Boise State keeps sitting Jeanty in blowouts. How does that affect his Heisman campaign?
By halftime of Boise State’s football game against Utah State on Saturday, junior running back Ashton Jeanty had racked up 186 yards and three touchdowns off just 13 carries.
It had already turned into another statement game for Jeanty — like every game he features in nowadays — and there were legitimate expectations he would eclipse 300 yards and five touchdowns if he played in the second half.
But, similar to Boise State’s 56-14 victory over Portland State, Jeanty didn’t play a single snap for the entire second half.
But what about his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy? What about beating Barry Sanders’ rushing yards and touchdown record from 1988? Or even what about demolishing his own school record of 267 rushing yards in a single game?
All valid questions for a fan base that wants to see one of its best players of all time do things never seen before at Boise State. Through five games — including two in which he didn’t play the second half — Jeanty leads all players at the FBS level in rushing yards (1,031) and rushing touchdowns (16). As of Wednesday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Jeanty a +240 favorite to win the Heisman (that means a $10 bet would win $24 in profit).
But those questions and records aren’t on the minds of players and staff around the program — including Jeanty.
“I’m doing the work, and everything is going right right now. I’m in a good place,” Jeanty said after his four-touchdown performance in Boise State’s 45-24 win over Washington State. “But most importantly, we’re winning. That’s just the most important thing right now.”
Following the 62-30 victory over Utah State, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said that he does not doubt Jeanty will be in New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy ceremony in December. Even after making that claim, Danielson further discussed Wednesday the decision to bench Jeanty in games when the win seems to be in hand.
“He doesn’t worry about it one bit,” Danielson said.
“Whatever the game dictates, if we know this is going to be a big-time opponent we’re playing, he’s ready to play through four quarters,” Danielson continued. “If it takes overtime to find a way to win, Ashton Jeanty will be ready.”
In the fourth quarter of Boise State’s win over Utah State, the Aggies scored a touchdown on two consecutive drives to cut the Broncos’ lead to 55-30. Danielson, who’d primarily played backups for the whole second half, rolled out most of his starting offensive players to ensure a touchdown and that Utah State didn’t get too close for comfort.
Yet Jeanty was notably still on the sideline as sophomore running back Jambres ‘Breezy’ Dubar capped the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
“If it kept going sideways, I would’ve had to,” Danielson said about whether he considered putting Jeanty back into the game.
Instead, he’s using blowout-type games to provide developmental opportunities to younger players on the team. On Monday, Danielson said Boise State isn’t in the business of dipping into the transfer portal whenever the Broncos need to fill a hole or fix a problem — the holes are filled by underclassmen who worked hard to earn a starting spot.
“If a young man does a good job in practice, it’s my job to give him an opportunity to do it in a game,” Danielson said. “Now, when to do that, the time to do that, that is obviously game dependent where we are in the game. But I love being able to get guys in and play because that’s how they develop.”
So, what about Jeanty’s numbers and Heisman Trophy chances?
While stats are important, Danielson acknowledged that it’s also important how well the team performs. The Broncos stand a legitimate chance of qualifying for the first extended College Football Playoff — if they win out the rest of the season, they’ll likely be there.
And the Broncos likely need to make the playoffs for Jeanty to have a chance to win the Heisman. It’s also true that Boise State would have a much more difficult time making it to the playoffs with an injured Jeanty.
This situation isn’t unfamiliar for Broncos fans. Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore would often be removed from a game early if Boise State was in control. Through 10 games of the 2010 season, Moore had thrown just 20 fourth-quarter passes, according to Idaho Statesman reporting at the time.
The urgency of winning every remaining game for Jeanty to stand a chance at winning the Heisman can also be compared to Moore’s situation. A 34-31 loss to No. 19 Nevada in the 11th game of the 2010 season dropped Moore from second in the Heisman race to fourth, according to Statesman reporting. Moore eventually finished fourth in Heisman voting.
“(Jeanty’s) our best player,” Danielson said. “… It’s a testament to our entire team being able to create some margins for us to be able to get him out sooner, and that’s huge in regards to the development of our team and making sure Ashton gets his carries.”
Hawaii vs. Boise State
When: 9 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: Clarence T.C. Ching Complex (15,194, Turf)
TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Robert Turbin)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 160 or 201 (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 4-1; Hawaii 2-3
Series: Boise State leads the series 15-3
Vegas line: Boise State by 21 points
Weather: High of 85, low of 75, humidity 62%, partly cloudy skies, 6% chance of rain
