If you just looked at the final score with no other context, you would assume this was a run-of-the-mill Boise State performance where they jumped on their opponent early and some garbage touchdowns at the end made the score closer than it was.
In one sense, that would be correct as the Broncos dominated the 4th quarter and had a 41-17 lead.
But with 4:21 left in the 3rd quarter, this was a three-point ballgame that had all the weird vibes that come with an upset bid.
The talent level and depth of Boise
State won out in the end, but New Mexico hung around and, despite shooting itself in the foot, had the Broncos on the ropes.
By The Numbers
First Downs: BSU 27 – UNM 11
Third Downs: BSU 7/18 (38.8%) – UNM 4/13 (30.7%)
Fourth Downs: BSU 6/7 (85.7%) – UNM 2/3 (66.6%)
Total Yards: BSU 397 – UNM 231
Passing Yards: BSU 236 – UNM 182
Rushing Yards: BSU 161 – UNM 49
Times Sacked: BSU 4 – UNM 2
Penalties: BSU 7 for 50 yards – UNM 8 for 69 yards
Turnovers: BSU 0 – UNM 3
The Eye Test
Defense
Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander has this unit cooking, and it didn’t stop Saturday night on The Blue.
Right out of the gate, the Broncos forced a fumble and recovered it at the Lobo 18-yard line.
Jayden Virgin-Morgan forced the loose ball, and Marco Notarainni recovered it.
On the next New Mexico drive, the Lobos drove to their own 40 before QB Jack Layne threw up a gift to Bronco A’Marion McCoy for an interception.
The seven points that Boise State allowed in the first half were by proxy of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty attributed to Virgin-Morgan.
The other touchdown scored was due to a Lobo kickoff return touchdown.
A field goal in the 3rd quarter and an inconsequential touchdown in the late stages of the 4th quarter were all that was allowed in the second half.
Virgin-Morgan and Braxton Fely each recorded a sack, while Max Stege added half of a tackle-for-loss.
A’Marion McCoy had one of Boise State’s two interceptions and absolutely laid out a Lobo receiver on a crossing route that wound up incomplete.
Ty Benefield had a game-sealing interception midway through the 4th.
Boise State’s defense – buy and large – has been consistent in the last three games.
The rush defense has been a bright spot.
Being unable to get off the field on 3rd-and-long has also been a reliable sight.
You take the good with the bad, but any worries should not be laid at the feet of the defense.
Special Teams
A series of bad and unexpected good.
The bad – Boise State allowed a kickoff return of 105 yards for a touchdown.
The unexpected good that derived from bad?
On a short field goal attempt in the 4th quarter, holder/punter Oscar Doyle muffed the hold, and instead of panicking, stood up and rolled to his right with freshman Troy Grizzle finding his way towards the right pylon.
Doyle tossed a dime over Grizzle’s right shoulder for a circus touchdown pass that effectively put the game out of reach.
Bad execution, but excellent fire drill preparation turned lemons into lemonade.
Also, shoutout to kicker Colton Boomer on not only being perfect on the day with his five PATs and two field goal attempts, but preserving momentum on the Broncos’ side with a 50-yard bomb in the 3rd quarter that extended the lead to six.
Offense
A wonky day at the office.
After the defense gifted them two possessions via turnovers, they managed to turn those into just three points.
QB Maddux Madsen had moments of confidence and laced a few great throws, but also had more than a few errant throws that stalled drives.
Boise State had to grind out possessions in the first half and entered the break with a mere 17 points.
The third quarter wasn’t much better as they mustered three points.
Then, out of seemingly nowhere, the Broncos finally decided to ride the back of Sire Gaines and Dylan Riley down the field for a much-needed touchdown to give themselves some breathing room.
One series later was the Doyle-to-Grizzle connection that was set up by seven run plays that overpowered New Mexico’s defensive line.
And on the final drive, Madsen found senior Ben Ford for his second touchdown catch of the day.
Yes – offensive coordinator Nate Potter’s unit looked great in the 4th quarter, but some of that has to be tied to the Lobos’ lack of quality depth. The sacks that Madsen took were avoidable, and the offensive line was outplayed for most of the night.
Recurring penalties continue to make fluid drives harder than they need to be.
Multiple linemen were called for holds and false starts, including right tackle Daylon Metoyer.
Even left tackle Kage Casey was called for his first false start of his career.
That’s after over 2,000 snaps of play as a Bronco.
Receivers Ben Ford and Chris Marshall were dynamite out wide, combining for 11 receptions, 148 yards, and two touchdowns.
Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines carried the rock 18 and 20 times, respectively.
The former finished with 101 yards and zero TDs.
The latter collected 65 yards, but two TDs.
It seems like that is the duo going forward as they utilize a bit of “lightning and thunder” in the backfield.
Keep an eye on the availability of Latrell Caples as we head into UNLV week, as he hardly saw the field yesterday.
Moving Forward
A win is a win – no matter how stress-inducing it may be.
At 4-2 and 2-0 in Mountain West play, the Broncos will embark on the more challenging part of their schedule.
Next is undefeated UNLV on The Blue.
This will be by far the Rebels’ most formidable opponent to date and should tell us whether they have any remote chance of a CFP appearance.
For Boise State, this is a pride game that can send them well on their way to another Mountain West championship.
After that, a date with lowly Nevada awaits before back-to-back contests with Fresno State and San Diego State.
For my money, the Aztecs are on a heater and look like the best team in the conference behind the QB play of Jayden Denegal.
This next month will define the 2025 season as a success or failure, and next Saturday’s battle with UNLV is quite the tone-setter.
Up Next: Vs. UNLV (Mountain West) on Saturday, October 18th (1:30 p.m. MT).
Let us know your thoughts on the Broncos’ “Jekyll and Hyde” win against New Mexico in the comments!
