Boise State spent its bye week working on its own game.
Now the 21st-ranked Broncos can turn their attention to a Saturday matchup against Washington State in Pullman, Wash.
“Transitioning from the bye week, obviously had a lot of stuff as a team that we needed to look at, improve in, self-scout, grow in,” Broncos coach Spencer Danielson said. “Had a lot of things that we’ve done well but a lot that needs to get fixed. It was a good opportunity for us to grow, good opportunity for us to look at those things and have real conversations with players, real conversations as a staff (about) where we grow.”
The Broncos (5-1, 2-0 Pac-12) have won five in a row since a season-opening 34-27 loss at then-No. 2 Oregon.
Veteran Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen has managed the offense nearly flawlessly. He has completed 66.3% of his passes for 1,296 yards, 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Boise State’s Dylan Riley ranks fourth nationally with 835 rushing yards (6.6 yards per carry) and has six rushing TDs. Rasean Jones tops the receiving corps with 23 catches, while tight end Matt Wagner is close behind with 22 receptions and a team-high four TD catches.
The Broncos would like to limit big plays by the opponents. They entered their bye ranked last nationally in plays of 40-plus yards (15) and 50-plus yards (nine) given up.
The Cougars (1-6, 0-3) have sustained four consecutive defeats, including a 48-30 decision last week at Oregon State, which is the only other unbeaten team in Pac-12 play aside from Boise State.
Washington State turned the QB job over to redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman last week, and he connected on 32 of 49 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for a game-high 136 yards and a score on 15 carries. Eshelman’s favorite target was Branden Ganashamoorthy, who had 11 receptions for 147 yards — both career highs — and a TD.
“We just had a much better rhythm,” Washington State coach Kirby Moore said of the offense in Eshelman’s debut. “That takes all 11 being on the same page, whether it’s communication, whether it’s in the run game, the (run-pass options), obviously the pass game. It’s about landmarks and alignments there with the receivers and guys winning versus man and the quarterback trusting them.”
Eshelman replaced Caden Pinnick, a transfer who was the Big Sky Conference’s Freshman of the Year last season at UC Davis. For the Cougars this season, Pinnick has completed 110 of 178 passes for 952 yards in six games, with three TDs and five interceptions.
Moore denied that NIL earnings might have had a bearing on playing Pinnick.
“No, the best players are gonna play,” he said. “We’ve had those evaluations at a number of positions, whether that’s quarterback, receiver, D-tackle. It’s really about who gives us the best opportunity to win.”
Moore admitted Eshelman “showed flashes” in the preseason.
“I think the one thing, and he would say it as well, in fall camp there, there was probably some (issues) in terms of taking care of the football,” the coach said. “Probably had a few more (turnovers) than we wanted, and he’s definitely grown from that. Obviously, it starts in practice and preparing like you’re the starter, and he continued to do that throughout the season.”
Moore is familiar with the Boise State program, having played wide receiver for the Broncos from 2009-13. His brother is former Boise State standout QB Kellen Moore, now head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
