With a scheme that’s no secret, Boise State offense looks to find its way

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — New Boise State offensive coordinator Nate Potter will have a real testing ground this weekend when the Broncos go on the road to face Air Force in the Mountain West Conference opener.

Potter, who was promoted in the offseason, had an inauspicious start to the 2025 campaign, a 34-7 season-opening loss to South Florida. The Broncos managed just 378 yards of offense, and it was a unit that looked a little bereft of ideas while being unable to execute in the big moments, including multiple failed fourth-down conversion attempts.

Some fears were allayed the following week in the Broncos’ 51-14 win over Eastern Washington, with Boise State amassing more than 300 yards passing (309) and rushing (328) for the first time since 2018. However, those numbers came against an FCS opponent that’s started the season 0-3.

Saturday’s game at Air Force could tell the tale as to whether the offense can help mount another serious run for the College Football Playoff, or whether a post-Ashton Jeanty reset will mean plenty of uneven games.

The Broncos are likely to encounter a Falcons defense that’s angry after getting torched for 41 points in a loss to Utah State.

“We grew a lot in game one to game two,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said Monday. “I believe Coach Potter understands, continues to understand fully who we are as an offense.”

What is Boise State’s offense? Danielson has not strayed from saying the Broncos are a run-first team, setting up play-action passes — with the last resort being a drop-back passing attack. Ultimately, the offense isn’t too different from what the Broncos were running last year under Dirk Koetter, when Potter was the tight ends coach and co-coordinator: run the ball, and use formations and motion to put defenses into conflict.

Potter said Monday that he’s still communicating with Koetter, who stepped down from the offensive coordinator position to take a role as a senior analyst.

Koetter still attends Boise State practices. “There’s plenty of time for us to communicate,” Potter said. “He does a good job of telling me what I need to know and being supportive when I need it, and it’s been a great relationship so far.”

The one thing Potter’s offense has lacked after two games? Trick plays. Potter was an offensive tackle for Boise State from 2007 to 2011, under head coach Chris Petersen and mainly for OC Bryan Harsin, who never backed away from being tricky.

It was under Harsin that Boise State produced several iconic plays, including the 2007 Fiesta Bowl’s hook and ladder and Statue of Liberty calls.

The Petersen-Harsin influence has yet to show itself in Potter’s offense, but redshirt junior quarterback Maddux Madsen said Tuesday that creativity is built into what the Broncos run automatically.

“I think the big thing with Coach Potter and me is it’s very simple, and I know everyone on the offense can say that as well,” Madsen said. “He puts us in the best position possible to be able to execute and do our job.”

Boise State at Air Force

When: 5 p.m. Mountain time Saturday

Where: Falcon Stadium (39,441, turf), Colorado Springs, Colorado

TV: FS1 (Jason Knapp, Robert Turbin)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 1-1; Air Force 1-1

Series: Boise State leads 8-4

Vegas betting line: Boise State by 10.5 Weather: 79 degrees, mostly sunny, 4% chance of rain