BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
The Boise State football will start the season with Maddux Madsen as QB1.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson announced the decision Sunday to have Madsen be the starting quarterback when the Broncos open the season at Georgia Southern on Aug. 31. The announcement came a little more than 24 hours after the Broncos wrapped up their second scrimmage since fall camp opened.
Madsen was battling with USC transfer Malachi Nelson for the starting job, and Danielson said coaches looked at everything throughout all 14 practices and both scrimmages to determine who could put the team in best position to win.
Ultimately, the coach said, Madsen had a better overall grasp on the offense.
“I think very highly of both our quarterbacks, we have two really good quarterbacks,” Danielson said. “Making this decision has been hard, but when I look at it throughout fall camp, Maddux gives us the better opportunity to win Game 1."
Madsen started last season as the backup to Taylen Green, but after a few games the Broncos utilized Green and Madsen in a two quarterback-system. That lasted until November, when Madsen was named the starting quarterback going into the New Mexico game. But a knee injury late in the first half of that game ended his year. Green led Boise State to the Mountain West title before transferring out before the LA Bowl.
Madsen finished the season with passing for 1,191 yards and nine touchdowns while running for 120 yards and two more scores.
Nelson, a former five-star recruit, transferred into Boise State in January and led the Broncos at quarterback through spring practice as Maddux was limited while still recovering from his injury.
Madsen was ready to go by the time fall camp started and began camp taking ‘blue team reps,’ or first-team reps for the Broncos. Danielson said at the start of fall camp, that was due to Madsen being the starting returner.
“Going into fall camp we didn’t know what the gap was,” Danielson said about the separation between the two quarterbacks. “We had a good idea where Malachi was after spring ball, but Maddux hadn’t played since November. ... We didn’t go into it with a preconceived idea with where the gap was.”
Danielson said the Broncos will not have a two-system quarterback like last year, but stressed that coaches will still constantly look at the quarterbacks, as they do at other positions, to determine who will give Boise State the best opportunity to win.
“It’s constantly evaluated,” Danielson said. “In games, if we’re struggling, moves have to be made. That’s at all positions and I want our team to feel that.”
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.