Football Expectations
Craig Lawson
In sports, success is often defined by answering the question, “What have you done lately?”
In 32 games under head coach Spencer Danielson (entering his third full season in 2026), the Boise State football program can certainly point to a lot of success. The Broncos won three Mountain West Championships, posted a 24-8 mark (.750 winning percentage), made an appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2024 and saw Ashton Jeanty finish as the Heisman Trophy runner-up that season.
The Broncos have been the standard of excellence for the last 30 years among teams not privileged enough to be in a Power 4 Conference. But Danielson is not satisfied. In the offseason, Danielson and the coaching staff participated in a self scout, spending days combing over the process of the program. In the end, several changes have been implemented for the upcoming season.
It's Expected
“We created the outline for them (our players) and they took it and ran with it,” Danielson said in advance of fall camp. “That is a testament to them. Our guys put their heads down and went to work this summer. What we did last summer wasn’t good enough. There are optional moments, but if you want to be a champion, it is expected.”
The buy-in from the student-athletes has been unanimous, according to fifth year quarterback Maddux Madsen.
“When we talk about what is expected, no one bats an eye,” Madsen stated. “When our leadership group meets, we do not leave the room until everyone is in agreement about what we are doing. It’s nice not having to worry about other position groups. Last year, that was not always the case. We had some selfishness on the team last year and that is not there now.”
Accountability
Madsen pointed to his teammates as a big reason for change.
“When you have (sixth year wide receiver) Ben Ford and (junior wide receiver) Cam Bates in the room, people listen because they are two of the most selfless people I’ve met,” Madsen said. “Accountability on this team is huge and anyone can say anything to anyone because we know it is coming from the right place.”
Both Danielson and Madsen pointed to the competition in practice as an integral part of the Broncos’ offseason preparation.
“Very similar to spring, there will be some compete periods,” Danielson said. “We’re going to have different things where it’s 1-on-1. Because then there’s a winner and a loser and you have to respond to both sides. I’ve got to put our guys in competition. I want to have practices where our guys are on their toes.”
Madsen added, “Competition adds pressure and you feel that in 1-on-1 situations in practice. It is fun because you get to see how guys respond and grow from adversity. It has heightened the competitive spirit and I am enjoying every minute of it.”
Mentorship
Danielson said he spent a lot of time in the summer learning from other head coaches. Two at the forefront were Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who visited The Blue in June, and Boise State legend Chris Petersen.
“Dabo’s been a big mentor of mine for a few years now,” Danielson said. “We talked after spring ball. He’s a guy who I pick his brain on a lot of things, where his program is going, what are some things he learned, where are they leveling up because those are some things for us to continue to look at and grow as well.
“Coach Pete is a guy I talk to once a week. I probably talked to a head coach a week this offseason. A lot of it came back and we are doing very similar stuff, which is good. Some things came back where we have to be better. We have to scale this. We’re not where we need to be and that was a kick in the pants to make sure we change.”
Leadership
Another new aspect of the program this year is the process of naming captains.
“Leadership has been a big thing for me this offseason,” Danielson said. How do we develop our leadership? How do we grow them? How do we grow the younger guys to be elite leaders in their time? I went down a lot of rabbit holes to make sure it’s right for us. Something that has changed is if you want to be a captain, you have to apply. It’s a long application process. It’s a thick packet that has a lot of questions. I want guys to know what it takes. Leadership is not glory. It is hard.
“Our player-led leadership is not negotiable here. The best teams at Boise State have been led by the locker room. Our leaders are models in everything they do, how they treat people, how they practice. I am really proud of the leadership of this team.”
What's Next
Madsen, a veteran leading the offense said, “I’m really excited to play football. We are focused. The preparation we put in during spring and what we will get done in fall is the hard part. The games are fun and I am looking forward to that!”
The fun begins at nationally-ranked Oregon, Sept. 5 and a week later the Broncos host Memphis, a perennial favorite in the American. Boise State’s inaugural Pac-12 opener is slated for Oct. 3 against Utah State at Albertsons Stadium.