Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson slammed the door on any potential quarterback controversy during Monday’s press conference. 

If Maddux Madsen shows enough in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, he will be behind center for the 25th-ranked Broncos’ (8-1, 5-0 Pac-12) 4 p.m. Mountain time showdown with Oregon State (5-4, 3-2) on Saturday.

But what if Madsen is healthy enough to play, but his injured left knee reduces his mobility and throwing ability? 

Should an 80 percent Madsen rush back to the field against a struggling opponent when backup Max Cutforth has delivered five of the best quarters of Boise State QB play since Brett Rypien graduated?

The obvious answer is a resounding “No.” 

Just how good has Cutforth been since taking over for Madsen in the fourth quarter of the Texas State game? 

Cutforth, a Nampa, Idaho native, inherited a 39-28 deficit after the Broncos blew a 28-3 halftime lead by surrendering 36 consecutive points. Madsen, who was brilliant in the first half against Texas State, fell apart after the break and completed just 6 of 12 passes for 34 yards with a pick-six, his first turnover of the season.

With Boise State rocketing towards a humiliating loss, Cutforth saved the day by orchestrating three straight touchdown drives. He finished the game 8 of 13 passing for 131 yards with the three TDs and no turnovers in a dramatic 46-45 victory.

Cutforth was somehow even better last week against Colorado State, completing 16 of 19 passes for 317 yards with five total touchdowns and no turnovers. It was the top Week 10 performance in expected points added (EPA) per dropback nationally. 

Colorado State’s defense does rank among the worst in FBS, but Cutforth passed the eye test with flying colors. The 6-foot-2 Cutforth has a bigger arm than the 5-foot-10 Madsen and is more willing to let the ball rip downfield. 

In five quarters this season, Cutforth has eight total touchdowns and is averaging a staggering 14 yards per attempt. Among qualified passers, West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins Jr. ranks first nationally at 10.86 yards per attempt. Oregon State’s Braden Atkinson, the top passer in FBS, averages 8.61 yards per attempt. 

While Madsen has protected the ball, he is averaging a career-low 7.57 yards per attempt this season—almost half of Cutforth’s output. 

Outside of leadership and toughness, Madsen’s top trait as a quarterback is his mobility. For his career, Madsen has 188 carries for 565 yards and 14 touchdowns and a knack for wiggling out of sacks. 

It’s hard to envision Madsen having his normal agility on Saturday, 14 days after the gnarly low hit he took against Texas State. And a Madsen with limited mobility is not the same caliber of quarterback.

Danielson is correct to back Madsen, who has received some unfair criticism over the years and has largely played well this season. Madsen holds a career record of 27-7 as a starter and has thrown for 1,681 yards with 18 total touchdowns and one turnover as a fifth-year senior. 

But rushing Madsen back to face an Oregon State team that can’t stop the run while Cutforth has performed like a superstar simply does not make sense. 

The Broncos should prioritize Madsen’s longer-term health for the College Football Playoff and give their leader at least one more week to heal up.  

But Danielson, who said last year that “there’s not a quarterback in the country that I would like to be the quarterback of our team (more) than Maddux Madsen,” appears to feel differently.

“If he’s healthy, he’s going to be our starting quarterback,” Danielson said of Madsen on Monday.