Boise State Stays Unbeaten, Outlasts Hawaii 45–35 in Shootout

Michael Blouse, The Stateline Gazette HONOLULU — Maddux Madsen threw five touchdown passes and Latrell Caples delivered a dominant receiving performance as No. 1 Boise State outlasted Hawaii 45–35 on Saturday night, surviving a high-powered shootout to remain unbeaten in Week 6 of the Stateline season.

Boise State absorbed a late Hawaii surge before pulling away in the fourth quarter, leaning on efficiency and timely execution to secure one of the most entertaining wins of the weekend.

“This was a heavyweight fight,” Boise State head coach Devin Grade said. “Hawaii kept swinging, but our guys never blinked.”

The Broncos controlled the tempo early, jumping out to a 10–0 lead after the first quarter and carrying a 24–14 advantage into halftime. Madsen was sharp from the opening drive, spreading the ball quickly and exploiting matchups across the field.

Hawaii clawed back to make it 24–21 by the end of the third quarter, riding a wave of offensive momentum behind quarterback Micah Alejado. Boise responded when it mattered most, opening the fourth quarter with a decisive scoring surge to create separation and close out the win.

“When momentum starts swinging on the road, that’s when discipline matters most,” Grade said. “We executed when we had to.”

Caples was nearly unstoppable, catching 10 passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns as Boise consistently found answers against Hawaii’s coverage. Tight end Matt Lauter added 98 yards on five catches, while Chris Marshall contributed a touchdown as Boise finished with 345 passing yards and five scores through the air.

“He’s a matchup nightmare,” Grade said of Caples. “When he’s locked in like that, it opens everything else up.”

Hawaii matched Boise blow for blow for much of the night, piling up 515 total yards and attacking downfield relentlessly. Alejado threw for 427 yards and five touchdowns, keeping the Rainbow Warriors within striking distance deep into the game despite three costly interceptions.

“Our guys competed their tails off,” Hawaii head coach Steve Hultgren said. “We moved the ball, we attacked, and we didn’t back down from the best team in the league.”

Tight end Devon Tauaefa led Hawaii with eight receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns, while Brandon White stretched the field with 137 receiving yards. Big plays from Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle further stressed Boise’s secondary.

Turnovers ultimately proved decisive. Alejado’s three interceptions stalled promising drives and gave Boise extra possessions, chances the Broncos consistently converted into points.

“You can’t give a team like Boise extra chances,” Hultgren said. “That’s the margin. We’re close, but close doesn’t win games at this level.”

Boise State finished with 414 total yards and improved to 6–0, strengthening its grip atop the Stateline rankings.

“We’re proud of the record,” Grade said. “But we know every week in this league is a test.”

Hawaii fell to 3–3, but the performance suggested the gap between the Rainbow Warriors and the conference elite is narrowing.

“We showed we can go toe-to-toe with anyone,” Hultgren said. “Now we’ve got to clean up the details and finish.”

Boise State 45, Hawaii 35

Team statistics Boise State — 414 total yards; 22 rushing attempts, 69 yards, TD; 26 of 35 passing, 345 yards, 5 TDs Hawaii — 515 total yards; 16 rushing attempts, 88 yards; 24 of 35 passing, 427 yards, 5 TDs

Passing Boise State — Maddux Madsen 26-35-345, 5 TDs, INT Hawaii — Micah Alejado 24-35-427, 5 TDs, 3 INTs

Rushing Boise State — Malik Sherrod 9-92; Dylan Riley 2-minus-3; Maddux Madsen 11-minus-20 Hawaii — Landon Sims 8-56; Micah Alejado 8-32

Receiving Boise State — Latrell Caples 10-146, 3 TDs; Matt Lauter 5-98; Chris Marshall 3-54, TD; Malik Sherrod 4-27, TD; Dylan Riley 3-18; Matt Wagner 1-2 Hawaii — Devon Tauaefa 8-90, 2 TDs; Brandon White 4-137, TD; Pofele Ashlock 5-93, TD; Nick Cenacle 1-52, TD; Jackson Harris 2-28; Karsyn Pupunu 1-9