Boise State has won five straight, but one major concern remains at midseason

The No. 23 Broncos enter their bye week at 5-1, with plenty to feel good about - and one glaring weakness to address

Boise State's Tyler Ethridge. | Boise State Athletics

No. 23 Boise State has the week off at the midway point of the 2026 college football season. 

The Broncos (5-1, 2-0 Pac-12) entered the bye on a five-game winning streak following a Week 1 road loss to Oregon. Boise State is tied atop the Pac-12 standings with Oregon State (4-2, 2-0). 

Here are five things we’ve learned about the Broncos through six games. 

1. The rushing attack is deadly

Boise State’s rushing attack was expected to be strong in 2026 with Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines returning, and the duo has lived up to the hype. 

Riley is the FBS rushing leader with 127 carries for 835 yards and six touchdowns. The third-year junior has also caught 11 passes for 120 yards and a TD.

Despite missing two games with a wrist injury, Gaines has been just as effective with 65 carries for 354 yards and four total TDs. The third-year sophomore returned to the lineup last week against Fresno State and set new season-highs for carries (20) and yards (120). 

The two-headed monster allows Boise State to control the clock and wear down opposing defenses.

2. All offensive line questions have been answered

Offensive line play was a major question mark entering the season with new starters at left tackle (Tyler Ethridge), left guard (Carson Rasmussen) and center (Stewart Taufa) alongside returning starters Roger Carreon (right guard) and Daylon Metoyer (right tackle). 

Ethridge and Taufa were instant standouts while Rasmussen did a solid job at left guard until suffering an undisclosed injury. Jason Steele has started the last two games, and the line hasn’t skipped a beat. 

Carreon is arguably the best offensive lineman in the Pac-12 and Metoyer continues to improve at right tackle. 

The offensive line is dominating the line of scrimmage and giving quarterback Maddux Madsen plenty of time to throw.

3. Tackling remains a glaring issue

After a strong tackling outing against Oregon, the Broncos have greatly regressed over their last five games. 

The poor tackling was on display against Fresno State as Ezekiel Avit made multiple defenders miss during a 59-yard touchdown catch-and-run. It was the 15th play of 40 or more yards allowed by the Boise State defense this season. 

The Broncos ranked among the worst tackling teams nationally last year and must make some changes during the bye week. 

4. Canaan Moore and Oscar Doyle are weapons

Special teams are no longer a major issue for Boise State thanks to placekicker Canaan Moore and punter Oscar Doyle. 

Moore is a perfect 23 of 23 on PATs and 9 of 10 on field goals with a long of 49 yards. Moore converted all three of his field goal attempts against Fresno State. 

Doyle leads the Pac-12 with a 43.8 punting average, including a long of 58 yards. Six of Doyle’s 14 punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line.

5. Maddux Madsen has made the leap

Last but not least, Madsen is playing the best football of his career as a fifth-year senior. 

Madsen has completed 110 of 166 passes (66 percent) for 1,296 yards with 13 touchdowns and no turnovers. He also has 110 yards and a TD on the ground. 

With defenses giving so much attention to Boise State’s running game, Madsen has been able to punish teams through the air at a much higher level than in previous seasons.