Game Preview: New Mexico at Boise State
Saturday, October 11 • 7:00 pm MT • Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
TV: FS1
Game: New Mexico Lobos vs Boise State Broncos
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm MT
Location: Albertsons Stadium in Boise, ID
TV: Fox Sports 1 Noah Reed/Robert Smith
Radio: 77KKOB (local Albuquerque)
Play-by-Play: Rob Portnoy/Analyst Dontrell Moore
Live Stream: Fubo, Sling
Odds/Point Spread: Broncos (-17.0)
Total/Over-Under: 60.5
Game Preview: New Mexico at Boise State
The New Mexico
Lobos (3-2) will visit Albertsons Stadium to face the Boise State Broncos (3-2) this Saturday at 6:45 PM MT, with the game broadcast on FS1.
Both teams enter this matchup after suffering tough losses in recent road games and are eager to bounce back in the Mountain West standings.
The Broncos are 17-point favorites, with a Las Vegas over/under of 60.5, suggesting a high-scoring game on the blue turf.
Last week, the Broncos lost 28-7 to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Quarterback Maddux Madsen threw for 215 yards, completing 22 of 37 passes, but he struggled with four interceptions and did not throw any touchdown passes.
Madsen did, however, contribute to the scoring with a rushing touchdown, leading his team on the ground with 5 yards on 13 carries.
photo courtesy of herosports.com
Running back Sire Gaines gained 39 yards on 11 carries (averaging 3.5 yards), while Chris Marshall was the top receiver, catching four passes for a total of 58 yards.
On the other hand, the Lobos narrowly lost to the San José State Spartans with a score of 35-28.
Quarterback Jack Layne played well, throwing for 344 yards and completing 28 of 40 passes, which is about 70%.
However, he also had a tough day, throwing three interceptions and no touchdown passes.
Layne rushed for a touchdown but finished with minus-1 yard on seven carries.
Running back Damon Bankston rushed for 51 yards on nine carries, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt, and caught two passes for 15 yards.
Keagan Johnson was the top receiver for New Mexico, with 11 catches for 145 yards on 15 targets.
As both teams aim to learn from their recent performances, this matchup promises to be an exciting and potentially high-scoring game.
Recap: Lobos Grit vs. Broncos Firepower
New Mexico has shown resilience this season with wins over Idaho State (32-22), UCLA (35-10), and New Mexico State (38-20).
photo courtesy of msnsports.com
New Mexico has demonstrated resilience this season with wins over Idaho State (32-22), UCLA (35-10), and New Mexico State (38-20).
The losses were to Michigan (34-17) and San José State (35-28), which rushed for an impressive 420 yards but ultimately lost the game because of late-game mistakes.
Offensively, the Lobos average 30.0 points per game with a balanced attack led by quarterback Jack Layne (1,162 yards, 7 touchdowns), running back Damon Bankston (289 yards, 3 touchdowns), and back Scottie Humphrey (273 yards, 4 touchdowns).
Defensively, the Lobos give up an average of 24.2 points and 391 yards per game.
They have been successful at stopping the run, allowing just 119.8 yards per game for the season.
However, the secondary has struggled, allowing an average of 271.2 passing yards, which ranks 117th nationally.
Coach Jason Eck has consistently improved the New Mexico offense, now averaging 30.0 points and 154 rushing yards per game.
Quarterback Jack Layne remains a consistent threat, passing for 1,162 yards and seven touchdowns. His primary target, Keagan Johnson, has caught 26 passes for 326 yards and a touchdown.
The running game is powered by a strong duo of Damon Bankston (289 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Scottre Humphrey (273 yards, 4 touchdowns), allowing the Lobos to control the game’s tempo and wear down their opponents.
Defensively, the Lobos allow an average of 24.2 points and 391 yards per game.
They limit opponents to fewer than 120 rushing yards per game, but their secondary is weak, allowing over 270 passing yards on average.
With 11 turnovers this year, the Lobos need to improve ball security and stay disciplined on defense to have a chance at pulling off an upset.
photo courtesy of UNM Athletics
Boise State Broncos
The Boise State Broncos began their season with three convincing wins over Eastern Washington (51-14), Air Force (49-37), and Appalachian State (47-14). However, they faced setbacks against South Florida (34-7) and Notre Dame (28-7).
Boise State currently ranks 14th nationally in total offense, averaging 32.2 points and 479 yards per game. Quarterback Maddux Madsen has thrown for 1,344 yards and nine touchdowns, while tailback Dylan Riley has rushed for 393 yards and five touchdowns. Latrell Caples leads as the top receiver with 292 yards and two touchdowns.
