What began as a chance for Boise State to extend its home dominance ended in one of the most deflating nights of the season, a 30-7 loss to Fresno State that snapped a 16-game home win streak and handed the Bulldogs back the Milk Can trophy.
It wasn’t just a bad game. It was the kind of night where everything that could go wrong, did.
Boise State lost starting quarterback Maddux Madsen early in the first quarter, derailing a game plan before it had time to take shape. Madsen, who had struggled to stay fully healthy all season, went down with an ankle injury during the team’s second drive. Head coach Spencer Danielson later described him as a selfless kid who gives everything to this program, but admitted the team now faces the harsh truth of losing its leader.
“Maddux has been battling all year,” Danielson said. “He is a competitor and gives everything to this team but now it’s next man up, and we’ve got to find a way to win football games with who we have.”
The Broncos turned to Max Cutforth, who took the helm under difficult circumstances. He connected with wide receiver Chase Penry for Boise State’s lone touchdown of the day, Penry’s first in over 1,000 days, but the offense never found its rhythm.
It didn’t help that Boise State was missing two of its top receivers, Ben Ford and Chris Marshall and were operating with a banged-up offensive line, leaving the backups to fill in the gaps.
By halftime, the Bulldogs led 10-7. Running back Elijah Gilliam scored an early touchdown in the first quarter, accompanied by a field goal just before the break.
Everything fell apart in the second half for the Broncos. Cutforth continued to turn the ball over, fumbling the ball to the Bulldogs safety Simeon Harris. Their offense took over, drove down the field and finished with a Brandon Ramirez 3-yard touchdown run. Linebacker Tytus Khajavi intercepted a pass which ultimately led to another Bulldogs touchdown — a 2-yard touchdown run from Bryson Donelson.
The Bulldogs tacked on two field goals in the fourth quarter to add insult to injury, one from 43 yards and the other from 33. Quarterback Carson Conkin completed the game with only 35 passing yards, though he took knee formation to secure the victory.
It was clear Fresno was the better football team in this fight, and there are a lot of things that need to be fixed within the Broncos locker room.
Danielson didn’t hold back when talking about what needs to change. He pointed to mental errors, discipline, and inconsistency on both sides of the ball. “We’ve got to go back, look at who’s in those roles and make sure we’re putting our guys in the best positions to succeed,” he said. “We had opportunities — we just didn’t execute.”
The Broncos’ offense accumulated just 193 total yards, 102 through the air and 91 on the ground. The Broncos finished with 9 penalties for 94 yards.
The penalties choked out the Broncos’ momentum for mounting a comeback. A holding penalty erased a 10-yard burst that could’ve jump-started the drive and a false start pushed Boise State even further back to a 1st-and-30.
“We’ve got to be more level-headed and not give up penalties that are in our control,” linebacker Marco Notarianni said after the game. “Those are the things that kill drives and give the other team life. It’s completely in our control, and we let it get out of hand.”
Even through a painful loss, the defense still performed well throughout the game. The Broncos held the Bulldogs to 224 total yards, a number that used to guarantee victory. Before Saturday, the Broncos had been 53-0 when holding an opponent to 225 yards or less.
Fresno didn’t beat Boise State with big plays or trickery — the Bulldogs were simply more composed. They stuck with the run, piling up 189 rushing yards while capitalizing on Boise State’s penalties and field position errors. By the fourth quarter, it was clear Fresno had controlled the game through patience and discipline.
“We got our tails kicked in all three phases,” Danielson said. “There’s no excuse, none. You can’t have a team rush for almost 200 yards against you and expect to win.”
Despite the disappointment, players like Notarianni kept the focus on reflection and accountability.
“For me right now, it’s taking time away from the game, taking in this loss and then flushing it,” Notaraini said.
Even after the loss, Boise State still has a path to the Mountain West title, something Penry reminded everyone after the game.
“The upcoming bye week is really good timing to refocus,” Penry said. “The Mountain West is ahead of us, so we still have that opportunity to go and take the conference title. We just need to figure out how to approach the rest of the season as a team, especially after this tough loss today.”
Beyond the box score, there’s something deeper to the loss. It didn’t only end one of the longest home winning streaks in college football but it shattered the sense of invincibility The Blue has carried for years.
With a bye week ahead, the Broncos have a moment to breathe, regroup and construct a new game plan. Despite the setback, they still control their own destiny in the Mountain West, and their response will decide how that story ends.
