Riley and Madsen lead Boise State past Utah State 37–18

Boise State scored the game's first three touchdowns and beat Utah State 37–18 Saturday, using Dylan Riley's rushing, Maddux Madsen's efficient passing and a defensive score to build a lead the Aggies never erased. The Broncos went into halftime ahead 28–10 and answered Utah State's fourth-quarter touchdown with another of their own.

Riley carried 18 times for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Madsen completed 17 of 21 passes for 244 yards, two scores and no interceptions. Boise State finished with 429 total yards and converted eight of 13 third downs, allowing its offense to keep the ball moving without needing a high volume of passes.

The Broncos began with Riley's five-yard touchdown at 8:17 of the opening quarter. Madsen's 11-yard pass to Matt Wagner with 19 seconds left made it 14–0. Riley then broke a 33-yard scoring run in the second quarter, creating a 21-point cushion before Utah State reached the end zone.

Grady Brosterhous gave the Aggies their first touchdown on a one-yard pass to Javen Jacobs with 5:52 remaining in the half. Boise State's defense restored the three-touchdown lead when Jake Ripp returned a McCae Hillstead interception 21 yards for a score. Kian Afrookhteh's 28-yard field goal at the end of the half left Utah State trailing by 18.

Canaan Moore added a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter. Utah State made its last significant move with Brosterhous' 31-yard touchdown pass to Eli Wood at 9:32 of the fourth. The same two players connected for the two-point conversion, bringing the score to 31–18.

Boise State answered in just over a minute. Madsen found Ben Ford for an 11-yard touchdown at 8:27. The two-point attempt failed, but the touchdown increased the lead to 19 and ensured the Aggies would need three more scores to catch the Broncos.

Utah State's offense had productive individual moments. Jacobs ran for 139 yards on 10 carries, including a 64-yard gain, and Wood caught seven passes for 102 yards. Brosterhous completed 12 of 18 attempts for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Hillstead added 47 passing yards but threw the interception that became Boise State points.

The Aggies finished with 345 yards and converted four of 13 third downs, compared with Boise State's eight conversions. They also succeeded on only one of three fourth-down attempts. Rasean Jones led Boise State's receivers with five catches for 88 yards, while Ford gained 49 and Wagner 39. Madsen added 42 rushing yards, contributing to an offense that held possession for 32:14 and repeatedly gave Utah State too much ground to recover.

The game opened Pac-12 play for both teams, Utah State’s official preview confirmed. Boise State entered 3–1 and Utah State 1–3, so Saturday’s result gives the Broncos a 4–1 overall record and their first conference win while the Aggies fall to 1–4. It also extends Boise State’s winning streak in the series to 11 games; Utah State’s last victory came in 2015.