Boise State was once one of the hottest Group of 5 programs in the country.

The Broncos gained a wave of national attention, when they defeated Oklahoma in overtime of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl on the famed “Statue of Liberty” play. Their success continued throughout much of the following years, including during the Bryan Harsin era before his departure to take the head coaching job at Auburn. (That move clearly hasn’t worked out.)

Andy Avalos, a former Boise State linebacker who later was an assistant under Harsin and Chris Petersen, returned to Idaho to replace Harsin after a stint as Oregon’s defensive coordinator. But the Broncos finished 2021 with 7 wins, their lowest win total in a non-COVID season in some time. Their 2022 slate began with a loss at Oregon State before wins over New Mexico and FCS UT Martin. They then traveled to UTEP on Friday, where they suffered a 27-10 loss, their first loss to the Miners in the 7-game series. (Boise State won the previous year’s meeting 54-13.)

Broncos fans have been used to success, and for a program of Boise State’s status, losing to teams like UTEP is very much off script. That’s led to plenty of reaction in the college football world: