BOISE, Idaho — Wednesday Weekly…September 4, 2024.
Just to change things up, I’ll start with Sire Gaines today—although the 17-year-old Boise State true freshman has logged plenty of publicity since the 56-45 win at Georgia Southern last Saturday. Remember Sam & Dave (“Soul Man”)? Gaines was the Broncos’ Dave to Ashton Jeanty’s Sam in his college football debut Saturday. Gaines was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week next to Jeanty’s obvious conference honor after rushing for 110 yards and a touchdown and catching three passes for 44 yards and a TD. Gaines was impressive in Boise State’s Spring Game in April, but you always wonder if that’s real. Well, it was. If Gaines gets 10 rushes and five targets out of the backfield every game this season for the Broncos, I’d think that would be satisfying for him—and the perfect way to spell Jeanty.
AS FOR ASHTON
I had Cedric Minter’s Boise State single-game record 261 yards rushing emblazoned in my mind ever since it happened in 1978. I was the PA announcer then and called each of Minter’s 25 carries. So after Ashton Jeanty rushed 75 yards for his sixth touchdown at Georgia Southern, I thought, “Okay, where is he now?” Jeanty was at 249 yards, 13 away from breaking the record. It was there if he could come back in after his leg cramps. And he did. Needless to say, it was the best single-game performance in Broncos’ history. As good as Minter’s night was 46 years ago, the single-game G.O.A.T. honor had been held by Ian Johnson, whose 240-yard, five-touchdown night against Oregon State in 2006 kick-started Boise State’s first Fiesta Bowl season.
ENOUGH MOJO FOR MADDOG
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen did everything you could have asked of him in last weekend’s win. With Jeanty (and Gaines, for that matter) behind him, Madsen just had to manage the game, and he was fine with that. He was 22-for-31 (71 percent) for 280 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Madsen’s pass efficiency rating was 151. A refresher: 130 is average, 150 is good, and 170 is great. Maddog was solid good. Granted, the pick in the second quarter was a bad throw. But on the very next possession, the Broncos started on their own 10-yard line, and two plays later Madsen had them on the Eagles one after 89 yards’ worth of completions to Cam Camper and Latrell Caples. That spoke volumes about his mentality.
THE BRONCOS’ MOST PACKED POSITION
An interesting comment by Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter at his Monday press conference: “Those guys all want to be fed and there's only one ball.” Koetter was talking about the depth in the Broncos’ wide receiver room. Caples and Camper got the ball at Georgia Southern, and they played really well. Chris Marshall and true freshman Cameron Bates had a pair of catches, and Eagle’s Ben Ford even had one. But co-starters Austin Bolt and Price Strachan did not. Which means nothing going into the Oregon game. Two things there—Bolt and Strachan both had a role in opening holes for Jeanty and Gaines in Statesboro, and it was Bolt who recovered Gaines’ fumble on the Broncos’ final touchdown drive. And the duo will definitely be written into the script in Eugene.
SO THEY MEET AGAIN
Almost exactly three years ago, Boise State opened the season at UCF. That’s where the Broncos first faced quarterback Dillon Gabriel, now Oregon’s Heisman Trophy candidate. Boise State jumped out to a 21-0 lead before falling 36-31. Gabriel was gashed early when Tyric LeBeauf’s 100-yard pick-six opened the scoring. LeBeauf would intercept Gabriel again later in the game. But sandwiched around that was a solid Gabriel performance, as he went 25-of-37 for 318 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 64 yards that night, something the Broncos best not forget this Saturday at Autzen Stadium. Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma after that season—and now after two seasons as a Sooner, he’s a Duck, charged with leading a renowned Oregon offense that was less than explosive last week.
