Boise State sends a message with dominant road win over Western Michigan

The Broncos rolled to a 32-7 victory without Sire Gaines and strengthened their College Football Playoff resume

Boise State running back Dylan Riley. | Photo courtesy of Boise State Athletics

Coming off a poor showing against FCS South Dakota, Boise State returned to form on Saturday with a dominant 32-7 road victory over Western Michigan to close non-conference play.

Western Michigan scored a late touchdown to avoid the shutout. 

Boise State out-gained Western Michigan, the reigning MAC champion, 377-223 on a perfect day at Waldo Stadium.

The Broncos ran for 173 yards without Sire Gaines while Maddux Madsen finished 16 of 23 passing for 204 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. Madsen also had four rushing first downs. 

Tight end Matt Wagner had a career game with seven catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. 

Here are three takeaways from Boise State’s (3-1, 0-0 Pac-12) impressive win over Western Michigan (2-2, 0-0 MAC).

1. No Gaines, no problem

With Gaines sidelined due to a wrist injury, the Broncos asked Dylan Riley to shoulder a bigger load on Saturday. The star running back was up to the challenge. 

Riley ended the day with a career-high 28 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown running behind a dominant offensive line.

Riley touched the ball on Boise State’s first four plays, including a 15-yard run and a 15-yard screen pass. The drive ended on a 34-yard Wagner touchdown reception and a Zeke Martinez two-point conversion run for a quick 8-0 lead. 

Midway through the second quarter, Riley finished off a 15-play, 78-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run for a 15-0 halftime lead. The Broncos continued to roll in the second half for a runaway victory. 

Through four games, Riley has 90 carries for 592 yards and three touchdowns. 

2. Boise State's defense delivers its best performance yet

Boise State’s much-maligned pass defense turned in its best performance of the season on the road. 

There were a handful of breakdowns that Western Michigan failed to capitalize on due to poor throws or drops, but Saturday was mostly filled with positives for the Boise State secondary. 

Western Michigan connected on just one passing play of 20 or more yards: a first-quarter swing pass to running back Jalen Buckley. The home Broncos mustered 90 yards of total offense in the first half and 156 through three quarters. 

Boise State’s defensive front applied pressure on quarterback Broc Lowry and limited Western Michigan to 113 rushing yards. Lowry finished 15 of 28 passing for 110 yards with an interception. 

Western Michigan went 0 for 3 on fourth downs. Boise State has not allowed a fourth-down conversion on nine tries this season. 

The Broncos will face much better offenses in Pac-12 play, but defensive coordinator Erik Chinander may have unlocked something on Saturday. 

3. Boise State strengthens its College Football Playoff case

Boise State entered the day as the overwhelming favorite to represent the Group of Six in the College Football Playoff. 

The strong showing in Kalamazoo bolstered the Broncos’ CFP resume heading into Pac-12 play.

In the latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, Boise State is down to +140 to make the CFP. The Broncos entered the week at +230. 

Boise State boasts victories over MAC preseason favorite Western Michigan and top American Conference contender Memphis with a competitive loss at No. 20 Oregon, which opens Big Ten play at No. 12 USC on Saturday night. 

If the Broncos take care of business in Year 1 of the rebuilt Pac-12, they should be back in the CFP for the second time in three seasons. 

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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