Boise State’s early bowl game vs. Washington will get Broncos home for Christmas

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State football’s inclusion in the LA Bowl has given Spencer Danielson and his team a lot to be excited about.

First and foremost, he said he’s excited to be wrapped up with plenty of time to spare before Christmas. Thanks to Friday night’s Mountain West Championship victory over UNLV, the Broncos were selected to play in the LA Bowl, which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 13 and is the second-earliest bowl game on the bowl calendar.

“A lot of our players will be able to go home after the bowl game,” Danielson said in a press conference on Sunday evening. “… This is a grind, college football — for our players and staff, it’s a lot. And for them to be able to get home and get some time with the family before we reload and get ready to launch the ‘26 campaign in January is going to be huge.”

Secondly, he’ll get a chance to straighten Boise State’s record in the LA Bowl. The Broncos also played in the LA Bowl in 2023, but lost 35-22 to UCLA in Danielson’s first game as permanent head coach.

And lastly, in Danielson’s words, this year’s LA Bowl gives the Broncos a chance to play “one of the best teams in the country.”

Boise State (9-4, 6-2 Mountain West) will face off against the Washington Huskies (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten), who just two years ago lost in the national title game to Michigan.

“Washington’s always been a team that is very, very successful,” Danielson said. “And since Coach (Jedd) Fisch has taken over, they continue to be on the rise, it’s a really, really good football team, and it’s going to be a really good matchup.”

The Huskies haven’t enjoyed the type of success they had under now-Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer in 2022 and 2023, or even during the Chris Petersen years, who left Boise State to coach Washington from 2014 to 2019.

Washington played three ranked teams in 2024 and lost by double digits in each game, including against Ohio State (24-6) and Oregon (26-14), both of which are in the College Football Playoff.

The Broncos also played a ranked Notre Dame in October and lost 28-7. But Danielson is still wary of the threat the Huskies pose. He called Washington’s sophomore quarterback, Demond Williams Jr., one of the most “electric” players his team will have played all season.

Williams earned an honorable All-Big Ten mention after a season in which he threw 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 2,850 passing yards, which ranks 30th in the nation, as well as rushing for a further 595 yards and six touchdowns.

“Not only can he make every throw, good luck trying to get him down in space,” Danielson said. “That’s for anybody, for Ohio State, for Oregon, he’s just an electric football player.”

Danielson also complimented the Huskies’ run game and offensive line, noting that they give teams “a lot of conflict” in their run schemes, and how their receivers and 6-foot-4 tight end Decker DeGraaf are a “matchup issue.”

If the Broncos want a chance at holding the Huskies, they’ll be relying on a defense that’s primarily composed of upperclassmen. That includes redshirt junior left tackle Kage Casey and junior safety Ty Benefield, both of whom are eyeing the NFL Draft.

Other players in their final year of eligibility may also be considering a football career beyond college, such as redshirt senior tight end Matt Lauter, who said last week he’s been talking to agents.

But with players increasingly opting out of bowl games to prioritize their health ahead of the draft, will Boise State have any opt-outs for the LA Bowl?

“With Kage Casey and some of our other guys that are potential NFL, we’ll walk that path, going to meet this week and see where they’re at and have conversations,” Danielson said. “And so I can’t speak to any of it yet, but we’ll kind of see how the next few days go.”