Boise State Visits Colorado State Without Maddux Madsen
Max Cutforth is set to start at quarterback for No. 25 Boise State against Colorado State on Saturday after ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Maddux Madsen will not play. Madsen is officially listed as questionable on the Broncos’ player availability report ahead of the 4 p.m. Mountain time kickoff at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Boise State enters the matchup at 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Last week, the Broncos survived a wild 46-45 win against Texas State after blowing a large lead, a game in which Cutforth stepped in and threw three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
An Explosive Opponent Awaiting the Broncos
Colorado State enters the game at 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-12, returning home after a 31-14 road loss to Utah State. Despite their record, the Rams feature an offense that ranks fourth in the conference in scoring at 35.5 points per game and total offense at 435.5 yards per game. Boise State sits just ahead in both metrics at 35.9 points and 449.3 yards per contest.
Sources: No. 25 Boise State star quarterback Maddux Madsen will miss the game at Colorado State on Saturday. He’s dealing with a minor knee injury. The Boise State staff expects him back to start against Oregon State next week. pic.twitter.com/EICQs0BYHj
The Rams’ offensive engine is quarterback Hauss Hejny, an Oklahoma State transfer who missed three games earlier this year with a hamstring injury before returning in a 56-point shootout win over San Diego State. Hejny has completed 90 of 134 passes for 1,137 yards, throwing 17 total touchdowns against two interceptions.
“Their offense is explosive,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson told local media earlier this week. “That quarterback (Hauss Hejny) is really, really good. … I’ve seen DBs blitzing off an edge, he turns the corner on them and they cannot get him down. It’s impressive, the mobility he has. He can make every throw. Probably one of the best deep-ball throwers we’ve seen all year.”
Defensive Struggles and Adjustments
While Colorado State's offense puts up numbers, Jim Mora has managed persistent defensive struggles. The Rams rank dead last nationally in multiple defensive metrics, a vulnerability that prompted a mid-game defensive coordinator change during a loss to Oregon State.
Even so, Danielson noted that the unit showed signs of life during last week’s loss. “Defensively, they’re really doing a good job starting to tighten things up,” Danielson said. “They’re talented on defense. Obviously we know they’ve kind of been through some things, but they’re finding their identity and we know they’re going to have a really good plan against us.”
Boise State Plays Colorado State at Canvas Stadium
- Who: No. 25 Boise State at Colorado State
- When: 4 p.m. Mountain time, Saturday, Nov. 7
- Where: Canvas Stadium, Fort Collins, Colorado
- TV Channel: USA Network
- Live Stream: YouTube TV
- Announcers: Nate Gatter (play-by-play), Ryan Leaf (analyst), Lauren Green (sideline)
- Betting Line: Boise State -17.5 (DraftKings)
