How Boise State's rushing attack has become one of college football's best

Dylan Riley, Sire Gaines and a strong offensive line lead the Broncos into Saturday's matchup with Washington State

Boise State's Sire Gaines. | Boise State Athletics

Boise State’s offensive identity has remained largely unchanged over the years. 

From coaches Chris Petersen to Bryan Harsin to Spencer Danielson, the Broncos have deployed a physical rushing attack that wears down opposing defenses and controls the clock. 

That plan has been executed to perfection in 2026 as Boise State (5-1, 2-0 Pac-12) leads the country in time of possession at 36 minutes, 8 seconds per game. The Broncos rank ninth nationally in rushing yards per game (234.5) and 16th in third-down conversion rate (50.5 percent). 

Danielson said time of possession is not a statistic that the coaching staff analyzes, but called the prolific rushing attack a “fundamental piece of our team.”

“Everything for us comes with being able to establish the run game because on the flip side, everything starts with stopping the run on defense. I don’t think you can have one without the other, Danielson said during Monday’s press conference.

“I’ve got no problem scoring the first play of the game, it’s just kind of been the nature of it. But it is a DNA piece of our offense that we’re a pro-style offense, we need to be able to run the football. And from there, we can establish a lot of other things.”

Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines power Boise State's rushing attack

The 21st-ranked Broncos, who are back in action on Saturday against Washington State (1-6, 0-3), boast one of college football’s top rushing duos in Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines.

Riley, the nation’s No. 4 rusher, has 127 carries for 835 yards with seven total touchdowns this season. In four games, Gaines has 65 carries for 354 yards and four total TDs. 

After missing two games with a wrist injury, the 6-foot, 220-pound Gaines returned to the lineup against Fresno State and ran for a season-high 120 yards and one touchdown. 

“Si Gaines is a tough guy to go against,” Danielson said. “Who he is, how hard he runs, the mentality he brings. He’s great in protection, he’s great with the ball out of the backfield. Tough to get down. But he also brings that same energy and juice in practice, on the sideline. He’s a monster part of this entire team’s success.”

Boise State's offensive line paving the way

Boise State’s rebuilt offensive line has opened plenty of holes for Riley and Gaines. 

Returnees Roger Carreon (right guard), Daylon Metoyer (right tackle) and Jason Steele (left guard) and new starters Tyler Ethridge (left tackle) and Stewart Taufa (center) have gelled as a unit. 

“Super proud of our offensive line,” Danielson said. “We’ve got guys banged up. We lost some guys early in spring ball, fall camp, throughout the season, and guys step up. I’m really proud of our offensive line. … They are playing hard, they are playing together.”