Tag: Boise State

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty, No. 12 Boise State ‘big challenge’ for Wyoming

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Running back Ashton Jeanty and No. 12 Boise State try to maintain their grip on a bid to the 12-team College Football Playoff on Saturday night when they visit Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo.

Based on the most recent CFP rankings, the Broncos would be a No. 4 seed and receive a first-round bye.

Jeanty, the nation’s leading rusher, helped the Broncos (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) overcome a slow start and post their eighth straight win, 42-21 at San Jose State last week. Jeanty compiled a game-high 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Maddux Madsen completed 22 of 30 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown.

After falling behind 14-0 in the second quarter, the Broncos reeled off a 42-7 run.

“We are down 14-0 and we drop the kickoff and they are on the 2-yard line to make it 21-0,” Danielson said “You can’t find a way to start a game worse than we did. We missed a fake field goal. We had a bunch of different stuff either self-inflicted negatives — we call them S.I.N.S. — or things they did to attack us. We just didn’t start fast. But being able to go from that starting point to finish the game on a 42-7 run, that is a testament to these kids.”

With 1,893 rushing yards, Jeanty broke the previous Boise State rushing record held by Jay Ajayi (1,823) since 2014. It was also the 10th straight 100-yard rushing game for the junior running back, breaking the Mountain West record set in 2016 by former San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey.

“Ashton Jeanty continues to be the best football player in the country,” Danielson said. “Testament to our (offensive line coach Tim) Keane and (co-offensive coordinator Nate) Potter for finding ways to rotate guys, moving guys around and staying consistent in the run game and pass game even with injuries.”

The Cowboys (2-8, 2-4) lost a rivalry trophy road game at Colorado State 24-10 last week. The teams play The Border War annually for the Bronze Boot.

Kaden Anderson hit 13 of 30 passes for 120 yards and had a rushing touchdown. Jamari Ferrell rushed for 74 yards on just six carries, while Wyoming only had nine first downs and 237 yards of total offense.

First-year coach Jay Sawvel elevated Anderson to starting quarterback after the Cowboys’ 1-7 start. The move paid immediate dividends in a 49-45 win against New Mexico on Nov. 2.

“Look, there’s a lot of things that go into this,” Sawvel said. “We have not established momentum in our season because of losing close games at home.”

The Cowboys won’t qualify for a bowl game, so they are relegated to playing spoiler against a team for which Sawvel had high praise.

“This is probably the best Mountain West team that I’ve seen in the five years that I’ve been in this conference coming here this week,” Sawvel said. “So, it’s a big challenge when you’re playing a team that right now is on track to play in the playoff.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Take 5: Drawing conclusions from latest CFP rankings

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The first couple of College Football Playoff rankings provided some fuel for banter and insight into the selection committee’s collective thought process. However, as there was a month remaining in the regular season when the first CFP Top 25 rankings were released, there were too many moving parts and hypotheticals to get overly analytical.

The third set of weekly rankings is when things start to get more serious. Rivalry week looms, conference championship races are tightening, and erstwhile playoff hopefuls are beginning to fall by the wayside.

Five takeaways from the Tuesday rankings announcement:

1. It’s good to be in the SEC

A common complaint in the early years of the Bowl Championship Series was that the two-team national championship format punished the Southeastern Conference for having too many good teams, causing them to cannibalize each other. That sentiment is alive and well with the expansion of the championship system to 12 teams.

While the SEC has only one representative ranked in the top sux — Texas at No. 3 — consider that six SEC teams are ranked No. 15 or better, six of them with multiple losses. It’s the only conference with any multiple-loss teams ranked that highly, let alone boasting several.

There are three teams ranked with three losses, and two of them — South Carolina and Missouri — hail from the SEC. While the depth leads to teams beating up on one another, it also provides more opportunities to rack up ranked wins.

A good example is Texas A&M, which is within shouting distance of the playoff at No. 15. The Aggies are 1-2 against currently ranked opponents, with one of those losses coming out of conference against Notre Dame. The other defeat was to No. 18 South Carolina, the highest-ranked three-loss team.

Texas A&M’s top win came against No. 23 Missouri, a peculiar choice to remain in the polls, given that all three of the Tigers’ losses occurred in October or November. The most recent of those defeats came last week at South Carolina, which climbed three spots on the strength of a ranked win.

2. Indiana’s margin for error

Of the nation’s three remaining undefeated teams, two have yet to face a Top 25 opponent. That changes in Week 13, and it could be a do-or-die scenario for both Indiana and Army.

Army’s pursuit of a playoff berth is inherently tenuous. The Black Knights’ hopes rest on running the table and either a power conference descending into chaos or Boise State losing. But for Indiana, could an 11-1 Big Ten team realistically be excluded from the playoff if the Hoosiers lose to Ohio State this weekend?

