Broncos Wrap up Regular Season With Utah State on Friday

Friday, November 28

Logan, Utah

2 p.m. MT

Boise State

Utah State

Broncos Wrap up Regular Season With Utah State on Friday

11/26/2025 3:15:00 PM | Football

BOISE, Idaho – Boise State wraps up its regular season schedule at Utah State on Friday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. MT.

The Broncos (7-4, 5-2 Mountain West) will head to the Aggies (6-5, 4-3 MW) looking to increase their odds of playing in the MW title game on Dec. 5. Boise State has claimed the championship in each of the past two seasons.

The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS, with Chris Lewis (play-by-play), Logan Ryan (analyst) and Brandon Baylor (sideline) on the call. Bronco Nation can tune in to hear Bob Behler (play-by-play) and Pete Cavender (analyst) call the action on the Bronco Radio Network (Flagship: KBOI 93.1 FM/670 AM) and on SiriusXM Channel 385.

OPENING KICKOFF
1.) Friday's matchup has massive implications for the Mountain West Championship game. If Boise State defeats Utah State and San Diego State defeats New Mexico, the Broncos will head to San Diego for the title game. If Boise State and New Mexico win, regardless of the result of the UNLV game, the MW will turn to computer rankings to determine the two opponents. There is a path for Boise State to reach the title game in a loss, but the Broncos would need the computer rankings in their favor to reach the game.

2.) Boise State has historically dominated the series against Utah State, entering the contest with a 24-5 all-time advantage. The Broncos are looking for their 10th straight victory over the Aggies and their fourth consecutive win in Logan. Since joining the Mountain West, Boise State holds an 11-1 record against the Aggies, and have won by an average of 23.9 points in those 11 victories.3.) The Broncos are bowl-eligible for the 28th consecutive season, the second-longest active streak in the nation. Boise State trails only Georgia, whose 9-1 record this season earned them bowl eligibility for the 29th straight season.

3.) Boise State generated 533 yards of offense against Colorado State, marking the fourth time this season the Broncos have totaled over 500 yards of offense. The Broncos did so behind 279 rushing yards and 254 passing yards, the fourth time this season the offense has recorded over 250 yards in both categories. Boise State hasn't accomplished that feat four times in a season since 2004.

4.) The Broncos scored six rushing touchdowns against the Rams, marking the third time the program has scored on the ground six times in a MW game. Sire Gaines and Malik Sherrod both found the end zone twice, marking the sixth time in Boise State's MW era that multiple Broncos have scored at least two rushing touchdowns.

5.) Boise State's defense created four takeaways against Colorado State, denoting the third time this season the Broncos have generated four or more turnovers. That is the most games the Broncos have recorded with 4+ takeaways since the 2015 season. Jeremiah Earby had a pair of interceptions for the second time this season in the win, becoming one of three players nationally with two games with multiple interceptions.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Series History
Boise State and Utah State will meet for the 30th time on Friday, with the Broncos leading the all-time series, 24-5. Boise State is currently on a nine-game winning streak, having last lost to the Aggies 52-26 on Oct. 16, 2015. The Broncos are 11-3 on the road and have won four straight matchups in Logan. Since joining the MW in 2011, Boise State holds an 11-1 mark, with the Broncos winning by an average of 23.9 points in their victories. The series hasn't featured particularly close games, with only four games decided by one possession. That last one-possession game was a 33-27 Boise State win on Oct. 30, 1999.

Conference Domination
Boise State's victory over Colorado State marked the fifth victory in league play, marking the 27th consecutive season the program has won five or more conference games. The Broncos are looking to increase their total to six against Utah State, a feat they have accomplished in all but two seasons since 2001 (excluding the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season, in which the Broncos went 5-0).

Joining The Battle
Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, who was nominated for the Broyles Award on Tuesday, started the season calling plays from the press box, but moved down to the field ahead of the Broncos' matchup against App State. The move has paid off, with the Boise State defense performing significantly better with Chinander on the sidelines. Since the move, the Broncos improved by over seven points allowed per game (7.2), nearly 100 yards allowed less per game (96.9), and averaging 1.1 more takeaways per game.

Broncos For 500
Broncos have generated over 500 yards of offense this season. Boise State also did so four times last season, and have done so nine times under Spencer Danielson. It is the first time the Broncos have generated 500 yards of offense at least four times in back-to-back seasons since 2018-19..

Balanced Attack
The Broncos defeated the Rams behind 279 rushing yards and 254 passing yards, marking the fourth game this season Boise State has generated over 250 yards in both categories. Boise State previously did so against Eastern Washington on Sept. 5 (328 rushing, 309 passing), at Air Force on Sept. 20 (282 rushing, 310 passing), and against UNLV on Oct. 18 (294 rushing, 264 passing). The Broncos are tied with Oregon and South Florida for the most games over 250 yards in each category in the country. It is the first time the Broncos have generated four such games in a single season since 2004. The Broncos have eclipsed 250 yards in both categories 31 times in the FBS era. This year's group joins the 2004 (4), 2015 (3) and 2024 (3) squads as the only teams to reach those marks more than twice in a season.

Owning The Ground
Boise State scored all six of their touchdowns from the ground against Colorado State, the highest total of the season and the most since rushing for seven in last year's opener against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31, 2024. It is the third time the Broncos have rushed for at least six touchdowns in a Mountain West contest, and the 15th time overall since joining the FBS ranks in 1996. The Broncos have rushed for at least five touchdowns in three games on the season, having rushed for five each against Eastern Washington (Sept. 5) and Air Force (Sept. 20). Boise State rushed for at least five scores twice in 2024, marking the first time the Broncos have had multiple games with five or more rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons since 2004-05.

