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Wednesday Weekly: November 4, 2026.
The irony of what happened at the end of Boise State’s amazing 46-45 win over Texas State last Saturday night was not lost on coach Spencer Danielson. He noted afterward that the game had technically ended on November 1, one year to the day after Max Cutforth had entered a game after a Maddux Madsen injury for the first time. That, of course, was the 30-7 loss to Fresno State on the Blue, when Cutforth went 14-of-29 for only 106 yards and a touchdown against two interceptions. Cutforth acknowledged it was “unacceptable”, and when he was thrown into the fire against the Bobcats, he was 8-of-13 for 131 yards and three TDs in the final eight minutes of the game. On a night with so many storylines, Cutforth was the biggest. Maybe it was “Kellen karma”.
CUTFORTH VS. COLORADO STATE
We saw Cutforth’s improvement last fall from the moment he was pressed into service against Fresno State to his fourth game, Boise State’s win at Utah State. His progress since then was there for all to see in his performance against Texas State. Madsen’s injury isn’t as bad as feared, and coach Spencer Danielson says he’s “day-to-day”. We’ll see what the injury/availability report says Thursday afternoon. But it would make sense for the Broncos to start Cutforth Saturday at Colorado State. It was against the Rams last November that Cutforth picked up his first win as a starter, going 22-of-34 for 239 yards without an interception. It’s not like CSU will know what it’s getting with Cutforth, considering the massive roster turnover there.
IT WAS A CULTURE WIN
What could have been one of the most brutal losses in Boise State history turned out to be one of the most exciting games ever played on the Blue last Saturday, a win that will be remembered for a long time. For drama, it’s right up there with the 69-67 quadruple-overtime win over Nevada in 2007. Call it a culture win. It was wet. It was cold. It was late. It was Halloween. The crowd was affected by all of that from the outset. Then, after the Broncos had imploded in the third quarter and into the fourth, the throng thinned even more. But Boise State never stopped believing. The Broncos could tell Cutforth believed, and he helped reinforce that when he completed his first four throws to start the rally. Shaky as it was, Boise State knows how to win.
ALONG CAME JONES…AGAIN
Where would Boise State have been without wide receiver Rasean Jones? The conference noticed, as the Rocky Mountain grad picked up Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors after helping save the night against Texas State. Jones became the first Boise State true freshman to make three touchdown catches in a game since Austin Pettis in 2007, and two of them came during the crazy fourth quarter rally. The last one was of the “I can’t believe what I just saw” variety. He made nine grabs for 117 yards overall. Jones is the first guy to win both the Pac-12 Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week awards. Best supporting actor goes to Akeem Wright, who had eight catches for 116 yards and a monster TD.
THE BRONCOS’ PRECARIOUS PERCH
You just can’t predict these things. We know what the College Football Playoff committee is thinking now, and it’s not overly impressed with Boise State. In the first CFP rankings of the season Tuesday night, the Broncos were slotted at No. 25. They were, however, the only Group of 5 team on the list, so they’re seeded 12th in the committee’s first projected bracket. That would put Boise State in a first round game at 5th-seeded Alabama. But oh, there is such a long way to go. One defensive meltdown without an offensive answer would doom the Broncos, as I really think there’s no margin for error. The committee is champing at the bit to find somebody else to plug into the G6 slot. As a 17.5-point favorite at Colorado State, the Broncos are probably okay this week. But next week…
RILEY’S SIDEKICK WOULD HAVE HELPED
One of my Boise State topics last week was Dylan Riley getting the 37 yards he needed to reach 1,000 for the season—and how it wouldn’t be a layup if Texas State does for four quarters what Washington State did for three in Pullman. That’s almost what happened. Riley got his thousand, but he was held to 86 yards and 3.4 per carry. The Broncos missed the injured Sire Gaines, as Juelz Goff and Harry Stewart III combined for only 18 yards on five attempts—with a lost fumble by Stewart to boot. Speaking of boots, that’s what Gaines was wearing on the sidelines in the game against the Bobcats. Tight end Matt Wagner was, too. And, needless to say, Madsen was on crutches. Will the Broncos have to get by without all three in Fort Collins? At least Wagner practiced a bit on Tuesday.
