‘Bummed’ after a 33-point win? Broncos’ offense always looking for more

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Walking off the field at Albertsons Stadium in the aftermath of Boise State’s 47-14 victory over App State, redshirt junior quarterback Maddux Madsen somehow had a sense of disappointment. Only 473 yards of offense?

For the first time since the Broncos’ disappointing 34-7 season-opening loss to South Florida, the offense failed to pile up more than 500 total yards. They exploded for 637 yards against Eastern Washington, and then followed that up last weekend with 592 yards at Air Force — both blowout victories.

In this blowout win, Boise State had to settle for 473, with Madsen helping supply much of that, throwing for more than 300.

“We’re kind of bummed, like, we didn’t get to 500 yards, which, to me, is awesome,” Madsen said after the game. “We’re exceeding our standards for sure.”

Madsen and the offense might be setting themselves lofty goals, but they certainly have nothing to be bummed about, really.

While the Boise State defense was responsible for 14 of the 47 points thanks to a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns, the offense still had Madsen’s 321 passing yards and 152 rushing yards, and Madsen threw four TD passes. Madsen completed 25-of-37 passes for a 68% completion rate.

“Maddux Madsen is an elite quarterback,” head coach Spencer Danielson said. “He makes the right decision with the ball and can make all the throws. We put a ton on Maddux.”

Madsen’s favorite target on Saturday night was sixth-year wide receiver Latrell Caples, whom he connected with on five occasions for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

The final offensive TD was a dart to a wide-open Caples, who spun inside after making the catch and outran defenders to the end zone for a 34-yard score. Ten different receivers made a catch on the night, and six of those had at least three receptions.

Redshirt senior receiver Ben Ford reeled in a 14-yard touchdown pass, and freshman Quinton Brown had the catch of the night for a 29-yard TD. Brown climbed the ladder to haul in a pass over the middle from Madsen, beating his defender in the air acrobatically before smashing into the end zone turf for the catch and a 33-14 lead. Brown’s helmet popped off as he hit the ground, and after he was treated on the field for a bloody nose, he elicited a roar from the crowd as he walked off the field with a white towel covering the bottom half of his face, his arms urging on the cheers.

“That was so impressive,” Madsen said. “I mean, that kid’s one of those kids in that he’s worked extremely hard, and to see that grab on film — we had it on the tablet — and everyone was like, ‘Oh, my goodness!’ That was extremely impressive.”

While the Broncos’ passing game led them to victory, the typically reliable running back group was solid as well — 44 rushes for 152 yards — even though the average per rush was dragged down by a fumble that led to a 14-yard loss for Madsen.

Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines had 12 carries for 69 yards to lead the way, and sixth-year player Malik Sherrod had 49 yards on just nine carries, showcasing some nifty, shifty moves between the tackles on a couple of runs.

Sophomore Dylan Riley, coming off a monster 171-yard game, had 46 yards on 16 carries.

App State entered the game with the No. 8-ranked run defense in the nation, allowing just 61 yards per game. The Broncos’ ability to rip off some big runs — Gaines for 28, Sherrod for 22 — allowed play-action passes to work well.

“Offensively, running the football is what we do. That’s No. 1 for us, establishing a run game, and that starts with our mentality,” Danielson said. “… I’m proud of the game plan. Coach (Nate) Potter and our offensive staff do a really good job attacking the defense.”