How Do You Stop Them All?
Sire Gaines and Malik Sherrod each recorded a pair of rushing scores against Colorado State on Saturday, marking the first time Boise State has had two different players record multiple rushing touchdowns in the same game since Taylen Green and George Holani did so against San Diego State on Sept. 30, 2022. Since joining the Mountain West, the Broncos have done so six times. There have been three such instances consisting only of Boise State running backs, while three times have involved a Bronco quarterback and running back.

Sire's Turn
Sire Gaines is coming off arguably his best game as a Bronco against Colorado State. The redshirt freshman running back rushed for a career-high 149 yards and found the end zone twice. It was the second time Gaines has surpassed 100 yards on the ground, after totaling 110 yards in his Bronco debut against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31, 2024. The tailback has now rushed for a pair of touchdowns twice in his career, and has recorded four games with multiple touchdowns. Gaines has recorded eight career rushing touchdowns, seven of which have occurred this season.

Caples With A Career-High
Latrell Caples finished with seven receptions against Colorado State, matching a career-high he set a week earlier against San Diego State. He is the first Bronco to record at least seven receptions in back-to-back games since Eric McAllister did so in 2023 (Oct. 28 & Nov. 4). He is one of two Broncos on the roster that have recorded seven receptions in a game: Matt Lauter did so against Portland State on Sept. 21, 2024, catching seven passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Cam Does It All
Wide receiver Cameron Bates tallied career-bests in receptions (3) and yards (54) against Colorado State, including a career-long 42-yard catch. He also completed a 15-yard pass to Matt Wagner. He was a rushing and receiving threat against UNLV, running for a career-long 35-yard touchdown and posting career-highs in receptions (3) and yards (54). The sophomore has 296 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on 18 touches this season. He is one of 11 FBS wide receivers with over 220 receiving yards and two rushing touchdowns. Of the group, Bates, Germie Bernard (Alabama) and Makai Lemon (USC) are the only three to also complete a pass.

Creating Chaos
Boise State forced four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble) in the contest against Colorado State, marking the third time this season the Broncos have generated four or more turnovers. That is the most in a single season since 2015, when the squad also recorded three such games. The Broncos have recorded three interceptions in a game for the third time this season, the first time Boise State has had three such games since 2015.

Stopping The Run
The Broncos held the Rams to 39 rushing yards, the fewest by an opponent since limiting Hawai'i to 37 on Nov. 16, 2024. Under defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, Boise State has held opponents under 100 rushing yards six times, including five times in Mountain West contests.

Playmakin' Corner
Jeremiah Earby notched two interceptions against Colorado State, his second game this season with multiple interceptions. The senior had previously recorded two picks against Nevada on Oct. 24. He is one of three players that have multiple games with two or more interceptions on the season, joining Bishop Fitzgerald (USC) and Elijah Green (Tulsa). Earby is the first Bronco since Brandyn Thompson in 2010 to have multiple games with at least two interceptions in the same season. The performance marks the 27th time since 2000 that a Bronco has recorded two or more interceptions in a single game. Earby is up to four interceptions on the season and seven in his career. His four picks this season are tied with Amarion McCoy for the most by a Bronco this season. Boise State is one of five teams to have multiple players with at least four interceptions, joining Notre Dame, TCU, Texas Tech and UNLV. Earby also recovered a fumble in the second quarter against the Rams, marking his second fumble recovery as a Bronco. The cornerback is the only player in the country that has recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery so far this season. It is only the third time a player has accomplished the feat in a Mountain West game during Boise State's tenure, as UNLV's Jackson Woodard did so against Utah State on Oct. 11, 2024 and Air Force's Brodie Hicks did it against Wyoming on Oct. 10, 2015. Earby is the first Bronco to record two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the same game since at least 2005. is the first Bronco with three turnovers in a game Brandyn Thompson recorded three interceptions against Hawaii on Oct 17, 2008. He is one of five FBS players to record three or more takeaways in a single game this season, and the only with both an interception and fumble recovery. For his action, Earby was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Mount Zion
Boise State safety Zion Washington had quite the senior night performance. In his second game back after returning from an injury, Washington recorded a team-high nine tackles, including a sack, and notched his first career interception. He is the first player to record an interception and sack in a single game since A'Marion McCoy did so against Utah State on Nov. 18, 2023. He is one of two Broncos in the program's FBS era to record at least nine tackles, one sack and one interception in the same game, and is one of 12 players nationally to reach those feats in a single game this season.

Zero One-Score Games
None of Boise State's 11 games have been decided by eight or fewer points, making the Broncos the only team in the FBS with zero one-possession games this season. The only season in Boise State's four-year era to finish with zero one-possession games was 2002, when the closest contest was a 38-21 Bronco win over Idaho in the season opener.

Air Defense
Boise State currently has the 11th-best passing defense in the country, allowing 165.5 yards in the air per game. Since Sept. 27 against App State, Boise State has held its opponents to less than 200 yards passing in six of eight games. Of those eight contests, the Bronco defense has allowed 161.0 passing yards per game. On the road this season, Boise State has allowed 171.0 passing yards per game, the 12th-best mark in the nation. This season, Boise State has held opponents under 50 yards twice, under 100 yards three times, under 150 yards four times, under 200 yards seven times and under 250 yards nine times.