Boise State coach Spencer Danielson has had no shortage of things to use this week to fire up and motivate his team ahead of Friday night’s Mountain West Championship Game on The Blue against UNLV.
The Broncos have never won back-to-back Mountain West Championships.
They haven’t won a title game in front of the home fans in Boise since 2019.
Twice in 2018 and 2022 the Broncos lost the title game at home and watched another team celebrate.
And oh yeah, a win puts the 2024 group right alongside the best and most historic teams in Boise State history by qualifying them for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“There are so many parts of this that are motivating,” Danielson said.
A national audience on FOX will watch Boise State play maybe the biggest game in its history. The same goes for UNLV.
It’s a massive game for both sides, and one with national implications for this year and beyond.
“It’s awesome,” Danielson said. “I told our team – this is why you come to Boise State. You came here because you want to earn the right to play in and win championship games. Friday night, championship game, everything on the line, all chips on the table, let’s go. Put the ball down now.
“It’s exciting. All the work, the blood, the sweat, the tears, from January to now, on both sides, for Boise State and for UNLV, come to a crux on Friday night. It’s awesome. Can’t wait.”
Boise State has had this date circled since the moment it lost to UCLA in the LA Bowl last December. It’s been 356 days to be exact.
The goal was to win the Mountain West Conference and make the new 12-team College Football Playoff. The Broncos are now 60 minutes from making it a reality.
“It’s exciting just appreciating the journey and everything that’s happened up to this point and the work we’ve put in and the steps we took every day to get here,” safety Rodney Robinson said. “We’re just taking it all in and enjoying every moment.”
Robinson, as other players have, referenced the history of Boise State and the surreal feeling of being so close to becoming one of the legendary teams that will be talked about forever.
1980. 1994. 2006. 2009. 2014. 2024.
“That’s why we’re in the position we are today, because of the people before us and the foundation they laid,” Robinson said. “That keeps us going ever day and it’s why we hold each other accountable on the field and off, day in and day out, because of what they did. We’re trying to not let them down because of what they built.”
How important is Friday’s game? So much so that starting center Mason Randolph worked to return after being told he’d miss the rest of the season with a torn bicep suffered in the season opener against Georgia Southern.
Randolph returned last week against Oregon State in limited action but should be much closer to full-go on Friday night.
“It’s awesome we have this opportunity and so awesome that the team worked so hard to get here,” Randolph said. “I’m blessed to be in a position to where I can come back and have an impact on this game. It’s going to be awesome.”
Starting right guard Roger Carreon also missed most of the season after suffering three injuries, including a broken leg, on a gruesome play at Oregon in week two. He recently defied odds to return as well.
“This game means a lot to us,” Carreon said. “We work our tails off in the offseason for moments like these. It’s extremely exciting and pretty special that we get to be in this position. It just goes to show how hard this team works and how much we love each other. I just can’t wait to get after it.”
The game is nearing a sellout and the atmosphere should be as good as any game inside Albertsons Stadium in years. And with a playoff spot on the line, why wouldn’t it be?
Boise State has had a memorable season to date, going 11-1 and losing just one game by three points at Oregon – who is now ranked No. 1 in the country.
But they need one more win to make it historic.
A win makes the Broncos legends. A loss sends them to the LA Bowl to party with Gronk.
Nights like Friday night on The Blue don’t get much bigger than this.
“We have a phenomenal team coming to The Blue,” Danielson said of UNLV. “They are motivated to win this game and we’re motivated to win this game.
“The job is not done. We’re excited for Friday.”
