Rasean Jones Catches Three TDs as No. 17 Boise State Holds Off Oregon State 46-41

College GameDay spent the morning in Boise for the first time since 2010, and the night ended with Oregon State's offense on the sideline, watching Maddux Madsen kneel three times. In between, Boise State and Oregon State combined for 87 points and 1,026 yards, and the team that got the last possession won it. No. 17 Boise State beat Oregon State 46-41 on Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium.

Madsen, back after missing a week with an injury, threw for a career-high 371 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover. True freshman Rasean Jones caught 11 of those passes for 230 yards and three scores, the fifth-most receiving yards in a game in program history, according to Sports Illustrated's Boise State site. The Broncos improved to 9-1 and 6-0 in the Pac-12, won their ninth straight game and locked up the right to host the Pac-12 Championship on Dec. 4.

Oregon State, playing without injured quarterback Braden Atkinson, fell to 5-5 and 3-3. Backup Maalik Murphy threw for a career-high 396 yards and three touchdowns, and the Beavers scored touchdowns on each of their last four possessions. One throw undid them.

A Pick-Six Changes the Math

Oregon State opened like a team that did not care who was taking the snaps. Murphy led a seven-play, 75-yard drive and hit Jesse Legree for a 15-yard touchdown at 12:07 of the first quarter. On the Beavers' next possession, Caleb Ojeda missed a 44-yard field goal.

Boise State found its footing on third-and-11 from its own 26, when Madsen hit Terrious Favors for 44 yards. Three plays later Madsen found Jones for a 19-yard touchdown, and it was 7-7 at 3:52.

Then came the play that hung over the rest of the night. On second-and-10 from the Oregon State 37, Murphy threw one that Travis Anderson picked off and returned 58 yards for a touchdown. Boise State added a two-point pass to Matt Wagner, and a tie game became a 15-7 Broncos lead with 1:47 left in the first quarter.

Boise State's Second-Quarter Surge

Oregon State answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, and Cornell Hatcher Jr. scored from 2 yards out at 12:22 of the second quarter. The two-point try failed, and the Beavers trailed 15-13.

Boise State backed up to its own 11 after a holding penalty on the kickoff and went 89 yards anyway. Sire Gaines opened with runs of 13 and 10 yards, Madsen hit Jones for 49 yards to the Oregon State 16, and on third-and-10 Madsen went right back to Jones for a 16-yard touchdown at 8:46.

The next swing came on special teams, and it went Boise State's way. Oregon State punted from its own 8, Ben Ford muffed the kick, and the Broncos fell on it at midfield. Gaines ran for 6 and 8 yards, Jones caught a 32-yarder, and Gaines finished the four-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run at 2:10. Boise State led 29-13.

Murphy answered before the break. He hit Adonis McDaniel for 40 yards, Kourdey Glass broke a 22-yard run to the 2, and Jake Reichle scored from 1 yard out with 43 seconds left. Boise State still had time for Jones to catch an 18-yard pass, Madsen to run for 21 and Canaan Moore to make a 38-yard field goal with five seconds left. The Broncos led 32-20 at halftime.

The Fumble That Kept It Close

Boise State's first drive of the third quarter looked like it would put the game away. The Broncos converted a fourth-and-1 at their own 34, and on third-and-5 from the Oregon State 48, Madsen hit Ford for 24 yards, but the ball came loose and Aiden Sullivan came up with it.

Oregon State turned the takeaway into a 10-play, 76-yard drive. Murphy found McDaniel for 22 yards, and Reichle carried three straight times for the final 17 yards, the last a 5-yard touchdown at 5:40. Boise State's lead was down to 32-27, and the scoreboard stayed that way through the rest of the quarter.

The Broncos answered with their most patient drive of the night, 11 plays and 85 yards over 6:20 that survived a Sullivan sack. Madsen converted a third-and-6 with a 35-yard throw to Jones, and Wagner caught a 9-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the fourth quarter. It was 39-27 at 14:13.

