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Wednesday Weekly…December 3, 2025.
The main Matt at tight end, the one named Lauter, has long been a focal point of the Boise State offense. The other Matt, the one named Wagner, has been best supporting actor. At Utah State, it was all about Wagner, as he caught his first career TD pass, bulling his way in from 11 yards out. Wagner’s season-high last year was two receptions. But he’s been on almost equal footing as a pass-catcher this year. Last week Wagner had career-highs with five grabs for 69 yards. That gives him 22 receptions for the season (Lauter has 30 and, like Wagner, one TD). Can Wagner make a return trip to paydirt against UNLV? “I’ve always had the mentality: you get the ball, you don’t go down,” he told the media Tuesday. “I’m lookin’ for the end zone every time.” And, Wagner is only a sophomore.
A BIG NEW WAVE OF BRONCOS
As of “Scott Slant press time” this morning, the signed letters were just beginning to roll in at the Bleymaier Football Center. On the eve of early signing day, Boise State had a whopping 28 commits and came in at No. 48 in the 247 Sports class rankings. It’s never ever been higher than that. There was a mild surprise Tuesday, as the Broncos landed a second quarterback, former Iowa and Indiana commit Cash Herrera, a 6-3, 205-pounder from La Jolla, CA. Herrera joins Jackson Taylor of Thousand Oaks, CA, in a suddenly-crowded QB room. And Boise State reeled in a rare four-star recruit, offensive tackle Kole Cronin from Bishop Manogue in Reno. Plus three local standouts: tight end Ryan Brekke of Owyhee, wide receiver Resean Jones of Rocky Mountain and defensive lineman Rowan Rupp of Meridian.
MAD DOG IS BACK
Maddux Madsen is Boise State’s starting quarterback Friday night, ladies and gentlemen. My take: Madsen makes quicker decisions than Max Cutforth. That’s it. That’s not a knock on Cutforth. That’s just experience. Madsen is 3-0 against UNLV. During the regular season last year, he peeled off a 49-yard run and later scrambled for a crucial seven-yard touchdown. One of the best throws of Madsen’s career set the tone against the Rebels in last year’s title game on the Blue—the 22-yard touchdown laser to Latrell Caples in the first quarter. And a scant 6½ weeks ago, Madsen threw four TDs versus UNLV. The Boise State offensive staff had a bad day at San Diego State, but I trust them now to choose the guy they think gives them the best chance to win.
I just think Madsen is going to be one inspired guy in the Mountain West championship game. Madsen’s aware of the energy vampires out there that just don’t believe in him. And, of course, he was preseason Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, and he’ll be facing the guy who won the actual award Tuesday, UNLV’s Anthony Colandrea. Madsen wasn’t even honorable mention during his injury-affected season. By the way, Broncos offensive lineman Kage Casey (for the third straight year) and Mason Randolph were first-teamers, as were defensive backs A’Marion McCoy and Ty Benefield. Running back Dylan Riley was one of four Boise State second-teamers.
SHOOTING FOR THAT 7TH SELLOUT
I repeat: one remarkable accomplishment in this day and age at Boise State has been attendance. With the TV experience these days, it’s easy for fans to stay home. Well, the Broncos have gone against the grain. Athletic director Jeramiah Dickey’s mantra of “six games/six sellouts” became “seven games/seven sellouts” last year with a full house in the Mountain West championship game. And, needless to say, Dickey wants to do it again. There’s no Ashton Jeanty this year, nor is there a CFP berth at stake. But there’s some buzz after the way Boise State rallied past Utah State on Black Friday. In the past, re-selling the stadium from zero meant crowds in the mid-20,000s for the title game. But don’t count out a full house of 32,000-plus for this final Mountain West hurrah. Just buy those ponchos!
