Boise State Reclaims Milk Can Trophy After Four Years

It would not be surprising if Dylan Riley himself carried the Milk Can Trophy back to Boise on foot.

After a long four years, No. 23 Boise State has finally taken down the Fresno State Bulldogs and did it in the most Bronco way possible.

Time of possession was key yet again as the offense was on the field for 38:56 over 10 drives. Four of those drives took 30:54, over half the game.

It is becoming more and more evident that this is the style of football Boise State wants to play in 2026. They don’t strive for the flash plays, but rather entire drives that suffocate defenses and keep opposing offenses off the field.

No drive embodied this philosophy more than the 14-play, 53-yard rushing master class that Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines put on early in the fourth quarter.

The drive started on Boise State’s 24 with 9:14 to go in the game. What followed was 14 straight run plays that wiped nearly eight minutes off the clock and resulted in a field goal to put the Broncos up 38-28.

“You guys saw what they were able to do on that drive. They’re able to run guys over,” fifth-year senior quarterback Maddux Madsen said postgame. “And honestly, that’s the mentality that room has. It’s so cool to see.”

After the game, as the Broncos passed the Milk Can around in celebration, “run the dang ball,” chants began. On the day, Boise State ran the ball 45 times for 274 yards and two touchdowns.

“Last year they were chanting ‘run the ball.’ Today we held them to I think 69 rushing yards,” senior linebacker Max Stege said post game. “So yeah, a little payback there.”

It wasn’t a total domination in Fresno however. The Bulldogs still scored 31 points, largely due to a struggling pass defense.

Boise State trailed for the first time since Week 3, when Fresno State scored a touchdown in the first drive of the game. What followed was a true shootout of a first quarter, but more importantly, nonstop scoring drives for the Bulldogs.

Just three punts were forced by a Bronco defense that allowed 277 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

What’s more interesting is Boise State’s average time of possession. Boise State's offense averaged 4:47 per drive. Excluding its two 48-second scoring drives, the average bumps up to 5:46.

Fresno State’s offense was on the field for an average of 2:38, yet still scored four touchdowns. The discrepancy creates an unusual dynamic: Boise State's offense can build momentum with a long scoring drive, only for the defense to give it back on an explosive play.

"Obviously, defensively we gave up too many explosive plays, and it’s going to come down to missed tackles,” head coach Spencer Danielson said postgame. “We’ll get that fixed, we’ll tighten some things up and find ways to put them in better situations."

This was all the more evident by the Bulldog’s decision to attack Boise State’s secondary, as they threw the ball 35 times.

“That was one of the things we felt like we could take advantage of,” Fresno State head coach Matt Entz said postgame. “They were giving up 8.8 yards per attempt, 15 yards per completion … we knew that was where maybe a little bit of their weakness of their program lied was in the back end.”

As far as what the near future holds for Boise State has a bye this week, and it couldn’t have been timed any better as the Broncos are banged up. Notable injured players include leading freshman receiver Rasean Jones, junior receiver Cam Bates and junior linebacker Logan Brantley

Boise State has an opportunity to self scout, get healthy and improve before they get ready for another road game in Pullman.