Washington and Boise State will meet Saturday in the Bucked Up L.A. Bowl Hosted by Gronk, marking the Huskies’ first appearance in the event. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. PT at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with ABC carrying the broadcast.
The matchup marks the seventh all-time meeting between the Huskies (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) and the Mountain West champion Broncos (9-4, 6-2), and their third bowl pairing following Las Vegas Bowl meetings in 2012 and 2019. Washington leads the series 4-2.
Washington enters its 44th bowl appearance and its second postseason under head coach Jedd Fisch. The Huskies closed the regular season 8-4 and will compete in their 12th different bowl game in a 16-season stretch dating back to 2010.
Boise State, fresh off a 38-21 win over UNLV in the Mountain West title game, heads to the L.A. Bowl with momentum and rare coaching history on its side. Head coach Spencer Danielson joined Lincoln Riley as the only coaches to capture three straight FBS conference championships in their first three seasons.
Quarterback Maddux Madsen returned from injury to spark the Broncos in the championship win, passing for 289 yards and three touchdowns to earn Offensive MVP honors. Ty Benefield, the team’s leading tackler in 10 games this season, was named Defensive MVP after an eight-tackle performance that included a fumble recovery.
A victory Saturday would give Boise State its 20th 10-win season since joining the FBS in 1996. The Broncos also enter with experience in NFL venues, owning a 9-6 record in 15 such games and making their second appearance at SoFi Stadium.
The game also brings renewed attention to the coaching legacy of Chris Petersen, who led both programs and is on the ballot for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame. Petersen is the winningest coach in Boise State history and guided Washington to two Pac-12 championships and a College Football Playoff berth.
Boise State, which joins the Pac-12 next season, will face a Washington program seeing the Broncos for the final time as a nonconference opponent.
Saturday’s contest marks the Huskies’ first trip to the L.A. Bowl, adding another chapter to a series that has frequently intersected with conference titles, postseason stakes and shared history.
About the Author
Dalton Tinklenberg is the Founder and Media Director of The Scouting Depot, where he leads comprehensive coverage of college and professional football. He is an active member of some of the most respected organizations in sports journalism, including the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), Maxwell Football Club, Online News Association (ONA), National Football Foundation (NFF), and the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).
Before launching The Scouting Depot, Dalton worked with Blue HQ Media, where he covered major sporting events such as the Indianapolis 500, the College Football Playoff, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Through his professional affiliations and on-the-ground experience, Dalton combines deep knowledge of the game with recognized standards of storytelling, editorial excellence, and authenticity in sports coverage.
