BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Max Cutforth threw three touchdown passes in the final seven minutes in relief of injured starter Maddux Madsen, and No. 20 Boise State rallied to beat Texas State 46-45 on Saturday night after blowing a 25-point halftime lead.

Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Pac-12) needed a furious comeback after the Bobcats scored the first 36 points of the second half, taking a 39-28 lead with 8:58 left when Jayden Bradley returned Madsen’s first interception of the season for a touchdown.

Texas State (4-4, 2-2) was poised to pull the upset behind Brad Jackson, the quarterback who threw for 327 yards and four TDs.

But in a game that saw three lead changes in the final five minutes, Cutforth found Akeem Wright for an 18-yard scoring strike with 2:40 remaining to put Boise State ahead for good.

Madsen, who threw for 236 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores, left int he fourth quarter after taking a hard shot near his left knee. He watched the rest of the game on crutches from the sideline.

Since moving to FBS in 2012, the Bobcats have never beaten a ranked team in 13 attempts.

The takeaway

Boise State: The Broncos appear to be the frontrunner for the playoff spot reserved for the highest-ranked Group of Six teams heading into Tuesday’s first CFP rankings this season. But they will need to avoid any more meltdowns to hold onto that position.

Texas State: The Bobcats, who entered the season having played only once against any members of the new Pac-12, look competitive in their first season in the conference. But if they want another shot at the Broncos, they will need to navigate a challenging two-game stretch against Oregon State and Fresno State.

Up next

Texas State: At Oregon State on Saturday.

Boise State: At Colorado State on Saturday.

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