The Boise State Broncos are charging into 2025 with their sights set on another College Football Playoff (CFP) run. After an 11-1 regular season in 2024, a Mountain West championship, and a CFP quarterfinal appearance, the Broncos fell just short of the finals.
A heartbreaking 37-34 loss to No. 7 Oregon in Week 2 kept them from an undefeated season. Now, with a retooled special-teams unit and a challenging 2025 schedule, Boise State aims to prove they belong among the nation’s elite once again.
2025 Boise State Broncos Opponents
The Broncos’ 2025 slate will be a challenge for the team. It features manageable non-conference matchups alongside a brutal midseason stretch. The schedule includes a road trip to Notre Dame looms as well as Mountain West foes like Air Force, Fresno State, and San Diego State, who will test their conference dominance. Here’s the full schedule:
- August 28 at South Florida
- September 6 vs. Eastern Washington
- September 20 at Air Force
- September 27 vs. App State
- October 4 at Notre Dame
- October 11 vs. New Mexico
- October 18 vs. UNLV
- October 25 at Nevada
- November 1 vs. Fresno State
- November 15 at San Diego State
- November 22 vs. Colorado State
- November 29 at Utah State
The schedule isn’t kind early, with three road games in the first five weeks, including a high-stakes clash at Notre Dame on October 4. However, a favorable late-season stretch, with three of the final four games at home, could set Boise State up for a strong finish.
If Boise State is to return to the CFP, their special teams must transform from a liability into a strength. The 2024 season exposed glaring weaknesses: the Broncos ranked 98th nationally in kickoff return defense (22.2 yards per return) and a dismal 123rd in punt return defense (14.7 yards). The Oregon loss, where special teams allowed an 85-yard punt return and a 100-yard kickoff return, was a painful lesson.
Enter Stacy Collins, Boise State’s special teams coordinator, who was hired from Penn State in 2024 with a record-breaking $350,000 salary for a non-coordinator role. After a 3% raise in February 2025, expectations are sky-high.
Collins is drilling fundamentals this spring, focusing on eliminating explosive returns and improving punt placement. “You cannot give up explosive plays in that part of the game,” Collins said. “We want to be 90% when we’re in our pin-punt situations, putting the ball inside the 10.”
However, special teams improvements could be the difference. If Collins’ unit can lock down returns and deliver in clutch moments, Boise State’s high-powered offense and stingy defense will have room to thrive. A 10-2 or better record is within reach, but the margin for error is thin.
The Broncos know what it takes to reach the CFP. With a chip on their shoulder and a schedule that demands their best, 2025 could be the year Boise State not only returns to the playoff but goes deeper.
KEEP READING: SMU 2025 Football Schedule: Can Kevin Jennings Lead the Mustangs Back to the CFP?
Find all the rest of our college football schedules, including week-by-week looks at every schedule released for the 2025 season. When official times are announced, our schedules will be updated.
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