Boise State, Jeanty hammer way to ‘big-time’ win at UNLV, take control of Mountain West
The rest of the Mountain West was put on alert Friday night.
Even if you think you’ve got superstar running back Ashton Jeanty contained, he’s going to keep smashing into your defense until he wins.
And while he’s smashing, Boise State is going to be busy reminding you that this is way more than a one-man team. It’s a Top 25 squad with an effective, playmaking quarterback; a receiving corps that steps up to make big catches; and a defense that spends more time in your backfield than most of your running backs, harassing your quarterback into running for his life.
All of that was on display at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the Broncos battled for a hard-fought 29-24 win over UNLV to take control of the Mountain West race and further stamp itself as the favorite to be the Group of Five team in the College Football Playoff.
“We train for these moments,” head coach Spencer Danielson said in a TV interview after the game. “Our team doesn’t run from hard work. ... I’m proud of this team.”
Jeanty, who entered the game as the top rusher in the country (1,248 yards), had to work hard. He was hit hard and often by a UNLV defense ranking 19th in the nation against the run. He was held to 3.9 yards per carry on his season-high 33 runs, and his longest gain was 16. He appeared to injure his left elbow or arm while breaking his fall on a first-half tackle, and it was heavily wrapped the remainder of the game.
Still, the junior kept on coming, picking up key first downs on the game’s final drive as Boise State ran out the clock, and finishing with 128 yards rushing and the game-winning touchdown on fourth-and-goal early in the fourth quarter.
“He’s just an absolute warrior,” Danielson said of Jeanty.
With the Rebels focused heavily on Jeanty, quarterback Maddux Madsen and the receivers stepped up. Madsen completed 18-of-33 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a 7-yard score. His 49-yard run on the Broncos’ first possession of the game set up a field goal, and he had completions of 37, 28 and 22 yards to spur scoring drives.
It was pass-catching by committee on Madsen’s targets, with tight end Matt Lauter hauling in four passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, and receiver Cam Camper getting three receptions for 36 yards. Receiver Prince Strachan had a 37-yard catch and Austin Bolt had two big first-half catches, covering 43 yards.
Even backup tight end Matt Wagner got in on the act, with a 22-yard reception that set up Jeanty’s game-winning TD.
Defensively, Boise State menaced UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, sacking him six times and forcing him to scamper out of the pocket on nearly every passing play. Williams wound up with over 100 yards rushing and a touchdown on 19 carries, many of them scrambles where he managed to avoid a sack.
The Broncos now have 35 sacks on the season, which leads all of FBS college football.
“This is big-time” Jeanty said of the win. “This is just one more step.”
Linebacker Andrew Simpson came up with a huge interception of Williams just before the end of the first half, setting up a TD pass from Madsen to Lauter on fourth-and-goal that made the score 20-10. Boise State scored two touchdowns in the final 1:50 of the second quarter to turn a 10-6 deficit into a double-digit lead.
The No. 17 Broncos (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) were considered the Group of Five favorite to reach the expanded playoff field entering the game, and that is now cemented. The highest-rated G5 conference champion receives an automatic bid.
UNLV (6-2, 2-1) could still see Boise State again in the league title game, but if that happens, it would in all likelihood be at Albertsons Stadium.
Colorado State and San Diego State are undefeated in conference play and could still play spoiler. The Rams play neither Boise State nor UNLV; the Aztecs are up next for the Broncos, on Friday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. in Boise.
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 8:19 PM.
