For Ashton Jeanty to proceed to pad his Heisman Trophy resume within the eyes of voters, a statistic-packed sport on the street in opposition to one of many Mountain West’s most porous defenses gave the impression to be a should. Nevertheless, because of an damage and a surprisingly stout Wyoming protection, it regarded as if the junior operating again wouldn’t have the ability to accomplish that process on Saturday.
Nevertheless, 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 speeding yards from Jeanty, Boise State clinched a spot within the Mountain West title sport with a hard-fought 17-13 resolution over Wyoming that wasn’t determined till the sport’s ultimate seconds.
Boise State’s protection snuffed out Wyoming’s ultimate probabilities because the clock ran out, guaranteeing the 10-1 Broncos could be within the Mountain West Convention Championship Recreation.
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. Nevertheless, when he returned, he lit a direct spark, operating 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 of Jeanty’s fourth-quarter burst one other of his “Heisman moments” on an evening when the Broncos desperately wanted to search 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 folks, watch the movie. Watch the movie. Simply watch it. And what he is finished via 11 video games, and what our crew’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. Nevertheless, 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, nevertheless, could 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. Nevertheless, 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, nevertheless, 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.
Nevertheless, 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 finished up to now. He is battle-tested.”
And so are the Broncos, a crew with hopes of constant their quest via the convention and on to the CFP thanks to a different one among Jeanty’s many Heisman moments from the 2024 season.
All quotations obtained firsthand except in any other case famous.
