Boise State and Western Michigan have never played each other, which is a wild fact given both schools go by the same mascot. This September it finally happens, with the Broncos of the Pac-12 visiting the Broncos of the MAC in Kalamazoo.
Bush’s Picks
BOISWMU
BOISWMU
OverUnder
Best BetBoise State
Boise State brings the deeper roster and the more proven backfield into this one, and that's usually enough to win outright against MAC competition even on the road. The questions up front and at receiver are real, but Western Michigan's defense returning just three starters gives the Broncos' offense a path to control this game.
Boise State
+Preseason Pac-12 favorite in year one of the league
+Riley-Gaines backfield combined for ~2,000 yards, 18 TDs
+Madsen a fifth-year starter with heavy career reps
−Losing both starting receivers and left tackle Casey
−Madsen's completion rate dipped to 58% last year
−Defense replaces three starters at safety and nickel
Western Michigan
+Defending MAC champions, 10 returning starters
+Broc Lowry is the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year
+Defense allowed just 17.4 points a game in 2025
−Only 3 starters return on that same defense
−No MAC repeat champ since Northern Illinois in 2011-12
−Jumping up in class against a Pac-12 favorite
Boise State walks into this one as the presumptive big dog. The Broncos left the Mountain West for the Pac-12 as of July 1, and oddsmakers already have them as the league's clear favorite to win it. Fifth-year starter Maddux Madsen returns to run it, and he'll do so behind a backfield tandem in Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines that combined for nearly 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago.
But Boise State isn't walking in unscathed. Eight players from last year's roster have already found NFL homes, and the losses show up in the spots that matter most: both starting receivers are gone, left tackle Kage Casey is off to the league, and two veteran centers left with him. Madsen's own completion rate slipped to 58% last season as he battled through injuries that cost him three full games. A retooled offensive line and receiver room protecting a QB who missed time is exactly the kind of thing that can turn a projected laugher into a dogfight in September.
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BOIS Boise State
WMU Western Michigan
Western Michigan, meanwhile, isn't just happy to be here. The Broncos won the MAC outright last season, capping a run that started 0-3 with a conference title and a bowl win. Quarterback Broc Lowry, the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year, is back, as is running back Jalen Buckley, and four linemen who started games in 2025 return to protect him. This is about as loaded a MAC roster as you'll find, and it's the kind of team that could make a Pac-12 favorite work for every yard.
Boise State Broncos
Sep 19?vs South Dakota—
Sep 12?vs Memphis—
Sep 5?@ Oregon—
Western Michigan Broncos
Sep 19?@ Rice—
Sep 12?vs Monmouth—
Sep 5?@ Michigan—
Recent form.
The concern for Western Michigan is on the other side of the ball. Just three starters return from a defense that held opponents to 17.4 points a game last season, and history isn't on the program's side either — no MAC team has repeated as conference champion since Northern Illinois pulled it off in 2011-12. Coach Lance Taylor did add some juice via the portal, including FCS pass-rusher Scoop Gardner Jr. and Ohio State transfer Ahmed Tounkara, but replacing that much production is never simple.
Boise State Broncos
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Western Michigan Broncos
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
This is a genuinely interesting litmus test for Boise State's jump in competition level. A MAC champion with 10 returning starters overall is a real measuring stick, even if the roster and conference gap favors the visitors on paper. For Western Michigan, it's a chance to prove last year's title run wasn't a one-off before the MAC gauntlet even starts.
