Boise State rallies past Utah State: Broncos keep Mountain West title hopes alive with comeback victory

Reigning Mountain West champion Boise State is still alive to repeat after Friday's comeback

By Cameron Salerno

Nov 28, 2025 at 8:17 pm ET • 1 min read

Boise State ended the regular season in dramatic fashion with a 25-24 comeback win over Utah State on Friday. The win kept the Broncos in the mix to play for the Mountain West title game next week against New Mexico. The Lobos defeated San Diego State earlier in the day.

After Boise State elected to go for it on fourth-and-3 deep in Utah State territory, the Aggies had one final chance after getting a stop. However, time ran out on the final play after Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes completed two long passes.

The Broncos (8-4, 6-2 Mountain West) trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half. Boise State running back Dylan Riley scored a go-ahead touchdown with 2:26 left to give his team the lead back for good. Riley finished with 25 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Utah State (6-6, 4-4) was seeking its first seven-win season since 2021. The Aggies were coming off a 28-17 win over Fresno State, which allowed the program to reach the six-win mark and become bowl eligible after going 4-8 last season.

Boise State finished with 496 total yards of offense, while holding Utah State to 405. Boise State was playing with its backup quarterback (Max Cutforth) due to an injury Maddux Madsen suffered earlier this month. Cutforth finished 25 of 48 for 325 yards and two touchdowns -- including a 66-yard touchdown strike to Quinton Brown.

UNLV faces Nevada on Saturday, which will determine who plays whom in the Mountain West title game. If New Mexico, UNLV, Boise State, and San Diego State all finish 6-2 in conference play, the computer metrics will determine the title game.

Scroll down for highlights and analysis from Boise State's win over Utah State.

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Utah State ahead at halftime over Boise State

HALF: Utah State 21, Boise State 13

Utah State leads Boise State 21-13 at halftime of a game with major Mountain West title game implications. The Aggies have a chance to play spoiler with a win, while the Broncos are looking to punch their ticket back to the conference title game. The MWC title game hasn't been set yet.

If San Diego State beats New Mexico and Boise State loses, that means SDSU will host the title game next week. If SDSU and Boise State both win, then that will be the matchup next weekend in Southern California.

The Aggies racked up 217 yards of total offense in the first half, including 119 on the ground. Running back Javen Jacobs and quarterback Bryson Barnes each ran for touchdowns in the first half to put their team out in front. One of the biggest plays of the game occurred on the opening possession when a pick-6 was nullified due to a penalty on Utah State's opening drive. Utah State scored two plays later for the first points of the game.

Boise State will get the football to begin the second half.