Fourth-and-2, and the Answer

Murphy completed passes of 21 yards to McDaniel and 20 to DeCorion Temple and then threw a 12-yard touchdown to Cynai Thomas at 10:37. It was 39-34.

Boise State's response decided the game. Dylan Riley ran for 19 and 11 yards on the first two snaps, and the Broncos reached the Oregon State 26 before Riley was stopped for no gain on third-and-2. Boise State kept its offense on the field. Madsen threw to Jones on fourth down, and Jones broke a tackle and finished a 26-yard touchdown at 6:16. It was 46-34.

Oregon State needed 1:51 to make it close again. Murphy hit Legree for 19 and then 39 yards, and after a holding penalty and an incompletion left third-and-13 from the Boise State 20, Murphy found Eric Olsen in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. With 4:25 left, Oregon State trailed 46-41.

It never touched the ball again. Boise State took over at its own 25 and ran 11 plays. Madsen hit Jones for 17 yards on third-and-12, Gaines ran for 18 more, Madsen fumbled at the Oregon State 41 but Boise State recovered, and on third-and-7 Jones took a handoff 9 yards for a first down at the 30 with 1:48 left. Madsen knelt three times, and it was over.

The Numbers Behind the Shootout

The box score is close to a mirror. Boise State outgained Oregon State 520 to 506, and both teams had 26 first downs and one turnover. Oregon State was 6 of 9 on third down and scored on all six of its red zone trips, per Oregon State Athletics. Boise State was only 5 of 12 on third down, but it went 2 for 2 on fourth down, and the second conversion was the touchdown that decided the game.

The differences were small and decisive: Anderson's return was the night's only non-offensive touchdown, Boise State's two-point try counted and Oregon State's did not, and Ojeda's miss came in a game decided by five.

Madsen finished 23 of 32 for 371 yards and four touchdowns and ran four times for 18 yards. Gaines ran for 73 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, Riley added 50 on 14, and Anderson had eight tackles to go with the pick-six.

For Oregon State, Murphy completed 31 of 39 passes for 396 yards, three touchdowns and the interception. Legree caught 12 passes for 140 yards and a score, his eighth 100-yard game of the season, which ties Brandin Cooks for second in school history, according to Oregon State Athletics. McDaniel had four catches for 92 yards, and Sullivan made 12 tackles to go with the sack and the fumble recovery.

What It Means

For Boise State, the stakes are already settled at the top. The win confirmed Albertsons Stadium as the site of the Pac-12 Championship, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. Mountain time on CBS, according to Boise State Athletics. Boise State is chasing a fourth straight conference title. The Broncos have now won nine in a row since their season-opening loss at Oregon, including a 46-45 escape against Texas State and a 64-38 win at Colorado State with Max Cutforth at quarterback. Boise State hosts San Diego State on Nov. 21.

For Oregon State, this is a third straight loss, following the 38-22 defeat at Fresno State and a home loss to Texas State. The Beavers need one more win to reach six. Atkinson, the national leader in passing yards who re-signed for 2027 earlier this week, according to ESPN, missed the game with a hand injury, and Sports Illustrated reported his status going forward as unknown. Oregon State hosts Utah State at Reser Stadium on Nov. 21.

Closing Take

Oregon State came to Boise without its star quarterback and still scored 41 points. Boise State won because its quarterback did not turn the ball over, its freshman receiver kept beating coverage, and its coaches trusted Madsen and Jones on fourth-and-2 with six minutes left. On a night built for a national audience, the Broncos made the throw that mattered and then made sure the Beavers never got another one.

Full statistics are in the ESPN box score (opens in a new tab) and the Oregon State box score (opens in a new tab). Oregon State's account of the game is in its official recap (opens in a new tab), and Boise State's championship announcement is here (opens in a new tab).

Sources: ESPN box score, play-by-play and team stats; Oregon State Athletics; Boise State Athletics; Sports Illustrated.

Photo: Karl Maasdam/Oregon State Athletics.