Boise State made a statement in their Friday night home opener, rolling past the Eastern Washington Eagles 51-14 at Albertsons Stadium.
From the opening kickoff, the Broncos took control and never let go of their momentum, securing their 13th straight home win and extending their win streak against FCS opponents to 22.
First quarter
The Broncos wasted no time in redeeming themselves. On the opening series, running back Sire Gaines ripped off a 46-yard run, followed by a nine-yard carry from Malik Sherrod. Sherrod then capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown scamper — all within the game’s first three plays.
On defense, Jaden Mickey forced and recovered a fumble at the Eagles’ 41-yard line. Madsen pulled the offense together, stringing some good passes to get themselves into the red zone. The drive ended with an eight-yard touchdown run by Gaines to make it 13-0.
“When you have a guy like Mickey making plays that early, it sets the tone,” head coach Spencer Danielson said. “The game’s never too high, too low for him — he’s just a competitor.”
After another defensive stand, Madsen hit Ben Ford deep for a 60-yard touchdown with 2:49 left in the first quarter, pushing the lead to 20-0. The Broncos tore away the Eagle’s defense with a series of explosive plays as the quarter came to a close.
Second quarter
Despite Eastern Washington answering midway through the second quarter with a five-yard Jared Taylor touchdown run, Boise State’s offense kept rolling.
Madsen punched in an eleven-yard touchdown run to extend the lead, and a 35-yard Canaan Moore field goal before halftime gave the Broncos a 23-point cushion at the break. Broncos were leading the game.
Madsen looked different this week — his confidence grew and the hunger for a win drove him to be better. Ford notes the difference was Madsen’s command of the game.
“He’s such a calming presence,” Ford said. “He makes it easy for us as receivers because we know the ball is going to be there.”
Third quarter
Boise State’s ground game took over in the second half. With just under five minutes left in the third quarter, wide receiver Cameron Bates broke tackles on a 20-yard touchdown run, making it 37-7.
The defense stayed sharp as well, limiting the Eagles to short possessions and keeping the game out of reach.
Safety Ty Benefield led the Broncos in tackles tonight with nine, three of them being tackles for loss. Despite his own production, he showed appreciation for his teammates, recognizing cornerback Jaden Mickey as a key part of their defense.
“He flew to the ball on every rep, he gives it his all and keeps the guys going,” Benefield said. “It’s about all of us guys in the middle eight to stay focused and on the same page and I’m so glad he was able to shine today.”
Fourth quarter
The Broncos put the game away in style. Madsen led a 12-play, 90-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Ford, their second connection of the night. Running back Dylan Riley ripped off a 34-yard gain to set up a missed field goal, but later iced the game with a 77-yard touchdown run.
Eastern Washington managed one more touchdown, but the Broncos had long since sealed the blowout. The Eagles’ final drive was cut short by an interception by Broncos cornerback Trey Tolmaire.
The Broncos’ explosive performance
After the game, Danielson mentioned that the Broncos dominated in explosive plays while balancing their offensive attacks and strategies — and that’s how you win football games.
Boise State rushing combined for 328 total yards split between 5 big contributors. Bates had a single rush attempt for 20 yards and a touchdown and Madsen had 35 yards and a touchdown on 4 attempts. Within the running back room, Gains had 109 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts, Sherrod had 42 yards and a touchdown on 7 attempts, while Riley had 128 yards and a touchdown on 6 attempts.
Madsen led the helm with 307 passing yards and two touchdowns distributed among 7 playmakers. Ford hauled in both of Madsen’s passing touchdowns with 82 yards on three receptions. Standout wide receiver Chris Marshall also produced heavily in the receiving game with 132 yards on four receptions.
“Explosive plays don’t just happen. They come from preparation, from blocking, from doing the right things,” Danielson explained. “Tonight, our guys executed that vision.”
A different look from last week
This win marked a sharp turnaround from Boise State’s season-opening loss at South Florida, where slow starts on both sides of the ball proved costly.
The Broncos set the tone immediately and never let up, pairing an explosive run game with a defense that swarmed Eastern Washington and played lights out football.
Much of the improvement came from better communication and composure on the field. Benefield said the biggest change on the field was communication.
“Communication breeds confidence,” he said. “You call things out, you see it happen, and then you play fast. That’s what we did tonight.”
As Danielson put it, having Madsen in rhythm while the defense dominated gave Boise State “a chance every time.”
The Broncos now enter the bye week at 1-1 with Air Force up next, a game Danielson framed as the real test of consistency. “We’ll celebrate this, but then we flip the switch,” he said.
