Boise State’s receivers, off to strong start, will need to do more than catch at Oregon

Pinned at its own 10-yard line, right after an interception led to a Georgia Southern field goal, Boise State was watching the tide turn Saturday early in the second quarter.

The Broncos were leading 14-9, but at that point, the offensive damage had been done almost exclusively by junior running back Ashton Jeanty.

So when sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen kept the ball in his hands on the snap, deep in BSU’s own territory, it might have caused some fans to hold their breath. Not to worry. Madsen launched a perfect throw down the right sideline that hit fifth-year senior Cam Camper in stride for a 53-yard gain.

The plot twist? Neither Camper, a transfer from Indiana, nor Madsen knew the play was coming until they ran out there and waited for the first-down call.

“On that play, I knew I was going to have to step on the safety’s toes because the nickel blitzed,” Camper said Tuesday. “So I just had to do my job, step on (the safety’s) toes, and just run. I know Maddux is going to put it in the spot.”

Madsen followed that play with a 36-yard strike to redshirt senior Latrell Caples, who twisted to make a falling-down catch that set the Broncos up on the 1-yard line. Jeanty finished the drive off with the third of his six rushing touchdowns on the day.

And it showed that the Broncos’ receiving corps should be just fine this season.

Camper and Latrell combined for 180 yards on nine receptions against Georgia Southern. Camper also made a toe-tap catch on a 2-point conversion in the back of the end zone that turned heads, and Caples — who showed his old reliability in his first game since an Achilles injury in the summer of 2023 — led the team with five catches.

The pair seemed to emerge as WR1 and WR2 on Saturday, but they certainly weren’t Madsen’s only two options. He found eight receivers on Saturday, racking up 280 yards through the air.

“Each week, those guys will be different,” head coach Spencer Danielson said Monday. “You saw a lot of Cam Camper or Latrell Caples catching the rock. It could be very different against Oregon; it just depends on coverages and rotations.”

The offensive key to beating Oregon

When Boise State visits No. 7 Oregon on Saturday (8 p.m. Mountain time, Peacock), the Ducks will be looking to bounce back from a less-than-convincing 24-14 victory over Idaho in which its defense stood out. Oregon limited Idaho to 217 yards of total offense, with 102 of those coming on three passing plays, including a trick play that went for a touchdown.

The Ducks have a strong group of defensive backs, including senior Dontae Manning and transfer senior Brandon Johnson, who arrived in the spring from Duke. Madsen said Tuesday that the Oregon defense plays fast and has playmakers along the defensive line.

“I’ve watched some tape,” Camper added. “They’re confident, they’re good at what they do.”

If Boise State wants to have another big game on offense in Eugene, it will come not just from spreading the ball around and keeping Oregon guessing, but from getting receivers to excel in another aspect of the game: blocking.

On Jeanty’s second touchdown at Georgia Southern, a nifty 26-yard scamper, Caples was the guy downfield with the running back, making blocks and helping create a path to the end zone.

“He’s one of those guys in the run game, and that’s a big component,” Madsen said. “You saw Ashton’s run where he took down like five guys in their defense; he even took down (Boise State receiver) Chris Marshall.”

Blocking will be a big part of the game for the receivers throughout the season, Danielson said, as Boise State continues to lean on Jeanty. He finished with a program-record 267 rushing yards and six touchdowns at Georgia Southern, finding big holes behind the offensive line and space downfield as the receivers did their jobs.

Oregon held Idaho to just 49 rushing yards and is coming off a season in which it limited opponents to an average of 102.6 yards per game. Only six teams rushed for more than 100 yards vs. the Ducks in 2023.

Caples, Camper and the other receivers, making blocks on the edges and downfield, will be at the forefront of the effort to spring Jeanty and freshman Sire Gaines for big runs that can help the Broncos dent the Oregon defense.

“When you see your brother out there doing his thing,” Camper said, “I’m like, ‘I’ve got to match their energy.’ So that’s what I was looking for.”

Boise State at Oregon

• When: 8 p.m. Mountain time Saturday

• Where: Autzen Stadium (54,000, Turf), Eugene, Oregon

• TV: Peacock (Andrew Siciliano, Michael Robinson, Laura Britt)
  
  

• Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 390 (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

• Records: Boise State 1-0; Oregon 1-0.

• Series: Boise State leads the series 3-0.

• Vegas line: Oregon by 19.5 points

• Weather: 92 degrees, humidity 51%, partly cloudy skies, 5% chance of rain