Cementing his legacy at Boise State is ‘a big deal’ to Jeanty, who sets rushing record
Ashton Jeanty has been writing his name in the Boise State record books all season, but he knocked a big one off the list on Saturday night.
In the third quarter of No. 13 Boise State’s 42-21 victory over San Jose State, Jeanty rushed for a 36-yard touchdown to give the Broncos their first lead of the game, at 28-21.
That run through a hole around the left edge, which ended with Jeanty breaking a tackle inside the 10-yard line, wasn’t just meaningful for Boise State (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West), which had started the game in a 14-0 hole. It also happened to be the carry that gave the junior superstar the Boise State single-season rushing record.
Jeanty finished the night with 159 yards on 32 carries, bumping his season total to 1,893 yards. He surpassed the previous single-season record of 1,734 yards set by Jay Ajayi in 2014.
“How he works, how he trains, how he loves his teammates. He’s the best football player in the country,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said after the game.
Jeanty now tops an elite list of Bronco running backs through the years, including the likes of Jeremy McNichols, Doug Martin, Cedric Minter and Ian Johnson.
“It means a lot,” Jeanty said about topping the list. “All those past running backs are great and amazing, and to keep the legacy going, the tradition of great running backs at Boise State, I think it’s a big deal to me.”
Jeanty recorded another three rushing touchdowns against the Spartans, bringing his season total up to 26. He also has one receiving TD.
Another big night for Jeanty will keep him right in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race. Of his main competitors, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel didn’t have his best game in a tight win over big underdog Wisconsin, while Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter, had an interception on a tipped pass and a receiving touchdown.
But it wasn’t always easy for the powerful Jeanty against San Jose State. He had just 57 yards on 17 carries heading into halftime, and was tackled for a loss three times.
But the game had shades of weekends prior, when teams would hold Jeanty in check for two quarters before he wore them down and took off in the second half. Jeanty averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and had a long of 14 yards in the first two quarters. In the second half, those numbers bumped up to 6.8 yards a carry and a long of 36.
“I enjoy it a lot because of the fight we have. We don’t quit,” Jeanty said. “People may think they got us, but you know, it’s never over until that clock hits zero.”
