Boise State backs Madsen as starting QB. Here’s how pass game needs to improve
There were a lot of positives to take out of Boise State’s 37-34 loss to No. 7 Oregon earlier this month: The defense looked improved, running back Ashton Jeanty had another Heisman Trophy resume-building game, and the Broncos’ offensive line showed it could keep producing even with injuries to two starters.
But Broncos fans left the game with one lingering concern: the passing game.
Redshirt sophomore Maddux Madsen won the quarterback battle over USC transfer Malachi Nelson ahead of the season. Through two games, Maddux has a pass completion rate of 54.9% (39-for-71), two touchdowns and one interception.
While those stats aren’t abysmal for what Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter describes as a run-first offense, they’re also not confidence-inspiring. A large chunk of Madsen’s completions came in the season opener at Georgia Southern, where he threw at a 22-for-31 clip. Against Oregon, Madsen was just 17-for-40, including a scoreless stretch in the third quarter when he was 3-for-13 for 19 yards.
Despite Madsen’s less-than-convincing performance at Oregon, the Boise State coaching staff still has confidence in him and doesn’t expect a quarterback change ahead of this weekend’s home opener. Boise State expects to face Portland State at 7:55 p.m. Saturday despite initial fears the game might be canceled because of an illness concern among the Portland State team.
“Right now, Maddux is our starter, and he’s done a good job,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said Monday. “He’s earned it, just like every position. There are still things for Maddux to learn and grow, but he’s doing some really good stuff, too.”
Among the areas where growth is needed: Madsen needs to improve his ability to progress through reads quickly and put the ball in the right place for receivers to catch.
Doing so — even if just for small gains — would help the Broncos move the chains more than they have in the first two games. Against Oregon, Boise State failed to get a first down on six drives and had just two drives of 10 plays or more.
But not all the blame for the moments of offensive lethargy lands on Madsen. The receivers could provide more of a spark, too.
“We threw like five 50/50 balls (against Oregon), and we were 0-for-5,” Koetter said. “And I watch our guys in practice, and I’d say we’re probably more like 60-plus percent coming down with those.”
Fifth-year Cam Camper and redshirt senior Latrell Caples have emerged as the Broncos’ go-to receivers. Through the first two games, the pair have been targeted a combined 30 times. Only 18 of those plays resulted in completions.
“We’ve gotta have a better scheme. We’ve gotta have better design,” Koetter said. “The passing game is a combination of a lot of things: scheme and design, protection, separation, timing, decision-making by the quarterback. And we had different passes where any combination of those things weren’t quite right.”
Koetter has been happy with Madsen’s decision-making so far — his one interception came on a throw into double coverage early in the second quarter at Georgia Southern. Danielson also likes many of the throws Madsen has made, imploring the receivers instead to find separation for him.
The Broncos are heavy favorites against Portland State this weekend. It’s the kind of game that could allow coaches to play backups in the closing minutes.
That could mean a first Boise State appearance for redshirt freshman Nelson. The former five-star recruit played just a handful of snaps in USC’s 56-28 victory over San Jose State last year before redshirting.
But even an appearance for Nelson isn’t a certainty right now.
“Maddux will continue to grow and be better, but he’s doing some really good stuff, too, and right now, he is our starter,” Danielson said. “Malachi is going to keep working his tail off to grow, and he’ll be ready when his opportunity comes. When that is, I do not know. Maddux Madsen is our starter.”
Boise State vs Portland State
When: 7:55 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,363, Turf)
TV: Fox Sports 1 (Eric Collins, Spencer Tillman)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 390 (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 1-1; Portland State 0-2
Series: Boise State leads the series 7-1
Vegas line: Boise State by 34.5 points
Weather: High of 77 degrees, low of 52 degrees, humidity 42%, mostly clear skies, 3% chance of rain
This story was originally published September 17, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
