Going full speed again, Boise State QB Madsen feels he ‘didn’t skip a beat’
When Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen went down with an injury a little over a month ago, he thought his season was over.
A Fresno State defender sacked the redshirt junior quarterback from behind in the first quarter of a home game on Nov. 1, and he said he felt an immediate burning sensation heading up his right leg.
Medical personnel and team trainers helped Madsen off the field and transported him over to Boise State’s Idaho Sports Medicine Institute, which is attached to Albertsons Stadium, for X-rays. As they prepared him for imaging, they told Madsen that he could be done for 2025.
“I was just kind of distraught,” Madsen said Wednesday, thinking back to that moment in a game the Broncos went on to lose 30-7.
Imaging showed that Madsen had suffered an ankle and toe injury, but it also came with some other news: He could return to play this season.
“When I heard that there’s a little bit of a chance, that was all I needed to hear,” Madsen said.
Just one month later, having missed three straight games, Madsen will be back in the driver’s seat Friday night when Boise State faces UNLV in the Mountain West championship game at Albertsons Stadium.
Madsen will take the reins back from redshirt sophomore Max Cutforth, who threw for 790 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions over his nearly four full games of action, winning twice and losing twice.
“Max did a great job on Friday against Utah State, so proud of him,” head coach Spencer Danielson said on Monday. “But Maddux is our starting quarterback, and if Maddux is healthy, Maddux is gonna be rolling.”
Madsen was participating in throwing exercises during practice ahead of the must-win game at Utah State. But Danielson said the QB still wasn’t at 100%, so the coaching staff stuck with Cutforth, who went on to throw for a career-high 341 yards in the Broncos’ 25-24 win the day after Thanksgiving.
After full practice this week and regular reps, how does Madsen feel now?
“Being out there and practicing was a huge confidence builder for myself,” Madsen said. “I felt like I didn’t skip a beat.”
Quarterbacks coach Zak Hill said Monday that Madsen has been wearing an insole in his cleat to support his ankle, which has kept him from playing at full speed.
However, Madsen had an insole specially fit to his foot that arrived Wednesday. He said the original one was a flat carbon-fiber plate that was “brutal” to wear, while his new one is less bulky and feels more natural.
Coaches have said the entire playbook will be open to Madsen for the title game, and that could spell excitement for fans.
Madsen enjoyed one of his best games against the Rebels in October. Despite completing just 14 of 23 passes, he threw four touchdowns and had eight completions that covered at least 15 yards.
“Looking at the couple of practices that we’ve had at a fast pace, you can tell Mad Dog is feeling good. His arm is feeling good,” Hill said Wednesday. “He’s throwing it really well, continuing to feel out that toe and ankle a little bit, but he’s moving around pretty well.”
Boise State vs. UNLV
- When: 6 p.m. Mountain time Friday
- Where: Albertsons Stadium (32,796, turf)
- TV: FOX (Jason Benetti, Robert Griffin III)
- Radio: KBOI 670 AM / 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
- Records: Boise State 8-4, 6-2; UNLV 10-2, 6-2
- Series: Boise State leads the series 12-3
- Betting line: Boise State by 4
- Weather: 44 degrees, 76% chance of rain
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 3:47 PM.
