For Ashton Jeanty to proceed to pad his Heisman Trophy resume within the eyes of voters, a statistic-packed sport on the highway in opposition to one of many Mountain West’s most porous defenses appeared to be a should. Nonetheless, due to an damage and a surprisingly stout Wyoming protection, it seemed as if the junior working again wouldn’t be capable of accomplish that activity on Saturday.
Nonetheless, when the Broncos wanted Jeanty probably the most, he got here via with a few of his most clutch runs of the season.
Behind 169 dashing yards from Jeanty, Boise State clinched a spot within the Mountain West title sport with a hard-fought 17-13 determination over Wyoming that wasn’t determined till the sport’s remaining seconds.
Boise State’s protection snuffed out Wyoming’s remaining possibilities because the clock ran out, making certain the 10-1 Broncos can be within the Mountain West Convention Championship Sport.
However Boise State would not have been in that place with out Jeanty’s fourth-quarter heroics. After leaving the sport early within the third quarter with an undisclosed damage, Jeanty did not return till 9:03 was left within the sport.
Whereas he was out, Boise State’s offense sputtered. Nonetheless, when he returned, he lit a direct spark, working for 15 yards on his first contact of the drive. He would add runs of 20, 15 and three yards to get Boise State to the 2-yard line earlier than Jambres Dubar completed off the drive with what would ultimately show to be the game-winning landing.
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson stated he thought-about Jeanty’s fourth-quarter burst one other of his “Heisman moments” on an evening when the Broncos desperately wanted to seek out an offensive rhythm.
“There are numerous Heisman moments this season by Ashton, ranging from sport one to sport 11,” Danielson stated. “That is why I inform individuals, watch the movie. Watch the movie. Simply watch it. And what he is performed via 11 video games, and what our workforce’s been capable of do, is particular.”
Issues began gradual for Jeanty because the Cowboys restricted him to 5 yards on his first three carries. Nonetheless, his fourth tote of the sport went for 61 yards to provide the Broncos a 7-3 edge with 3:40 left within the first quarter.
That, nonetheless, can be one of many few early highlights for Jeanty in opposition to Wyoming because the Cowboys restricted him to 116 yards on 13 carries earlier than his damage. Together with the 61-yard run, Jeanty averaged 8.9 yards per rush. Nonetheless, eight of these totes went for 4 yards or much less.
Jeanty totaled simply three carries within the second half earlier than being sidelined. He did, nonetheless, keep within the sport lengthy sufficient to go over the two,000-yard mark on the season, marking the primary time since 2019 that an FBS rusher had hit that threshold.
Nonetheless, after a visit to the medical tent and standing on the sidelines for nearly 1 / 4, Jeanty was capable of return when it mattered most.
“He is banged up,” Danielson stated. “Each time he touches the ball, there are 11 guys making an attempt to be a heat-seeking missile and discover him. That is a testomony to what he is performed so far. He is battle-tested.”
And so are the Broncos, a workforce with hopes of constant their quest via the convention and on to the CFP thanks to a different one in every of Jeanty’s many Heisman moments from the 2024 season.
All quotations obtained firsthand except in any other case famous.
