Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen sustained right ankle and toe injuries during last season’s game against Fresno State, and the Bulldogs dominated in his absence.
Madsen and the No. 23 Broncos look to avenge the 30-7 loss and break a three-game losing streak against the Bulldogs when the two squads meet Saturday night in Pac-12 play at Fresno, Calif.
Madsen was injured while being sacked in the first quarter and Boise State’s offense struggled without him, finishing with just 193 total yards and 11 first downs while committing three turnovers.
Madsen has been among the nation’s better quarterbacks so far this season, helping Boise State (4-1, 1-0 Pac-12) win four straight games following a season-opening 34-27 loss to then-No. 2 Oregon.
Madsen has passed for 11 touchdowns with no interceptions, making him one of just four quarterbacks nationally with double-digit touchdowns without being picked off. The others are Miami’s Darian Mensah (15 TDs), Indiana’s Josh Hoover (15) and Missouri’s Austin Simmons (13).
“That young man deserves a ton of credit,” Broncos coach Spencer Danielson said of Madsen. “He’s playing at a high level. He’s through five games and has not thrown an interception.”
Madsen completed 81% of his passes (17 of 21) for a season-best 244 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend’s 37-18 rout of visiting Utah State. He has thrown seven scoring passes over the past three games.
“The game has slowed down immensely,” Madsen said. “That’s been throughout this whole season. I feel that difference. We’re taking exactly what the defense is giving us.”
Three of Boise State’s top offensive performers could miss the contest.
Dylan Riley, who leads the nation with 685 rushing yards, limped off the field with a lower-leg injury during the fourth quarter of the Utah State game. He rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns before the injury.
No. 2 running back Sire Gaines (wrist) has missed back-to-back games, while impressive freshman wideout Rasean Jones left in the fourth quarter after taking a hit to the head. Jones leads Boise State with 23 receptions for 359 yards.
“If guys can’t play, it’s next man up,” Danielson said. “The standard cannot change, so we’re going to have guys that got to step up.”
Fresno State (4-1, 1-0) has won four straight games since being walloped 39-0 at then-No. 14 Southern California in its season opener.
The Bulldogs routed host Washington State 26-6 last weekend, limiting the Cougars to 182 yards — including 30 rushing — and nine first downs.
Leading rusher Rayshon Luke (286 yards) sustained a concussion in the first quarter and his availability is unknown. He had 46 yards on six carries before exiting. Luke also rushed for 88 yards on 16 carries in last season’s victory in Boise.
“We’ll just keep knocking on wood,” Bulldogs coach Matt Entz told reporters. “That’s for someone who has another degree than what I have.”
Quarterback Jayden Mandal completed 24 of 33 passes for 245 yards against Washington State. Overall, he has thrown for 1,034 yards, six touchdowns and one interception this season.
Fresno State has outscored its opponents 139-43 during the four-game winning streak. But though the Bulldogs are playing well and haven’t lost to Boise State since the 2022 regular season, Entz isn’t pretending that his team is on the same level as the Broncos.
“Boise’s the gold standard for Group of Six football across the country and a brand that’s known from coast to coast,” Entz said. “… We have our work cut out for us. We have to execute at a high level.”
