BOISE STATE BRONCOS AT NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH Location: South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame Stadium) Date/Time: Saturday, October 4th at 1:30 p.m. (Mountain Time) Television: NBC Streaming: Peacock Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KBOI 93.1 FM (Bronco Radio Network) Head-to-Head: This is the first-ever meeting between the Broncos and Irish! TALE OF THE TAPE Boise State: 3-1 […]
BOISE STATE BRONCOS AT NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Location: South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame Stadium)
Date/Time: Saturday, October 4th at 1:30 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Television: NBC
Streaming: Peacock
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KBOI 93.1 FM (Bronco Radio Network)
Head-to-Head: This is the first-ever meeting between the Broncos and Irish!
TALE OF THE TAPE
Boise State: 3-1 (1-0 in MW), ND: 2-2 (N/A)
Mountain West vs. Independent
BSU: Head Coach Spencer Danielson (2nd Full Year, 18-4 Overall Record)
ND: Head Coach Marcus Freeman (4th Full Year, 35-12 Overall Record)
Last Week
BSU: Defeated Sun Belt-member Appalachian State 47-14, holding the Mountaineers to 65 passing yards and forcing four turnovers.
ND: Shellacked the Arkansas Razorbacks 56-13, leading to the firing of head coach Sam Pittman and the reemergence of Bobby Petrino. Notre Dame’s only two losses have come to No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 3 Miami (FL) by a combined four points.
What Allows Boise State to Win Saturday?
QB Maddux Madsen has the game of his life, and the touchdown gods look favorably on the Broncos.
Pessimistic, I know.
But entering this weekend, this game houses the vibes of what happened to Boise State against Washington a few seasons ago. They fought early, but the speed and talent of the Huskies created a gap too far to bridge.
You could absolutely argue that the three-point loss to Oregon last year in Eugene should inspire hope for Saturday.
My rebuttal?
No Ashton Jeanty around this time, bucko.
To jog the ‘ole memory, Madsen went 17/40 for 148 yards and one passing touchdown. Meanwhile, Jeanty did his best Superman impression with 25 carries for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
So far, Notre Dame has been beat by national title contenders because of each’s respective ability to throw the ball. Miami passed for 205 yards and ran for 119. Texas A&M passed for 360 yards and rushed for 128.
No matter how you slice it, Maddux Madsen will be the lynchpin that either holds and gives the Broncos a fighting chance or breaks and allows the tsunami that is Notre Dame’s offense to wreak havoc.
And even if he has the game of his career, a few lucky bounces of the pigskin would sure help Boise State’s cause. Maybe some of those pick-sixes from a week ago against Appalachian State could turn up in South Bend…
What Allows Notre Dame to Win Saturday?
Run the Broncos into the ground, allowing CJ Carr to take the top off a Bronco secondary that is already vulnerable.
The fantastical duo of running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price has been damn near impossible to stop in 2025. Against Arkansas, the two combined for 143 yards on 27 carries.
Purdue? 231 yards on 28 carries.
The only game the duo has been stymied in was against undefeated Miami, where they ran for a combined 78 yards on 16 rushes.
And I don’t think Boise State has the same type of defensive line as Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes. Just a hunch.
Granted, outside of Air Force, the Broncos haven’t allowed more than 120 rushing yards.
But assuming the Irish backfield does what they are expected to do, that will open up the field for rising star quarterback CJ Carr to slice and dice Boise State’s secondary.
With BSU DB Jaden Mickey looking like a 50-50 decision, that would only add fuel to the fire. With his trio of targets – Malachi Fields, Jordan Faison, and Eli Raridon – it would shock me if Carr threw for less than his season average of 272.8 yards per game.
The Fighting Irish can turn this into a track meet and, frankly, blow this game wide open if they jump out on top early.
Who Pulls Out The Win?
Call me Debbie Downer, but I can’t envision many scenario where Boise State walks out of Notre Dame Stadium with a win.
This has 2023 Washington vibes, and I am going to trust my gut even though my heart wants to say otherwise.
Notre Dame dominates both sides of the trenches and makes life a living nightmare for Maddux Madsen.
There is a reason Marcus Freeman’s Irish are four points away from potentially being the No. 1 team in the nation.
But…Boise State capitalizes on some garbage time to sneak away with a backdoor cover.
Petterson’s Prediction: Notre Dame to Win Outright, Boise State to Cover, and Take the Under.
FanDuel Odds: ND -20.5, Total of 62.5
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 38 – Boise State Broncos 20
Let us at the Mountain West Connection know your predictions for the Broncos’ historic meeting with college football Goliath, Notre Dame!
Category: General Sports