THE 36 STRAIGHT POINTS HAS A PRECEDENT
I don’t have to tell you that Boise State’s defensive warts reared their ugly heads again against Texas State. The Broncos allowed 42 second half points. They watched the Bobcats score consecutive touchdowns on plays of 67, 44, 35 and 72 yards over the third quarter and early into the fourth. I was asked on KTVB Sunday night if I had ever seen Boise State give up 36 straight points at home before. I couldn’t think of a case—but I have one now (and Vandals fans are going to thank me). The Broncos have been shut out only twice as a four-year program, and not once since 1997. But the first one was on the green turf of Bronco Stadium in 1984, when Idaho won 37-0. Uh, that’s 37 straight points.
YOU CAN’T PUT A DAMPER ON KELLEN
Kellen Moore was his old concise self when his statue was unveiled at halftime of the Texas State game. But he appreciated it all, and his kids looked awesome in their No. 11 jerseys. I wish he had spoken longer, because he was great in his press conference that afternoon. In that moment, Kellen was not a buttoned-up NFL coach—he was the same guy who went 50-3 as a starting quarterback for the Broncos. He was relaxed, smiling and genuinely happy to be in Boise, reminiscing about his career and the day coach Chris Petersen named him the starter in 2008. Kellen enthusiastically thanked Bronco Nation.
WINNING SEASON DRAMA
The Idaho Vandals, now 4-5, still have thoughts of a winning season. That would require them to win their final three games: Eastern Washington Saturday in the Kibbie Dome, followed by UC Davis at home and Idaho State in Pocatello. The Vandals and Bengals could both be fighting for winning seasons when they meet in the season finale. ISU is 6-3 but has Montana State at home and Montana on the road before wrapping it up against Idaho. College of Idaho has no such worries—the second-ranked Yotes are 8-0 after a 61-7 shellacking of Arizona Christian and face Carroll College Saturday for Senior Day in Simplot Stadium. This has been the most dominant of C of I’s 13 seasons since reinstating football in 2014.
IT DOESN’T LOOK INTERESTING
College basketball season opens earlier every year, and tonight’s opener is the second-earliest ever for Boise State next to last year’s infamous Hawaii Pacific game. The Broncos host West Coast Baptist College, and hopefully they can draw more from this experience than they did last week when they drilled Bismarck State, an NAIA school, 104-37. I have my doubts, as tonight’s opponent fell at Southern Utah 134-69 on Monday night. We’ll get a better idea of what Boise State has when it takes on Butler on Sunday afternoon in ExtraMile Arena.
MORE FUN ON THE FAIRGROUNDS FRINGE
Have the stars aligned for Athletic Club Boise or what? Of course, a lot of it is of their own doing. Knowing—thanks to the Chattanooga Red Wolves FC upset of Union Omaha—that they’d host a USL League One semifinal, they followed through with a dominating 2-0 win over defending champion One Knoxville SC last Sunday night. ACB’s familiar names produced again: goals from Tumi Moshobane and Jesus Barea and another shutout from goaltender Jonathan Kliewer. But as impressive as anything in that game was the sold-out crowd, as the 7,613 fans set a new record for the USL1 Playoffs. So it’s Chattanooga coming to Boise this Saturday, with the winner headed to the finals.
AN ECHO OF THE STEELIES’ LAST TITLE
The best news for the Idaho Steelheads the past week came off the ice, as former Steelies star Derek Nesbitt was one of three players named to the ECHL Hall of Fame. Nesbitt was part of the Steelheads’ 2007 Kelly Cup championship team, the only season he played in Boise. Nesbitt posted a career-high 30 goals and 51 assists. The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held on January 26 during All-Star weekend in Boise. On the ice, the Steelheads have had enough of the Allen Americans after dropping four straight (one in overtime) to the division rivals from Texas. Idaho will be back in ICCU Arena tonight to open a three-game series against the Rapid City Rush, who are off to a 5-2 start. The Steelies are now 3-3-1.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by CORSO ITALIAN STEAK…it’s about food, cocktails and vibe.
November 4, 2012: The late Doug Martin becomes the first player in NFL history to score three rushing touchdowns of 45 yards or more in a single game. The former Boise State star’s TDs went for 45, 67 and 70 yards as he ran for a franchise record 251 yards, 10th best NFL mark ever, in Tampa Bay’s 42-32 win at Oakland. Martin had a fourth score from one yard out to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Just 10 days earlier, the Buccaneers rookie had recorded his first 100-yard game. The only other former Bronco ever to rush for 100 yards in an NFL contest had been Brock Forsey, who netted 134 for the Chicago Bears in a 2003 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
