Not ‘assuming’ anything, Boise State veterans ready for another title game

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — The first time Kage Casey got the chance to play in a Mountain West championship game, the best way he could describe how he felt was “nervous.”

He was “just” a 250-pound freshman at the time, primarily used in Boise State’s jumbo package. He’d wear the No. 84 jersey and pretend to be a tight end, where he’d throw blocks for a more seasoned Bronco to pick up the first down.

That was 2022, and Boise State lost that conference title game, falling 28-16 at home to Fresno State. The Broncos and Casey have had a few chances to bounce back from that, and they have succeeded.

The Happy Valley, Oregon, native became a key starter on the offensive line starting in 2023, and he helped BSU win Mountain West titles that year and again in 2024. Now Casey has the chance to complete the hat trick with Boise State, which again plays UNLV — its victim in the past two championship games — at Albertsons Stadium on Friday at 6 p.m. with the conference trophy on the line.

Where nervousness once sat for Casey, who figures to be playing in the NFL next year, there’s now only experience and confidence.

“It’s different. We’re just so confident in what we do,” the left tackle told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m more excited than nervous this time, and it’s just going to be so amazing to play again.”

Redshirt senior tight end Matt Lauter also has been around for all of these consecutive trips to the conference title game, but the emotions are a little different.

Lauter was a redshirt freshman in 2022, when he played in all 14 games but found himself well down the depth chart. He didn’t record any stats in the loss to Fresno State, and he said the lead-up to that game was “a little bit less stressful” compared to now.

Lauter was a first-team all-Mountain West performer in 2024, when he had 47 catches for 619 yards and seven touchdowns. He led the team in last year’s 21-7 championship game win with five catches for 62 yards, after having just one catch in the 44-20 victory over UNLV in 2023.

This time around, Lauter is coming off a regular season that was less than expected, with 30 catches for 286 yards and just one score. One of his least productive games came against UNLV in October, when the Broncos won 56-31 but Lauter had one catch for 6 yards.

Starting quarterback Maddux Madsen is returning this week, and Lauter knows he might need to step up, especially as part of a receiving corps that has been stricken with injuries and a lot of dropped passes.

“This week I’ve really got to lock in, and watch more film and practice harder,” Lauter said.

The man steering the ship for the Broncos has seen more than his fair share of Mountain West championship games. Spencer Danielson has coached, in some capacity, in seven of them since arriving at Boise State as a graduate assistant in 2017. He’s won four of those — the past two as head coach — and if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s to “not assume.”

Danielson pointed to the most recent title game loss. The Broncos had defeated Fresno State 40-20 in the regular season at home, but two months later the Bulldogs got revenge on The Blue. So the coach has been sure to not let there be any assuming this week, especially since Boise State has owned UNLV, winning every game the teams have played as Mountain West competitors.

“I think there was some assuming going on in 2022 with Fresno State,” Danielson said Wednesday. “And not from a lack of work. I just think (it was) ‘Oh, we won the regular season. So we’re going to go out there on The Blue, and we’re going to go win another one.’ “That doesn’t work like that.”

Boise State vs. UNLV

When: 6 p.m. Mountain time Friday

Where: Albertsons Stadium (32,796, turf)

TV: FOX (Jason Benetti, Robert Griffin III)

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

Records: Boise State 8-4, 6-2; UNLV 10-2, 6-2

Series: Boise State leads the series 12-3

Betting line: Boise State by 4.5

Weather: 44 degrees, 83% chance of rain