Boise State’s offense erupted with nearly 50 points on Saturday night as the Broncos defeated the Air Force Falcons by a score of 49-37 at Falcon Stadium in Colorado.
The Broncos recorded 592 yards of total offense, marking the first time the program has amassed at least 500 yards of offense in consecutive games since 2019. The offensive assault was headed by sophomore running back Dylan Riley, who scored five touchdowns and collected over 250 all-purpose yards.
Riley’s legendary performance, which included four rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, marks the 20th time in program history a Bronco has scored four or more rushing touchdowns in a game. Riley is the first Bronco to score at least three rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in a single game since Jeremy McNichols in 2016. Additionally, Riley’s five-touchdown feat marks the second consecutive season that a Boise State running back has scored five or more touchdowns in a single game. Ashton Jeanty rushed for six in the season opener against Georgia Southern last year.
Riley, who entered the season as the third running back on the depth chart, saw an increased workload on Saturday night due to Sire Gaines’ reps being limited from an injury. Up to this point, Riley continues to make the most of the opportunities he’s been given.
For the Moreno Valley, California native, keeping a low profile and leaving everything on the field has been key to his success.
“The only thing I’ve needed to do is just keep my head down and keep working,” Riley said. “The coaches see me working at practice and they see what I can do. At that point, they gave me my chance, and once you give me my chance, I’m going to take it and run with it.”
Despite a significant amount of Riley’s would-be playing time this season being lost to the talents of Sire Gaines and Malik Sherrod, his ability to rise to the occasion when needed isn’t going unnoticed by the coaching staff.
“I can’t say enough good things about Dylan Riley,” Head Coach Spencer Danielson said. “Continue to watch when [he] scores. The entire team erupts because they know that he cares about them. He’s always going to do the nitty gritty, find a way to make plays on special teams and he had his night tonight.”
Air Force drew first blood with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from running back Dylan Carson about four minutes into the game. Following the Falcons taking an early lead, Dylan Riley wasted no time kickstarting the Broncos’ offense, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back drives to give the Broncos a 14-7 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter.
Quarterback Maddux Madsen then connected with tight end Matt Lauter for a 3-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to extend the Bronco lead to two possessions. However, a 10-play scoring drive from Air Force that was capped off by a Kemper Hodges rushing touchdown brought the two teams within seven points as they entered their respective locker rooms for halftime.
After the Falcons tied the score with a touchdown on the second half’s opening drive, a 40-yard touchdown rush from Malik Sherrod helped put the Broncos back on top with a 28-21 advantage. Air Force responded with a 10-minute, 19-play drive that culminated in a field goal.
The resiliency of the Air Force seemed to awaken the beast inside Dylan Riley, as the Broncos’ next drive saw the young running back take a screen pass 75 yards to the house.
The fourth quarter was an offensive duel, as both squads took turns finding the other’s endzone. Nonetheless, Dylan Riley’s two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the latter of which sealed the game for the Broncos, proved to be fruitful as the team lifted past the Falcons with a two-possession lead in the closing minutes of the game.
The two passing touchdowns from Maddux Madsen moved his career total to 37, which is the 10th-most in program history. In addition, the redshirt junior quarterback finished the game with 5,060 career passing yards, becoming the 10th Bronco to surpass 5,000 career passing yards. Latrell Caples’ five receptions for 87 yards were a productive, albeit unsung, performance that helped push the Broncos’ offense forward.
“We did a great job of responding to adversity today,” Spencer Danielson said. “We learned a lot about our team tonight, that our team can always find a way to win.”
The grittiness of the Boise State Broncos and their “Blue Collar” mentality, which is written on the inside of every jersey’s collar, was embodied by the Bronco defense as well last night. Their ability to stay persistent and show consistent tenacity despite Air Force’s strong-willed offense proved to be one of the deciding factors.
Junior safety Ty “Buck” Benefield notched a career-high 11 tackles, which included eight solo tackles and two tackles-for-losses. His interception in the final minute of the fourth quarter was the nail in the coffin.
Fellow defensive backs Jeremiah Earby, A’Marion McCoy and Zion Washington all recorded tackles-for-losses as well. Edge rusher Malakai Williams’ tackle-for-loss was the first of his career.
When asked what the key was to the defense finishing through the fourth quarter, senior linebacker Marco Notarainni noted that playing together as a unit is what allowed the Broncos to come out on top.
“We were just really leaning on each other,” Notarainni said. “The offense had our backs tonight and we had theirs too, so playing off of each other was huge. If we can find that rhythm where we’re in unison, we can pull away from teams earlier in the game.”
The Broncos will return home to Boise to play Appalachian State this Saturday. As the 2025 season rolls on, the blue-collar mentality that serves as the foundation for Boise State football will continue to drive the Broncos’ endurance and their pursuit of a return to the College Football Playoff.