On the defensive side, the Broncos allow an average of 25.4 points per game. Their secondary shows strength by letting up only 186 passing yards per game; however, they struggle against the run, giving up an average of 162 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
In their recent 28-7 loss to Notre Dame, Boise State only gained 100 rushing yards while allowing 200 rushing yards to their opponents.
They also encountered major discipline problems, committing 13 penalties for 112 yards. Additionally, quarterback Maddux Madsen was intercepted four times in that game.
Despite these challenges, the Broncos maintain one of the most explosive offenses in the league, averaging 32.2 points and 479 yards of total offense per game.
photo courtesy of Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Madsen not only excels at passing but also effectively distributes the ball to a talented group of receivers, including Latrell Caples, who has 292 yards and two touchdowns.
Dylan Riley offers a key rushing threat with 393 yards and five touchdowns, averaging over 7 yards per carry.
2015 historic Lobos victory on the blue turf, led by former head coach Bob Davie, and the more recent 2023 loss, which was the last time the Lobos played in Boise under Bronco Mendenhall.
The New Mexico Lobos beat the Boise State Broncos in Boise, Idaho, on November 14, 2015. In a surprising upset on the well-known blue turf, the Lobos narrowly defeated the Broncos 31-24, ending Boise State’s 16-game home conference winning streak.
Quarterback Lamar Jordan and running back Jhurell Pressley led New Mexico’s potent option offense under head coach Bob Davie, amassing over 300 rushing yards.
That victory stands out as a highlight of the Lobos’ 2015 season and remains their only win over Boise State in school history.
Fast forward to their latest game on November 11, 2023. Boise State cruised to an impressive 42-14 victory at Albertsons Stadium, marking the first career start for former Lobo quarterback Devon Dampier.
Despite their convincing victory, the Broncos parted ways with head coach Andy Avalos the next day, promoting defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson to interim head coach. Danielson removed the ‘interim’ title on December 3 and is now leading the Broncos!
Overall, while New Mexico has the potential to compete early, Boise State’s balanced offense and strong running game, along with their home-field advantage, should give them a clear edge as the game unfolds. Final prediction: Boise State 34, New Mexico 20.
photo courtesy of UNM Athletics
Red Zone Execution: The Lobos are performing well, currently ranked 6th nationally in red zone scoring at 82.4%.
Head-to-Head Record: Boise State has dominated this matchup, with New Mexico losing the last five games by an average of 24 points. The most recent game in 2023 ended with a score of 42-14, favoring Boise State.
Prediction: New Mexico can stay competitive early by protecting the football and running the ball; they need to be able to run if they want to have any chance of winning in Boise.
This Lobo offense needs to revive the running game. Last week against the Spartans, the New Mexico Lobos rushed 27 times for 76 yards, averaging 2.8 yards per carry. That won’t win many games, especially against Boise State.
photo courtesy of UNM Athletics
Now they are scoring 30 points a game and are very balanced, compiling 9 touchdowns via the pass and 10 on the ground which is very balanced.
Last week against the Irish, Boise State managed just 100 rushing yards on 34 carries, averaging 2.9 yards per attempt.
Defensively, the Broncos struggled to contain the run, allowing 200 yards on 31 carries (6.5 yards per rush).
Through the air, Boise’s secondary gave up 189 yards on 15-of-23 passing for a 65.2% completion rate.
Offensively, the Broncos rank 52nd nationally, averaging 32.2 points per game, and sit 14th in total offense with 479 yards per game.
However, discipline has been an issue — Boise State has been penalized 44 times for 386 yards, making them one of the most penalized teams in the country.
However, Boise State has more offensive depth, and its home-field advantage should help it bounce back to a win, but I think this game could be closer than the so-called media experts believe, just based on past performance this year and the very good coaching staffs they both have.
UNM needs to start playing smarter football, as Coach Jason Eck tells his team, it can’t be Lobos beating Lobos. They should cut down on costly penalties.
Last week against San Jose, the Lobos received the ball at the start of the third quarter and had the opportunity to move down the field, score a touchdown for the lead, but a series of really costly penalties stopped their momentum. In this writer’s opinion, this was a big turning point in the game.
Coach Eck acknowledged this fact at his press conference, stating that the Lobos must clean up the penalties against Boise State.
If the Lobos can run the ball, they will have a chance to pull the upset on the blue turf. Keep in mind, the last time the Lobos upset Boise under Bob Davie, they rushed for 300 yards.
Yes, I know they ran the triple option in the pistol. Still, the Lobos must establish a consistent running game at some point, especially on the road in a hostile atmosphere in order to give themselves a chance at getting this potential upset.
This should be a very entertaining game for the fans as both teams are loaded with talent, have great coaching staffs and what a great college football environment there at Albertsons Stadium in Boise.
