No. 20 Boise State survives Texas State collapse in 46-45 thriller

No. 20 Boise State defeated Texas State 46-45 on Saturday night after erasing a 25-point halftime deficit.

The Broncos trailed 39-28 with 8:58 remaining in the fourth quarter following a 36-point second-half run by the Bobcats. That sequence included a 28-0 stretch that put Texas State in control of the game.

Jayden Bradley returned an interception from starter Maddux Madsen for a touchdown to extend the Bobcat lead. It was Madsen’s first interception of the season. Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson described the third quarter as one of the worst periods of football he had ever witnessed.

Danielson said he was proud of the team’s leadership in finding a way to win despite being down 11 points and without their starting quarterback.

Madsen left the game in the fourth quarter after taking a hard hit near his left knee. He watched the remainder of the contest on crutches from the sideline. The coaching staff was still evaluating his status as of Saturday night.

Backup quarterback Max Cutforth entered the game and changed the momentum. He intercepted a pass on a trick play and returned it to the Texas State 11-yard line. That play flipped the score and shifted the momentum decisively.

Cutforth threw three touchdown passes in the final seven minutes. He connected with Akeem Wright for an 18-yard touchdown with 2:40 left to put Boise State ahead for good. The game featured three lead changes in the final five minutes.

Cutforth finished 8-of-13 passing for 131 yards. Madsen had thrown for 236 yards and a touchdown before exiting. He also ran for two scores. Last season, Cutforth replaced Madsen after a season-ending injury in a 30-7 loss to Fresno State.

Cutforth said he gained experience from that previous injury and took big steps in learning how to be a backup. He noted that he tells himself every week that he is going in.

Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns. The Bobcats improved to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Pac-12 play. They had not beaten a ranked team in 13 attempts since moving to the FBS in 2012.

Boise State improved to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. The Broncos are positioned as the frontrunner for the Group of Six playoff spot ahead of the first College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday. They travel to Colorado State on Saturday. Texas State plays at Oregon State on Saturday.