Instant analysis: Broncos’ monumental meltdown overshadows Ashton Jeanty’s career night
A night that should be remembered because of what Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty did will instead go into the history books as one of the most monumental meltdowns in program history.
The Broncos led Colorado State by 20 points with a little more than 6 minutes to play on Saturday in Fort Collins, but the Rams recovered an onside kick to spur a comeback and then completed a Hail Mary on the final play to win 31-30.
It was Colorado State’s first win over the Broncos in program history. Boise State was 12-0 in the series heading into the game.
Jeanty racked up a career-high 212 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns, giving him 15 on the season already. He also led the Broncos with five catches for 42 yards.
His performance evoked memories of Boise State running backs who also had career performances against Colorado State. Alexander Mattison posted a career-high 242 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Rams in 2017. Jay Ajayi put up 219 yards and three scores against them in 2014.
The best performance of Jeanty’s career isn’t what anyone will be talking about in the morning, though. All the chatter will be about the Broncos’ fourth-quarter collapse.
Boise State shut out Colorado State in the first half and led 17-0 at the break. That was because Jeanty covered up a lot of the deficiencies — three turnovers that kept the lead from being bigger, and a rousing game of musical chairs at quarterback that made the offense look anything but smooth.
Taylen Green and Maddux Madsen both threw bad interceptions in the half, and Green never really looked comfortable. He also didn’t see the field for a long stretch in the third and fourth quarters. There are obviously still kinks in the Broncos’ two-quarterback system that need to be ironed out.
This loss isn’t on the quarterbacks, though.
Boise State’s defense dominated the first half, limiting the Rams to 71 yards of offense. The Rams’ passing attack, which ranked No. 4 in the country coming into the game, was neutralized, but that changed after halftime.
Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had 52 passing yards in the first half. He finished the game with 359 yards and three touchdowns.
The Broncos’ pass rush, which made a difference early, was nowhere to be found after halftime. Receivers who were covered in the first half suddenly found open space, and the defense couldn’t get off the field in the game’s biggest moments.
Boise State has blown leads before. The Broncos’ season opener at UCF in 2021 comes to mind. They led 21-0 in the second quarter and lost 36-31.
Getting over this one is going to take a lot more effort, partially because of the opponent and the history of the series, but also because Colorado State simply defied the odds.
How often do teams recover onside kicks, especially when the ball bounces straight to a sure-handed wide receiver? Boise State’s Eric McAlister had a shot to corral the kick, but the ball bounced out of his grasp.
The only thing less likely than recovering an onside kick is completing a Hail Mary for a walk-off win.
Colorado State did both. Boise State (3-4, 2-1) is left to wonder where everything went wrong and how it’s going to save its season, which now has a Mountain West loss — with games against Wyoming, Fresno State and Air Force still to play.
Stat of the night: Boise State’s defense forced Colorado State to go three-and-out on its first four possessions and limited the Rams to 71 yards in the first half. It was the fewest yards the Broncos have allowed in a half since holding San Diego State to 15 in the second half of a comeback win at Albertsons Stadium last season. The Rams finished the game with 401 yards of offense.
Players of the game: Jeanty posted his second 200-yard rushing game of the season and went over 100 yards in a game for the sixth time in his career. But naming him player of the game would be too easy. So, let’s hand out some game balls instead.
Offense — Madsen gets the nod as much because of his toughness as his stat line. The 5-foot-10, 201-pound redshirt freshman took two big hits, but he kept coming back. He scraped himself off the turf, gathered his wits and moved on to the next play.
Madsen’s head bounced off the turf in the first quarter after a shot from Colorado State linebacker Chase Wilson, who was ejected for targeting. Madsen was also flattened by pass rusher Mohamed Kamara in the third quarter. He didn’t flinch.
Madsen finished the game 10-of-16 for 110 yards. Green completed 6-of-9 passes for 30 yards and added nine rushing yards.
Defense — Edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein ended Colorado State’s first drive of the game with his team-high fifth sack of the season. He forced a punt on the Rams’ second drive with a tackle for loss. The junior has posted at least one sack in three straight games.
Special teams — Cornerback Koanohi Kaniho stretched out and made a diving block on Colorado State’s first field-goal attempt of the night. It was the second blocked field goal of his career and preserved the Broncos’ 17-0 lead at halftime.
Up next: Boise State (3-4, 2-1 Mountain West) is off next week. The Broncos return to action at home on Oct. 28 against Wyoming, which lost 34-27 to Air Force on Saturday.
This story was originally published October 15, 2023 at 12:52 AM.
