Boise State Coach Praises Jesus, Cites Ephesians after Comeback Win
Moments after his team rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to secure an 18-point victory Saturday, Boise State coach Spencer Danielson stepped to a television microphone and cited Scripture while praising his team’s grit in a win that kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive.
The Broncos (1-1) defeated Memphis 38-20 in a significant early-season matchup between two “Group of Six” teams considered leading contenders for one of the 12 spots in the College Football Playoff. The Group of Six consists of six conferences outside the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 that typically compete for a single spot in the playoff. Memphis fell to 2-1.
“Thank you, Jesus, for an opportunity to coach this team,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said during an interview with USA Network.
“Ephesians 3:20 is my season verse: ‘God will do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we could ask or think.’”
Danielson elaborated on the significance of the verse during a postgame news conference.
“That's something I claim —I declare it over our team, and [I’m] just proud of our team. We continue to grow every single week. And I'm proud of our team tonight.”
Memphis jumped out to a 17-3 second-quarter edge and led 20-17 at halftime before the Broncos shut the Tigers out in the second half, closing the game on a 21-0 run.
“I'm proud of how our guys responded,” Danielson said.
The game was held at Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium, home of the team’s famous blue field.
Danielson is one of the more outspoken Christian coaches in college football.
Two years ago, he helped baptize star running back Ashton Jeanty, who now plays for the Las Vegas Raiders.
When Boise defeated UNLV that same season to win the conference championship, Danielson deflected any credit.
“Jesus deserves all the glory,” Danielson said then during a post-game TV interview.
“I mean, we serve a Champion,” he added after the UNLV game. “He died on the cross, but He rose again three days later. That's the God I serve. Man, everything's possible. And our players, they don't run from hard work. They just keep swinging, keep swinging, keep swinging. That's uncommon.
“They deserve the credit. Jesus deserves the credit. We’ve got the best staff in the nation, and we’ve got the best fan base in the nation, too.”
Photo Credit: ©USANetwork - ScreenCapture
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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Originally published September 14, 2026.
