BOISE, Idaho — Boise State sophomore quarterback Taylen Green hasn't finished two out of the five games he's started this season, but he will be the first quarterback out on the field when the Broncos host San Jose State on Saturday.
According to multiple sources close to the program, the Broncos have game-planned to use multiple quarterbacks against the Spartans, but Green will get the start, his 16th straight dating back to last season.
Green was pulled in the fourth quarter of last week's game at Memphis. He completed 12-of-24 passes for 200 yards and added 51 yards rushing on 8 carries. But with the Broncos trailing 28-17, head coach Andy Avalos made the decision to put in redshirt freshman backup Maddux Madsen.
"Maddux did a really good job of not only putting the ball where it needed to be throughout the progression, but putting it on the wide receivers where they could get some yards after the catch," Avalos said.
Madsen immediately led back-to-back scoring drives, and pulled the Broncos to within a field goal with 39 seconds remaining. It proved to be too little too late in a 35-32 loss to the Tigers. Madsen ended the game 11-of-14 for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
It was the second time this season Madsen was called on to finish a game. He also came on in relief against UCF, when Green was dealing with cramping issues during the second half, according to Avalos.
Madsen led the Broncos on a late scoring drive in that contest as well, connecting with senior wide receiver Stefan Cobbs for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 remaining. The Knights responded with a game-winning field goal as time expired to squeak out of Boise with a 18-16 win.
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."
At his weekly press conference back on Monday, Avalos mentioned as much, but was non-committal on who would actually start against San Jose State.
"The first-team quarterback gets the majority of the reps, somewhere along the line of 80-to-20 [percent]," Avalos said. "We're going to push into that just a little to bit, to give ourselves a great idea of the mix of which we can, because we've got two guys that are capable.
"It's nothing against [Green]. There are some things that [Green] needs to do a better job of. We've discussed those, and he very will capable of doing those things, and we fully support him on those things."
While Green's potential is undeniable, his production as a passer is amongst the worst in the Mountain West. Amongst the 12 qualified quarterbacks, he is currently last in completion percentage (52.6) and 11th in QB efficiency rating (115.79).
He also tied for 10th in the conference in touchdown passes, alongside Madsen who has also thrown four this season.
"Nobody in this building wants [Green] to be more successful than the coaching staff and his teammates," Avalos said. "The reality is, Maddux has played well enough to deserve an opportunity."
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