Maddux Madsen
Maddux Madsen at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “The long run that broke the dam: WSU defense gasps after Boise's 72-yard dagger”, “Cougs answer Boise State's punch with a Vorhees touchdown, 7-7 at the half”, and “Terrell says run his way and Boise State will find out”. That sound from the crowd, part scream, part gasp, part something else, was the sound of a dam breaking. Kirby Vorhees punched it in from a yard out, and just like that, the Cougs were even with Boise State at the half. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Maddux Madsen story on Wazzu, newest first.
The long run that broke the dam: WSU defense gasps after Boise's 72-yard dagger
That sound from the crowd, part scream, part gasp, part something else, was the sound of a dam breaking. Dylan Riley's 72-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter wasn't just a score. It was the final, brutal exclamation point on a 31-10 loss that dropped the Cougs to 1-7. And if you've watched this season, you saw it coming. This defense has played solid football. No, really. They've kept games close, even with the offense dragging anchor. But they keep getting torched by the big play. Riley's long run was the headliner, but Boise State also hit a 33-yard scoring run from Riley and a 33-yard strike from quarterback Maddux Madsen to Raesean Jones on a key third down. The killer came late in the third quarter, game tied 10-10. On third-and-6, Madsen scrambled 17 yards, linebacker Isaiah Hung missed, and the Broncos drove for the go-ahead score. That opened the floodgates for a 21-0 fourth quarter. The pattern is maddening. Bad pursuit angles. A cornerback taking the wrong path. Another coming in too hot. It's the same story from last week in Corvallis, where WSU gave up scoring plays of 90 and 88 yards. The defense can hold a great back like Riley to 23 yards on his other carries, but then one missed tackle turns the game. Hung said it best: he's gotta make that play. Next time.
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Cougs answer Boise State's punch with a Vorhees touchdown, 7-7 at the half
Kirby Vorhees punched it in from a yard out, and just like that, the Cougs were even with Boise State at the half. 7-7. Martin Stadium had something to yell about. Owen Eshelman found Daniel Blood for 13 yards to set it up, and Vorhees finished the job. That drive answered Boise State's opening punch, Sire Gaines up the middle for nine yards on a 33-yard Maddux Madsen setup. The Broncos answered back with a field goal as time expired, taking a 10-7 lead into the locker room. This is the spot. WSU came in needing its most complete game of the season. A 1-6 record. Bowl eligibility on the line. A 13½-point underdog at home. First-year head coach Kirby Moore facing his old team, the one he starred for alongside his brother Kellen. The Broncos are on a five-game win streak, the presumptive Pac-12 favorites, and their offense has spent more time on the field than anyone in the country. None of that matters in the second half. What matters is whether the Cougs can finish a drive and stop one. For more on how the team got here, check out our preview on Terrell saying run his way and Boise State will find out. It sets the table for what the second half has to deliver. Go Cougs.
Terrell says run his way and Boise State will find out
Khamari Terrell said something this week that every Coug with a working set of ears should have sat up straight to hear. He basically told Boise State they can run his way if they want, but they're not going to like what they find. That's the kind of talk we like around here, because it means he gets the assignment. And the assignment is simple: wrap up Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, or this Saturday gets long fast. The Cougs missed 18 tackles last weekend against Oregon State. You don't do that against a team that leads the country in time of possession and expect to win. Boise State's offense has been on the field 220 minutes this season, which is tops in the nation. That's not an accident. That's a plan. They want to wear you out, and then let Riley and Gaines bounce it outside where they're averaging nearly five yards a carry. Here's what I'm watching: the secondary. Jalil Tucker, Jaylen Thomas, Jeremiah Bernard, those are the names that matter. Thomas leads the team in missed tackles. Bernard is right behind him. Some of that is just volume, but against this backfield, volume is no excuse. The Cougs have been good up the middle all year. If that holds, the Broncos will have to test the edges. That's where Terrell and company get their chance to prove him right.