As the College Football Playoff selection committee mulled over No. 12-ranked Boise State’s resume this week, two bullet points clearly towered above the rest: The Broncos’ only loss of the season was on a late field goal against No. 1 Oregon, and they’re the only team that owns a win over No. 21 Washington State.
Both games are deserving of consideration, but the Broncos (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) should be even more confident that a playoff run is imminent after their past two games.
Beating UNLV in Las Vegas is a big win, no matter how it’s dissected. The Rebels own two wins over Power Four teams, and they’re probably the greatest threat to Boise State repeating as a Mountain West champion, even though Colorado State is still undefeated in conference play.
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A win over a struggling team from San Diego State can easily be overlooked, but in this context, it carries as much weight as the UNLV win for one simple reason: It wasn’t just the Ashton Jeanty show.
Boise State’s star running back suffered an arm or elbow injury against UNLV, and it was clear he wasn’t 100% healthy the past two weeks. In a major departure from the 190.6 rushing yards he’s averaging, Jeanty was held to less than 150 rushing yards in both games.
Other players had to step up against the Rebels and Aztecs, and that’s exactly what happened. Whether it was an efficient quarterback, opportunistic wide receivers, or a tenacious defense, Boise State showed there’s more to its roster than its Heisman Trophy contender.
Any team can ride a special player’s coattails to a few wins, especially given the way Jeanty has dominated defenses all season. He leads the nation with 1,525 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground, but one player is not enough to lead a team to a championship, especially in a one-and-done playoff atmosphere.
It’s going to take a complete team effort to power Boise State to a playoff win, and the Broncos have the pieces to do it. Here’s the proof.
QBs Beware
The Broncos are pressuring quarterbacks better than almost any team in the country. Boise State led the FBS in sacks until Mississippi State claimed the No. 1 spot last week with its 41st sack.
Boise State still ranks No. 2 in the country with 38. That’s two more sacks than the Broncos posted last season, and they still have four regular season games to play. Unlike last year, those sacks aren’t just coming from one player.
Ahmed Hassanein led the Broncos and ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West with 12.5 sacks last season. The only other player on the team with more than five was linebacker Andrew Simpson, who finished with 6.5.
This year, 13 players have posted at least one sack and four have at least 4.5: edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan (eight), Hassanein (7.5), safety Seyi Oladipo (4.5), and defensive tackle Braxton Fely (4.5).
The Broncos can play with any team in the country if they keep pressuring quarterbacks at such an impressive clip.
Improving Passing Game
The Broncos’ passing game didn’t scare anyone early this year, but quarterback Maddux Madsen and his receivers have been getting better every week.
Madsen had a career night in last week’s 56-24 win over San Diego State. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns. It was the fourth time this season he’s completed more than 70% of his passes and the sixth time he finished a game without throwing an interception.
Madsen has thrown 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions this year, proving not only that he can make plays to help his team win, but also he’s not often going to make mistakes that cost the Broncos wins. That’s huge in the playoffs, where one loss ends the season.
Madsen has also been getting some help from his receivers. Latrell Caples posted season highs in receptions (six), receiving yards (90), and touchdowns (three) against San Diego State, and Indiana transfer Cam Camper continues to make play after play while leading the team with 32 catches and 527 yards.
The Broncos are also getting some production out of tight end Matt Lauter, who is No. 2 on the team with 26 catches and 315 yards, and is tied with Camper for a team-high four touchdown receptions. He’s poised to be the first Boise State tight end to finish a season with more than 30 catches since Jake Roh hauled in 39 in 2017.
Teams are going to continue selling out in an effort to stop Jeanty, but the Broncos have shown the past two weeks defenses are going to have to respect their whole offense. That, perhaps more than anything else, bodes extremely well for their chances to make a playoff run – not just a playoff appearance.