LOOKING AT IDAHO’S NOTEBOOK
It’s odd to use Idaho as an example for an upcoming Boise State game (heck, they haven’t played in 14 years). The Vandals’ effort in their 24-14 loss at Oregon last Saturday was phenomenal. The Broncos had some defensive problems at Georgia Southern—guys who were otherwise solid had one lapse, and the lapses were costly. True, Idaho allowed 487 yards to the Ducks, but they came on a whopping 87 snaps. Gabriel threw for 380 yards, but it took him 41 completions to get there. Oregon’s longest play of the game was 24 yards. That’s a pair of 24s I think Boise State would take right now in Autzen Stadium: 24 points allowed with a long play of 24 yards. Then there were the money downs. Idaho held Oregon to 1-for-4 on fourth down and 7-for-16 on third.
The Vandals’ next game is Saturday at Wyoming, and when you combine their performance in Eugene with the 48-7 waxing the Cowboys absorbed at Arizona State last week, you’d think, “Advantage, Idaho.” But the Vandals are going to have to switch Jacks at quarterback. Jack Layne is out for an undetermined time after he suffered a collarbone injury at Oregon and underwent surgery on Monday. Backup Jack Wagner, a redshirt freshman, will get the start in Laramie.
THE MOUNTAIN WEST WILL BIDE ITS TIME
Anyone who thinks they can predict where the Pac-2 will be a year from now is missing a shingle. Oregon State and Washington State did not extend their one-year football scheduling agreement with the Mountain West by Sunday’s deadline, but that’s a risky move. The Beavers and Cougars are holding out hope that 1) some unexpected shakeup will land them back in the Power 4, or 2) there’s a better scheduling situation out there. Those are longshots. Insiders will tell you: don’t rule out some kind of agreement between the conferences for 2026 and beyond. OSU and WSU, for example, still may have to dip deep into their “separation war chest” to do some poaching.
YOTES GET REST – BENGALS GO HOME
College of Idaho has not been tested in its first two games of the season—the second of which was a 65-0 rout of Simpson in that program’s first-ever game last Saturday. The Yotes, who outgained the Red Hawks 545 yards to 155, have a bye week now before things get serious with a Frontier Conference road game at Montana Western. Meanwhile, Idaho State led Oregon State 9-7 after one quarter in Corvallis last Saturday. The final was 38-15, but it’s hardly discouraging to the Bengals and coach Cody Hawkins (and assistant Dan Hawkins). ISU used four quarterbacks in the game. The Bengals’ home opener is this Saturday against Western Oregon in Holt Arena.
SAVE THIS NAME
It’s kind of a Jace Whiting situation—an in-state commitment who will join the Boise State basketball program after a two-year LDS mission. Hopefully Nash Humpherys sticks around with the Broncos when the time comes (Whiting is now at UNLV). Humpherys gave Boise State his verbal on Labor Day, but it’ll be a while before the Broncos see him. Humpherys, a 6-foot guard, is entering his senior year at Madison High in Rexburg.
HAWKS FIND THEMSELVES ON THE ROPES
The sizzling 21-6 second half start for the Boise Hawks has gone up in smoke. Now the Hawks are on the brink of elimination for Pioneer League playoff contention. They’re into their final series of the season, a six-game set at Great Falls. Boise must win at least five of those games against the Voyagers and get help from either first-place Oakland or second-place Yolo. The Ballers and High Wheelers are meeting in Davis, and one of them has to win five games in the series for the Hawks to have a chance. Tuesday night, Boise did its part, opening with a 14-6 win over Great Falls.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS…September 4, 1999, 25 years ago today:
Boise State plays its first-ever game against UCLA, opening the season in the Rose Bowl. An emotional pre-game ceremony honored the late Paul Reyna, a Broncos freshman who had died tragically two weeks earlier. Boise State fell to the Bruins, 38-7—providing no clue as to the fate of each team’s season. UCLA would go 4-7, while the Broncos would win the Big West and Humanitarian Bowl titles with a 10-3 record. Incidentally, Boise State’s only score of the game came on a touchdown pass from a backup quarterback named Bryan Harsin.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
