Dylan Riley and company to move the ball well, particularly on first down. The Broncos are one of the top in the nation when it comes to getting push and creating space before our running backs even see contact. 

The Broncos are 24^th in first-down-offense thus far, while the Aggies first-down-defense ranks 112^th. That’s a major point to focus on. If BSU can get those big chunks on first down, it opens so much of the offense in other areas. And with BSU proving they are just as lethal on 3^rd downs when needed (10 for 14 against WMU, and 18^th in the nation overall at 50%), there’s room to believe Boise State can once again use up clock with 10 to 12 play drives. On that note, Boise State sits number one in the nation in Time of Possession at 37 minutes per game. Hopefully, Sire can jump back into the mix for our dominant 1-2 punch RB combo. This would force the Aggies into playing an extra man in the box, and the receiving group can have their day. A shot or two down field would be great to see as well if we can get safeties and corners biting on some play action.

Over on defense, theoretically, the Broncos should be able to contain an Aggie offense that struggles in just about every offensive category. 112^th in first-down-offense, 130^th in completion percentage (53%), tied for last with passes intercepted (9), 100^th in passing yards per game (203 ypg), 119^th in rushing yards per game (116 ypg), and 136^th in total scoring offense are just some of the areas Utah State struggles. USU did find some success against Troy, where they passed for 242 yards with two touchdowns, and they ran for 171 yards with a TD there as well. Not that Troy is a team that would give BSU fits, but if the Aggies get on a roll, we’ve seen what can happen before.

Needless to say, stats aside, the Broncos cannot afford to let up. Pedal down, eyes forward, grit and tenacity need to be at full strength. I believe that will be the case this Saturday. Let’s look at the Three Big Things for the week.

Three Big Things
1. Dominate 1^st Downs, Offense and Defense

With a BSU offense sitting in the top 25 in 1^st-down-offense against an Aggie team that ranks 95^th in 1^st-down-defense, getting big yards on first down will wear down and frustrate a defense early in the game. Imposing their will can make this a long game for Utah State, especially with the Broncos’ time of possession dominance as well. If BSU can put together those eight to twelve play drives that eat up six to eight minutes of the clock, AND if BSU can get the ball into the end zone, demoralization is the name of the game here. Get the ball in the end zone early, get as many points on the board before halftime as possible, and make the Aggies remember whose house they’re in going into the locker room.

2. Take Away the One Thing They’ve Got – Passing Defense

This starts with the run game. Get Riley (and Sire if he’s a go) started quickly. If Sire’s a no-go, then find a way to get JG or Stewart some space to create an 8 to 10 yard run a couple of times. Force USU, within the first quarter, to commit to stopping the run. Get the secondary guessing on every play, and let Maddog go to work. With the run game BSU has, Maddux can absolutely pick a defense apart. This may be the biggest growth we’ve seen from him. He’s calmer, cooler, and more collected. He’s making good decisions. He’s making passes that are more than enough for this team to not only win, but crush, opponents.

3. 3^rd Down Is a Bread-and-Butter Thing for BSU This Year

Boise State ranks 18^th on offensive 3^rd down efficiency (50%) and 6^th on defensive 3^rd down efficiency (23%). Getting the “money down” wins is such a huge momentum bringer and killer in the game of football. The Broncos have been spectacular on 3^rd and 4^th downs this year. Getting those wins on 3^rd down early, on both offense and defense, can set a tone for the rest of the game.

Bonus Big Thing: Ignore the Hype

Honestly, this one might be more for us, the fan base. I believe the coaching staff will 100% do everything in their power to keep the team focused on the 1-0 mentality. But keeping college heads calm, clear, and focused can be a tough task. I’m not insinuating BSU players are doom-scrolling articles of hope, promise, and certainty/uncertainty of a College Football Playoff berth. I have no idea if that’s a thing that happens in all reality. I’m sure some players read the things here and there. This is where I’m all-in on this coaching staff.

So let’s all keep the 1-0 Mentality mindset as a fanbase as well.

While Boise State is 25-5 all time against the Aggies, the most recent iteration in this series was FAR too close, where the Broncos snuck out a 1-point victory. Yes, Max Cutforth was at QB that game. And, while his completion percentage wasn’t great (26 of 49), he did throw for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Dylan ran for 122 yards in the game, Wagner had 5 catches for 69 yards and a TD, and BSU even had two sacks. Overall, Boise State racked up over 500 yards on offense and held the ball for nearly 37 minutes.

And the Broncos still barely walked away with a 1-point victory.

Will we take it? Sure. We’ll always take the W’s.

But this Saturday, when we celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the first Fiesta Bowl team, the team that changed the whole game for the entire future of Boise State football, I’d love to think we’re walking out of there with nothing short of a 20-point victory.

Remember, even that ’06 team had three games of 7-point victories or less, including a last-second field goal against a 6-3 San Jose State team.

Take nothing for granted. Be LOUD on Saturday Bronco Fam! Let our Broncos know you are as relentless of a fanbase as they should be as a team. 1-0. Beat the Aggies.

Let’s go Broncos!