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Game Day Guide: Boise State hosts San Jose State for homecoming

The Broncos look to bounce back against the Spartans in front of a sold-out crowd Saturday at Albertsons Stadium. Here's everything Bronco Nation needs to know.

Zack Armstrong

AP

Published: 1:17 PM MDT October 5, 2023
Updated: 5:44 PM MDT October 7, 2023

Boise State football looks to leave its 2-3 performance during the month of September in the rearview mirror as the Broncos turn their attention to Mountain West play. San Jose State visits Albertsons Stadium on Saturday for a 6 p.m. showdown on The Blue.

After blowing a 17-0 lead against Memphis last week, Boise State will flirt with a new-look offense against the Spartans featuring split quarterback responsibilities. Head coach Andy Avalos against the Tigers made the decision to pull Taylen Green and move forward with redshirt freshman Maddux Madsen, who has succeeded in early opportunities. 

Madsen has gone 22-of-32 (68.8%) for 319 passing yards and four touchdowns, without a turnover this fall. The Broncos are still confident in Green and what he can accomplish moving forward – as they should be considering the 2022 Mountain West Freshman of the Year took the region by storm one year ago. However, Boise State believes Madsen has earned a bigger opportunity. 

"Each guy brings something to the table right now and they both deserve to play, and really it's as simple as that," offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said. "I really don't think this is a thing about Taylen and his development, I really don't. The reality is Maddux has played well enough to deserve an opportunity." 

As reported by KTVB, Green will be the first quarterback out on the field Saturday, marking his 16th-straight start dating back to last season. Sources also told KTVB Sports Director Jay Tust that Madsen will likely play a significant amount against the Spartans, however, individual performance and the “flow of the game” will dictate how much either quarterback is used.

"In terms of the game plan, it's going to be consistent," Avalos said. "There might be a few [plays] that are specific, but otherwise, we want to see the efficiency out of both guys, and, obviously, we'll proceed from there."

Boise State's 28.6 points per game ranks 69th among FBS offenses. As the Broncos look to generate more points, production and keep the defense off the field, Hamdan is now also tasked with formulating a two-quarterback system – unless Green is able to break free as he did around this time last year, or Madsen shines early.

The good news is, San Jose State ranks 113th in scoring defense, allowing 33.4 points per outing. The Spartans also sit at No. 117 in the FBS in red zone defense and No. 126 in rushing defense, giving up an average of 216 yards on the ground. The numbers bode well for Jeanty, who currently leads the nation with 12 total touchdowns.

On the flip side, the Spartans rank in the top 15 nationally in passing defense, despite having already squared off with USC's Caleb Williams and Oregon State's DJ Uiagalelei. Leading the defense is junior linebacker Bryun Parham, who has already racked up 40 tackles this season. Defensive lineman Tre Smith is already up to four tackles-for-loss and three sacks as well.

Defensively, the statistics would tell you Boise State's defense has been one of the worst in all of college football five weeks into the season. The Broncos are not in the top 100 in total defense (433.6 yards per game), scoring defense (30.4 points per game) and passing yards allowed (289.2 yards per game).

On Wednesday, Boise State co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Kane Ioane told KTVB the problem at large actually isn't that small, and they are close to getting it fixed. 

"If they can continuously emphasize the small, little details within – whether it's the scheme, whether it's our fundamentals or technique – and overemphasize those throughout a course of a week and just be consistent again with how we're executing, we should hopefully start to see that consistency on Saturdays as well," Ioane said. 

This is Boise State's second 2-3 start in three seasons under Avalos. Last year, the Broncos started 0-2, before ripping off four-straight wins to begin Mountain West play. While the staff under defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson is the same proven group capable of turning the ship around, it is worth noting the amount of talent gone from last year. 

Boise State no longer has JL Skinner, Scott Matlock, Tyreque Jones, Caleb Biggers, Ezekiel Noa, Divine Obichere, Tyric LeBeauf, George Tarlas, Jackson Cravens or Isaiah Bagnah, just to name a few. Bronco starters DJ Schramm and Alexander Teubner are also battling injuries. 

While the likes of Marco Notarainni, Seyi Oladipo and Ahmed Hassanein have stepped up in a major way, the Broncos have only gained six turnovers, including just one interception each from Teubner and Jaylen Clark. If Boise State can help itself get off the field and keep the offense in rhythm, the potential for a turnaround is there. 

Notarainni this week gave praise to Schramm for leading him and fellow starter Andrew Simpson while on the sideline. San Jose State will certainly have its eyes on No. 53, who leads the Broncos with 36 total tackles, 15 more than any other player on the defense. If Schramm is a no-go Saturday, his presence will still be felt. 

"He's another coach, really … He's drawing up plays on the whiteboard. He can point out things on film that I don't even see," Marco Notarainni said of Schramm.

Prior to the season, San Jose State's Chevan Cordeiro topped Green in the running for preseason All-Mountain West quarterback and offensive player of the year. The Honolulu native is 102-of-167 (61.1%) on the year, with 1,022 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He has added 92 yards and two scores on the ground. 

Both Kairee Robinson and Quali Conley have surpassed 220 rushing yards this fall, with Robinson finding the end zone six times. The duo averages more than six yards per carry.

Boise State football on Friday announced tickets are sold out for the homecoming and parent and family weekend game Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium. The Broncos-Spartans matchup kicks off at 6 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.

Scroll down for more information on Saturday's matchup, how to watch and listen to the game, predictions, a breakdown of KTVB's coverage, a fan guide for those headed to Albertsons Stadium and more:

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