BOISE (Interstat) — Maddux Madsen threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns and Dylan Riley ran for two scores as Boise State beat Utah State 37-18 on Saturday at Albertsons Stadium. The Broncos improved to 4-1, while the Aggies fell to 1-4. A crowd of 34,616 attended the NCAA Football Bowl Division game. Boise State scored in every quarter and protected its home field with a steady passing game, a productive rushing attack and a defense that created a decisive takeaway.

Boise State struck first when Riley capped a drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. Canaan Moore’s extra point made it 7-0. Madsen then found Matt Wagner for an 11-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 14-0. Riley broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give the Broncos a 21-0 cushion. Utah State answered when Grady Brosterhous connected with Javen Jacobs for a 1-yard touchdown. Jake Ripp returned an interception 21 yards for a Boise State touchdown later in the second quarter. Kian Afrookhteh made a 28-yard field goal for Utah State before halftime. Moore added a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter. In the fourth, Brosterhous hit Eli Wood for a 31-yard touchdown, and Madsen answered with an 11-yard scoring pass to Ben Ford. A two-point pass attempt after the Ford touchdown failed.

Madsen, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound quarterback from American Fork, Utah, completed 17 of 21 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran seven times for 42 yards. His first scoring pass went to Wagner, and his second went to Ford. The veteran quarterback kept the Broncos offense on schedule and avoided turnovers, helping Boise State control possession and answer Utah State’s moments of momentum.

Dylan Riley powered the Boise State ground game with 18 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns. He added one reception for 7 yards. Riley scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter and broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Harry Stewart III added nine carries for 26 yards, while Juelz Goff ran six times for 14 yards. Terrious Favors had one carry for 10 yards. The Broncos’ rushing attack complemented Madsen’s efficiency and kept Utah State’s defense off balance.

Utah State split work at quarterback. Brosterhous, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback, completed 12 of 18 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 11 times for 10 yards. McCae Hillstead, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound quarterback, completed 2 of 7 passes for 47 yards and ran six times for 10 yards. Brosterhous connected with Jacobs for a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter and later hit Wood for a 31-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter.

Wood led the Utah State receivers with seven catches for 102 yards and one touchdown. Jacobs was a dual threat, rushing 10 times for 139 yards, catching three passes for 4 yards and returning one punt for minus-1 yard. He scored one touchdown. Noah White caught one pass for 27 yards, Kache Kaio had one reception for 22 yards and Anthony Garcia added two catches for 21 yards. Javon Robinson ran once for 8 yards, and Nehemiah Washington carried three times for 5 yards.

Boise State’s defense made one of the game’s biggest plays when Jake Ripp intercepted a McCae Hillstead pass and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Ripp finished with six tackles, half a sack, one interception and one touchdown. Madden Soliai recorded seven tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry. Sherrod Smith also had seven tackles. Derek Ganter Jr., Travis Anderson and Boen Phelps each made five tackles. Max Stege added one tackle and half a sack, while Deuce Alailefaleula had one quarterback hurry.

Utah State’s defense was led by Asher Cunningham and Brevin Hamblin, who each recorded 11 tackles. Hamblin also had one quarterback hurry. Chapman Lewis made nine tackles. Jordan Pendleton finished with six tackles and one sack. D’Angelo Mayes had five tackles. Bobby Arnold, Bronson Olevao Jr. and Adonis Jackson each made four tackles, with Olevao adding one quarterback hurry. Tyree Morris had three tackles, and BJ Diakite added two tackles. Markie Grant made four tackles. Paxton Naegle, David Kabongo, Carson Tujague and John Shepard each recorded one tackle.

Boise State’s passing game spread the ball around. Rasean Jones caught five passes for 88 yards. Ben Ford had three catches for 49 yards and one touchdown. Matt Wagner added three receptions for 39 yards and one touchdown. Akeem Wright caught two passes for 36 yards. Carter Kuchenbuch had one catch for 13 yards, Keawe Browne had one for 8 yards and Qumonte Williams Jr. had one for 4 yards. Jeremyah Lane returned one punt for no yards.

Special teams also factored into the result. Canaan Moore made a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter and converted extra points for Boise State. Oscar Doyle punted twice for 86 yards. For Utah State, Kian Afrookhteh made a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter. Landon Rehkow punted four times for 152 yards. The Aggies’ kicking and field-position work helped them stay within reach for part of the game, but Boise State’s scoring depth proved too much.

Boise State entered the game after a 32-7 win at Western Michigan and previous home wins over South Dakota and Memphis, with its only loss coming at Oregon. Utah State came in after a home win over Troy and losses to Utah, Washington and Idaho State. The Broncos’ latest victory continued their strong start, while the Aggies remained in search of consistency in a difficult stretch of the season.

Utah State is scheduled to host Washington State before visiting Texas State, hosting Colorado State, hosting Fresno State, visiting San Diego State and visiting Oregon State. Boise State is set to visit Fresno State, visit Washington State, host Texas State, visit Colorado State, host Oregon State and host San Diego State. The Aggies will look to build on their offensive flashes, while the Broncos will aim to carry their balanced attack into the next portion of their schedule.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Boise State 46, Utah State 29. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Boise State with a 94.4 percent probability to win. Utah State had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +19.5. The total score of 55 went under the over/under line of 51.5.