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BOISE, Idaho — Boise State capped its Mountain West tenure with a third straight conference championship Friday night, defeating UNLV 38–21 in rainy conditions at Albertsons Stadium. The Broncos jumped out to a 21–0 lead and controlled the game throughout, sending the Rebels home with a reminder of how dominant Boise State has been in the matchup over the past two seasons.
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen accounted for four first-half touchdowns as the Broncos built a 28–14 lead by halftime. His opening 10-yard rushing score set the tone before he followed with three touchdown passes that put UNLV in an early hole. The Rebels managed to climb back within a touchdown twice but were unable to close the gap in the second half.
UNLV responded with a 95-yard drive late in the second quarter, finished off by a five-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who continued his remarkable two-way production. Colandrea then added an 11-yard touchdown pass to Troy Omeire just before halftime. He entered the game as the only player in college football this season to throw for at least one touchdown and finish with at least 15 rushing yards in every game. His 66 rushing yards moved him into third place on UNLV’s single-season rushing list for quarterbacks.
Boise State opened the fourth quarter with another touchdown to regain a two-score advantage, then stretched the lead with a field goal to put the game out of reach. UNLV briefly provided hope with a direct-snap touchdown by receiver JoJo Earle in the third quarter, but the Rebels could not sustain drives down the stretch.
The loss snapped UNLV’s four-game win streak and ended the Rebels’ bid for their first Mountain West title under head coach Dan Mullen. UNLV, now 10-3, will wait for Sunday’s bowl announcements and is expected to appear in a postseason game for the third straight year, marking a first in program history. The Rebels also extended the nation’s longest streak of scoring at least 20 points, now at 35 consecutive games.
The defeat also continued an uncomfortable trend for UNLV: four of the Rebels’ six losses over the last two seasons have come against Boise State. Friday marked the fifth meeting between the schools in the last 25 months and the third consecutive conference title game between the two programs, a rare occurrence in FBS history.
Mullen praised his team after the game, saying he was proud of the group’s effort and the foundation it has built. Despite the disappointment, UNLV’s 10-win season and continued rise under Mullen will carry into December as the Rebels prepare to close the season in a bowl game and look to build on their first three-year postseason streak.