Boise State bye week report card: Offense

Boise State is licking its wounds following a 30-7 home loss to Mountain West rival Fresno State. 

With the Broncos (6-3, 4-1) idle this week, Boise State Broncos On SI is handing out some midseason grades to the team’s offense, defense and special teams. 

We will kick off the series with the up-and-down offense. 

Offense

There have been two distinct Boise State offenses this season. 

In five blowout victories, the Broncos have averaged 48.8 points per game while moving the ball effectively on the ground and through the air. 

The other offense has appeared four times, including recent games against Nevada and Fresno State. Boise State scored seven points apiece in blowout losses to South Florida (34-7), Notre Dame (28-7) and the Bulldogs while mustering just 309 yards of total offense in a 24-3 victory over last-place Nevada. 

During the Fresno State debacle, the Broncos lost starting quarterback Maddux Madsen to a lower leg injury on the third series of the game. Madsen’s status moving forward is unknown, but head coach Spencer Danielson said on Saturday that he expects Madsen to be out for “a while.” 

Madsen, a junior captain, has thrown for 1,994 yards and 15 touchdowns with seven interceptions this season. 

Backup quarterback Max Cutforth struggled against the Bulldogs, completing 14 of 29 passes for 106 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and a lost fumble. Cutforth will likely start at quarterback during next week’s road showdown with San Diego State (7-1, 4-0).  

“We believe in Max,” Danielson said after the Fresno State game. “(Cutforth was) thrown in a tough situation, but we’ve just got to execute better as a whole offense. It’s not just on Max, it’s on us as a whole offense and honestly, it’s on us as a whole team.”

The Broncos’ running game has been surprisingly inconsistent this year with Dylan Riley, Sire Gaines and Malik Sherrod sharing the carries. 

Riley has flashed big-play ability with 745 yards on 104 carries (7.2 yards per attempt) and seven touchdowns but had just seven total touches for 12 yards against Fresno State. Gaines (99 carries, 473 yards, seven touchdowns) runs with power but has lacked burst this year. Sherrod (64 carries, 317 yards, two touchdowns) hasn’t been a huge factor on offense. 

The wide receiver room took a major hit when Ben Ford went down with a season-ending injury against UNLV. Leading receiver Chris Marshall was suspended for the Fresno State game. Latrell Caples, Cam Bates and tight end Matt Lauter have all disappointed through nine games. 

The offensive line has also struggled at times and was pushed around the last two weeks. Starting center Mason Randolph has played through injury while left guard Jason Steele went down against Fresno State. 

Left tackle Kage Casey remains one of the best players in the MWC. 

Final verdict

Boise State’s offensive numbers look solid on paper, but the Broncos have been stymied in multiple games and could be without their starting quarterback for an extended period of time. 

Offense grade: C+