Boise State’s Week 1 loss at No. 6 Oregon was mostly filled with positives, but the Broncos did have a few issues against the Ducks.

Oregon connected on nine explosive plays and held Boise State running backs Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines to a combined 89 yards on 28 carries.

Broncos fifth-year senior quarterback Maddux Madsen had a solid all-around game, completing 15 of 29 passes (52 percent) for 181 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers.

“They had some good scheme and some good elements that they executed well,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the game. “I think playing that quarterback (Maddux Madsen) tonight, that guy’s going to win a lot of games for their team this year. That team’s going to win a lot of games this year. He played really, really well, in my opinion, for them.”

Madsen largely excelled against Oregon’s base defenses while struggling against the blitz. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Madsen was blitzed on eight of 34 dropbacks (23.5 percent) against the Ducks. Against the blitz, Madsen completed just 28.6 percent of his throws for 11 yards (1.6 yards per attempt). 

When not facing a blitz, Madsen had a completion percentage of 59.1 percent for 170 yards with three touchdowns. 

Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton said the Ducks made some halftime adjustments while trailing 17-14. 

“I thought … in the first half we didn’t do as good a job really handling their quarterback on movement,” Hampton said. “He scrambled in the tackle box to gain some yards. I’m guessing he was close to one of their leading rushers, at least in the first half.”

Added Lanning: “We did a much better job of caging the quarterback in the second half. I thought we rushed with power, but also some awareness there in the second half. And I thought coach Hampton did a good job with that … to give those guys some opportunities.”

Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson felt Madsen played an efficient game while the offensive line mostly held up against a talented Oregon defensive front. 

“Our offensive line did some good things,” Danielson said during Monday’s press conference. “I think overall, our offensive line battled against a really good front. But we’ve got to be better.”

The Broncos (0-1, 0-0 Pac-12 will face another strong defensive front on Saturday.

Memphis (2-0, 0-0 American) leads the country with nine sacks through two games and ranks second nationally in tackles for loss with 16. 

Boise State needs to keep Madsen upright to pick up its first victory of the 2026 season.