Boise State running back Dylan Riley announced his presence on The Blue last season with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a home win over Utah State. The first teammate waiting to celebrate with him on the sideline was the same player he competes for snaps with every day at practice, fellow running back Sire Gaines.
Riley and Gaines have stepped into the spotlight this season while filling the enormous shoes of Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty, who led the Broncos to the College Football Playoff last year. They’ve combined for 1,747 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground, and they have Boise State back in the Mountain West Championship for the third straight year and the eighth time in the past nine seasons.
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Boise State will host UNLV at Albertsons Stadium on Friday as the Broncos and the Rebels square off for the championship for the third season in a row. Boise State won both games.
Riley and Gaines live together. They train and study together. And together they’ve helped make the Broncos’ running game one of the best in the Mountain West. But their connection goes far beyond the blue turf and even the borders of Idaho.
Their friendship dates back to their days on the 12-and-under Moreno Valley Falcons Pop Warner team in Southern California. They both played running back and linebacker, and neither left the field very often.
They stayed close as they grew older, even as they suited up for rival high schools. Riley went to Rancho Verde High, where he ran for 2,059 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior. Gaines went to Orange Vista, where he posted 2,079 all-purpose yards as a senior. The schools are four miles apart.
They’re teammates once again at Boise State, and they have a chance to lead the Broncos to a record sixth Mountain West Championship.
Riley & Gaines Are Thunder And Lightning
Boise State’s top two running backs are the perfect complement to one another. Riley is a one-cut, speedy back who very few can match in a footrace.
Gaines leans into every tackler with brute force. The 6-foot, 217-pound redshirt freshman was committed to Arizona State as a linebacker before flipping to Boise State. He’s not quite as explosive as Riley, but Gaines is tough to tackle, especially in the fourth quarter.
Neither is a sure thing to take one to the house like Jeanty was. Neither blocks or catches the ball out of the backfield as well as he did. But together they’re a force to be reckoned with, and they could be for some time. Riley is only a sophomore.
He has really grown into the role of the Broncos’ lead back this year while also dealing with the death of his father. Riley leads the team with 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He eclipsed 100 rushing yards in five games this season, and he posted 201 in Boise State’s 56-31 win over UNLV on Oct. 18.
Riley also grabbed headlines earlier this year when he put up 171 rushing yards and five total touchdowns in a win over Air Force.
Gaines got off to a slower start, but he has flourished lately. He led the way in the Broncos’ lopsided win over Colorado State with 22 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns, and he has 731 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.
Together, Riley and Gaines could be a problem for opposing defenses for years to come.
