Boise State spent most of Friday afternoon trying to stay neck and neck with Utah State as they played with consistency on its home turf. The Broncos absorbed early punches, fell behind two scores and still found a way to deliver one of their most important wins of the season.
The team’s 25-24 comeback in Logan didn’t just extend its postseason hopes — it secured the Broncos a spot in the Mountain West Championship. The rally showcased the resilience that has carried them through adversity over the past month.
The Aggies struck early with a long touchdown run, then added another score behind the legs of quarterback Bryson Barnes, who extended plays and kept Boise State off balance. The Broncos moved the ball on several first-half drives, but settled for a field goal and missed opportunities that could have kept the game closer.
Utah State led 21-10 at halftime and pushed the lead to 24-13 midway through the third quarter.
The game began to shift when Boise State finally developed a play it had been searching for. Max Cutforth stepped up in a collapsing pocket and found Quinton Brown wide open down the sideline for a long touchdown that silenced the stadium. The moment changed the energy on both sidelines. Cutforth said the play gave the offense a much-needed spark.
“The whole game we kept talking about finishing, and that play gave us the spark to do it,” he said.
As the Broncos settled in, their response matched the message Danielson had preached to them all week. He challenged his players to avoid reacting emotionally when things broke down and instead focus on responding with poise. After the game, he said he saw that growth on full display.
“Our guys responded to adversity instead of reacting to it,” Danielson said. “They stayed locked in and trusted each other.”
That mindset helped Boise State weather the Aggies’ early success and stay within reach long enough for the momentum to swing.
Momentum was carried over to the defensive side of the ball too. Utah State tried to answer with quick passes and designed quarterback runs, but Boise State tightened up and delivered two critical fourth-down stops. The front seven filled gaps, forced Barnes into tight lanes, and shut down space that had been open earlier in the game. Defensive leader Ty Benefield said those moments showed the heartbeat of the team.
“Those fourth-down stops showed our grit. Everybody came together and we just refused to flinch,” he said.
Those stops gave Boise State the field position it needed for the drive that defined the night. The Broncos took over with less than three minutes to play, still trailing by five and played with a calm approach that had been missing earlier.
Cutforth used quick reads to move the chains, and the offensive line created steady lanes for running back Dylan Riley. Riley, who surged past 1,000 yards on the season, ran with power and balance in the fourth quarter and pushed the offense into scoring range.
Boise State worked inside the 10 and let Riley finish the job. He slipped through a crease up the middle and scored the go-ahead touchdown with only minutes left. The Broncos missed the two-point conversion, but the defense closed the game by tightening coverage and pushing Barnes into hurried throws near midfield. The final pass fell incomplete, and the Boise State sideline erupted with a surge of energy that had been building for three hours.
Head coach Spencer Danielson said the win reflected the team’s identity and the way it responded in the toughest moments.
“Our guys kept swinging and never flinched, even when we were down late,” he said. “They earned that win.”
Boise State controlled the ball for nearly 37 minutes and finished with close to 5,000 yards of offense. Cutforth played with the most confidence and consistency he has shown all season. Riley dominated the fourth quarter. Brown, Penry and Wagner each made plays that kept the Broncos steady when the game tightened. The defense overcame early challenges and turned the second half into a series of stops that changed the outcome.
The win locked Boise State into the Mountain West Championship game, securing home-field advantage on Friday, December 5. The win came in one of the hardest environments in the conference and showed a group ready to trust its young quarterback and defense to get the job done.
Boise State displayed relentless effort when the season hung in the balance. The Broncos found a way to win in Logan and earned the right to host the conference championship in front of their home crowd.
