How bad was the Broncos’ offense in loss? The numbers sure tell the story
As the Boise State players walked off the field and the punter ran on after yet another three-and-out Saturday at Alberstons Stadium, an unfamiliar sound echoed above the blue turf:
Boos.
They weren’t coming from some leftover Halloween ghosts and ghouls. They were coming from very frustrated fans who saw a zombie-like performance from the offense in a 30-7 loss to Fresno State that ended a run of home dominance.
It wasn’t just that the Broncos were losing at home to a rival that was a big underdog. And it wasn’t just that the offense was stalling with backup quarterback Max Cutforth under center, after redshirt junior starter Maddux Madsen left the game with an injury.
It was also because the Broncos were losing in a historic manner to see their 16-game home winning streak snapped.
For the third time this season, Boise State (6-3, 4-1) scored just 7 points in a game — all of their losses. They fell 34-7 to South Florida in the season opener and 28-7 on a tough trip to Notre Dame last month.
But the lone touchdown scored against Fresno State this weekend? It’s the lowest point total for the Broncos against a Mountain West opponent — ever. The previous low, also on The Blue, was 13 points in a 19-13 loss to San Diego State in 2018.
“All parts of our offense, we didn’t execute well tonight,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said. “From our tight ends to our O line to our receivers to our quarterback.”
And it wasn’t just the lack of points that stood out.
Boise State’s 193 yards of offense marked the ninth-lowest total in program history, and the third-worst number since the jump to FBS in 1996. Only the 115-yard effort against Washington State in 1997 — in a 58-0 loss that stands as the worst in program history — and the 177 total yards against UTEP in 2022 were worse.
That effort against UTEP three years ago came on the road in a 27-10 loss that dropped the team’s record to 2-2. The next day, offensive coordinator Tim Plough was fired, and starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier then left the team to transfer.
It’s unlikely something so dramatic will happen this time around, but the effort raised some serious questions — especially if Madsen will be out for a while, which seems probable.
“The product tonight breaks my heart,” Danielson said. “That’s what we put out there for Bronco Nation, and we’ve got to get it fixed.”
Some other ugly numbers?
The Broncos managed just 91 yards rushing, their lowest count since having 84 yards in that UTEP game. For a scary perspective, consider that Danielson’s team had 94 yards in penalties Saturday afternoon.
“I don’t know what our total rush yards were, but it wasn’t good,” the coach said.
The running game received a boost when sixth-year back Malik Sherrod ripped off a 44-yard run in the first half, but that’s where the excitement ended. Across the entire second half, Boise State had nine rushes that went for minus-5 yards.
Fresno State was able to stack the line and run blitz often because Cutforth was struggling so much. He completed 14-for-29 passes for 106 yards, with two interceptions, and 36 of those yards came on a final drive with the Bulldogs’ reserves in. He also fumbled twice.
Sire Gaines had seven carries for 39 yards for Boise State, and leading rusher Dylan Riley had six runs for 16 yards. The team averaged 3.1 yards per carry.
“It doesn’t matter who for us, we’re built to run the football. That’s what we do,” Danielson said. “We run the football, and off that comes our pass game, and if we can’t establish a run game, it’s gonna be really tough sledding for us offensively.”