IT’S THE WAY THEY GOT THERE
Boise State’s chances of making the title tilt weren’t single-digits ugly like they were two years ago, but the fact that they’re in—and hosting—bears some resemblance to the miracle of 2023 in Spencer Danielson’s first few games as interim coach. Do the Broncos have the mojo they had back then? Maybe not, but they do have momentum after the 25-24 comeback win in Logan. If Madsen has to come out Friday, they have Max Cutforth coming off his first 300-yard game—341 in the win at Utah State—and his third straight interception-free game. And Riley kept at it against a defense that was keying on him, rushing for 120 yards and topping 1,000 yards for the year, extending Boise State’s streak of 1,000-yard rushers to four straight seasons.
PLAYING KEEPAWAY
Minute by minute Friday, the snaps kept piling up. First down, second down, third down—then Boise State would move the chains. The Broncos converted 13 of 24 third down situations, and the result was a whopping 95 plays from scrimmage at Utah State, a huge number in this day and age. They had the ball for almost 37 minutes, including 10 minutes exactly in the pivotal fourth quarter. An unsung example of keeping the ball out of USU quarterback Bryson Barnes’ hands: the decision to go for it on fourth-and-four from the Utah State 48-yard line on the Broncos’ first possession of the second half. They didn’t get it. Would it cost them, trailing 21-13? Boise State got a three-and-out, staving off what looked like a momentum-turning moment.
A CHANCE TO BE C OF I’S BEST
Will there be a new King of Canyon Hill? Known as the greatest football team in College of Idaho history, the 1953 Coyotes completed a perfect 8-0 regular season, winning the Northwest Conference championship and defeating both Idaho State and Montana State during the year. Led by future San Francisco 49ers split end R.C. Owens, the Yotes averaged over 40 points per game and earned a bid to play in the Refrigerator Bowl in Evansville, IN, where they lost 14-12 to Sam Houston State. This year’s C of I squad looks to break new ground Saturday as it heads to Butte for a rematch with Montana Tech in the NAIA quarterfinals after dispatching perennial power Morningside 37-19 last week. Montana Tech handed the Yotes their only loss this season—27-24 in September.
TAKING THE BENCH TO BUTLER
Boise State men’s hoops, after a 10-day layoff following the Maui Invitational, is back on the court this Saturday against Butler in storied Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indiana. This is actually the third straight season the Broncos have faced the Bulldogs. Butler won 70-56 two years ago at the ESPN Events Invitational—then the Broncos took a 100-93 in the debut of The Crown tournament in Las Vegas last March. It’s funny, I thought I had it figured out that bench scoring is way up for Boise State this season. Well, not exactly. The Broncos are averaging 25.0 points off the bench through eight games. After eight dates last season the number was 28.4. But bench scoring is up considerably over two seasons ago, when it was 20.8 points per game at this point. I do think the Boise State bench is a strength.
THEY PRESUMABLY MADE IT THROUGH CUSTOMS
Last year, the Idaho Steelheads took two monster road trips to Trois-Rivières, Quebec, one in March at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, and one early last season in December. Now the Lions have to make the 2,617-mile trip, as the Steelheads host Trois-Rivières in Idaho Central Arena for a three-game series beginning tonight. With goaltender Arno Tiefensee having been called up by the AHL’s Texas Stars, the Steelies are a bit makeshift between the pipes. They did salvage a 2-1 win at Rapid City last Saturday with Jake Barczewski in net as he logged his first victory for Idaho. Tiefensee, the German goaltender, had been 6-0-1 in his last seven games for the Steelheads before heading for Texas.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by THE JAMES…craft food and cocktails, with heart and soul.
December 3, 1956: Seven-foot sensation Wilt Chamberlain makes his debut for the Kansas Jayhawks before a capacity crowd at newly-constructed Allen Fieldhouse, scoring 52 points in an 87-69 win over Northwestern. Chamberlain would play just two seasons at Kansas before going pro. He joined the Harlem Globetrotters for a year due to the NBA’s ban on underclassmen, entering the league with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959. He’d go on to lead the NBA in scoring seven times and in rebounding 11 times during his career.
(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.)
