Boise State’s opener already carries plenty of juice: a nationally ranked Group-of-Five power, an NFL venue, and the expectation of another fast start to a season that could push the Broncos back toward the playoff conversation. Yet less than 24 hours after breaking camp, the blue-and-orange charter buses rolled past the palm trees and pirate ship in Tampa, giving the team its first look at Raymond James Stadium. Players snapped photos, coaches pointed toward the upper decks, and then everyone settled into lockers that Tom Brady once frequented on his way to another Super Bowl.

The surprise field trip capped Boise State’s final preseason practice and, more importantly, framed Thursday evening’s showdown against South Florida long before kickoff. Only after the walkthrough did the reason emerge: head coach Spencer Danielson wanted Maddux Madsen and every Bronco on the travel roster to “win” the game in their heads before a single whistle. The third-year boss has leaned on sports-psych principles since his interim days, but an NFL stadium visit on a school night feels like the boldest twist yet.

“I believe in visualization. I believe you can win the game before it starts, and I want our players to see it,” Danielson explained at midfield. “I want our players to see the locker room—like, guys, this is just another locker room. See the stadium… we have played in a lot of amazing stadiums. And just start to visualize themselves being successful.” The message was clear to his quarterbacks’ room: tonight’s empty seats become tomorrow’s roaring crowd only if each read and each check, already lives in their minds.

Danielson kept going, weaving a mindset with gratitude in the same breath. “Tomorrow’s not gonna go perfect. But our guys are ready to play and you’re built for this… just to soak it in,” he said, adding that he, too, paused to absorb the vista. “So blessed, so thankful to have these opportunities to coach the game.” Every Bronco lingered in the south-end-zone tunnel, scanning sightlines they’ll later use to spot blitz cues and boundary leverage. Even the veterans who started last season’s Fiesta Bowl found something to pocket—proof that, for this staff, sharpening the edge matters as much as repping red-zone scripts.

Whether the exercise translates onto the Raymond James turf remains the final exam. Maddux Madsen pilots an attack designed to spread touches. Handle South Florida, and a home opener versus Eastern Washington sets up a chance to reach 2-0 before a September road swing to Air Force and an early-October visit to Notre Dame. The next time the Broncos jog through that tunnel, they will have already pictured the scoreboard in their favor, and that may be the silent advantage that keeps Boise’s New Year’s hopes on track.

Bracing for the Bulls’ warp-speed attack

Boise State’s surprise walkthrough at Raymond James checked the mindset box; now Spencer Danielson flips the page to tempo and tackles. South Florida’s offense is one of the fastest in the nation, so Danielson has drilled substitution packages and practiced wet-ball hurry-ups under Tampa-style heat. The coach told reporters he respects Alex Golesh’s scheme but views the opener as a perfect barometer for a Bronco defense that finished top-15 in takeaways a year ago.

“This is the fastest team in the country from all the research we’ve done, everyone we’ve talked to. I’ve been open about their quarterback. I think (Byrum) Brown is one of the best football players we’ll see all season long,” Danielson said, praising the Bulls’ dual-threat catalyst while reminding his front seven to win first down or risk gasping for air on the next one. A victory over an uptempo attack would validate the mental reps trip through the Buccaneers’ locker room and turn Boise State’s No. 25 preseason ranking from a talking point into a springboard for everything the Broncos hope to chase in 2025.

Danielson also tied the challenge to a larger mission: “Winning Game 1 creates so much momentum for the season. There’s a lot of years, prior to last season, where we didn’t win Game 1 and in Game 2, we’re trying to get (moving). For me with our team at this point, I just want our guys to go play free and trust their training.” The visualization trip checked the confidence box; beating the nation’s quickest offense would stamp the preparation as more than a feel-good exercise and launch Boise State’s ranked campaign on the sprint it expects to run all autumn.