With another power-conference team, SMU, continuing to linger outside the playoff field at one loss, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Indiana could similarly slip. Unlike a hypothetical one-loss Indiana, however, SMU controls its conference-championship destiny.

Should the Hoosiers lose to Ohio State, they would need to beat Purdue in their finale and hope for help — specifically, losses by Penn State and Ohio State in Week 14 (or this week, in the case of the Nittany Lions) — to secure a shot at Oregon in the Big Ten title game.

SMU is one of the looming threats to pass Indiana if the Hoosiers falter, along with Boise State and several SEC teams benefiting from strong schedules.

3. Boise State should root against Colorado State

Thanks to a slip-up by the leader of one of the four power conferences in Week 12, Boise State escaped a projected opening-round playoff game and climbed to No. 4 among the top five conference champions.

To maintain its position — or potentially climb higher — Boise State would benefit from a rematch with UNLV in the Mountain West championship game. Washington State’s puzzling Week 12 loss to New Mexico erased a ranked win from Boise State’s resume, but UNLV mitigated the damage by checking in at No. 24.

If the Rebels reach 10 wins and remain in the Top 25, a second meeting with the Broncos would enhance Boise State’s case. However, for that scenario to occur, Colorado State needs to lose. The Rams, quietly undefeated in the Mountain West after a lackluster start that included blowout losses to Texas and Colorado, are 7-3 overall and nowhere near the Top 25, even if they win out.

While Fresno State may be Boise State’s most bitter Mountain West rival, Broncos fans presumably will root for the Bulldogs in their Week 13 home matchup against Colorado State.

4. Kansas is the Big 12’s biggest problem

BYU escaped precarious positions repeatedly on its way to a 9-0 start, but the law of averages — and the surging Kansas Jayhawks — caught up with the Cougars. Kansas disrupted Iowa State’s playoff hopes a week earlier, temporarily knocking the Cyclones out of the Top 25 with a 45-36 win in Kansas City on Nov. 9.

Iowa State returned to the poll this week, but at No. 22, the Cyclones are well outside the playoff picture. BYU hasn’t been eliminated yet, but its drop to No. 14, combined with Boise State inching up to No. 12, leaves the Big 12’s highest-ranked team fifth among the conference champions.

Next up for Kansas is a home game against No. 16 Colorado on Saturday. A Jayhawks win, coupled with No. 21 Arizona State defeating BYU, could conceivably leave the Big 12 on the outside looking in.

5. Plenty of head-to-head matchups loom

Starting this weekend, a series of matchups featuring Top 25 teams squaring off promises lots of movement, even without another wave of upsets.

No. 5 Indiana’s showdown with No. 2 Ohio State is the game of the week this Saturday. Meanwhile, No. 6 Notre Dame’s neutral-site clash with No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium is a likely make-or-break moment for both teams’ playoff aspirations.

Reeling BYU visits surging Arizona State, with the winner controlling its destiny for a Big 12 championship game berth.

The following week will bring additional drama, with the renewal of the Texas-Texas A&M series and South Carolina-Clemson clash both carrying playoff implications.

Plenty can and will change, even as the playoff picture begins to take shape.

–Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty runs for 3 TDs as No. 13 Boise State tops San Jose State

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Ashton Jeanty ran for three touchdowns and No. 13 Boise State took advantage of multiple San Jose State mistakes to earn a 42-21 win on the road Saturday night.

The victory keeps the Broncos (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) in control of the one open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff reserved for the highest-ranked Group of 5 team, and in the lead in the Mountain West Conference.

Jeanty, who entered Saturday as the nation’s leading rusher, ran for 159 yards in the win. Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen completed 22 of 30 attempts for 28 yards and a touchdown.

The Spartans’ Walker Eget threw for a career-high 446 yards on 34-of-50 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Justin Lockhart had 10 catches for 172 and a TD and Nick Nash added nine catches for 126 yards and a score.

Boise State trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter and looked to be in more trouble when the Broncos fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving San Jose State the ball at the Boise State 34.

San Jose State (6-4, 3-3) drove to the Broncos’ 2 and faced fourth-and-1. The Spartans lined up to kick a field goal but then called timeout and brought the offense back on the field.

San Jose State tried a trick play with Eget rolling one way and throwing the ball back to offensive lineman Sione Nomani, but Boise State safety Seyi Oladipo stopped Nomani short of the first down.

Boise State responded on its next possession. Madsen capped an 11-play, 92-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run to trim the Broncos’ deficit to 14-7. On Boise State’s next drive, Jeanty sliced in from 2 yards to tie the score with 36 seconds left in the first half.

San Jose State opened the second half with a nine-play, 98-yard drive. Eget connected with Nash on a 6-yard touchdown pass to put the Spartans back on top 21-14.

Maddux led the Broncos to their third straight touchdown drive. Matt Lauter caught a pass in the flat from Maddux and ran 17 yards for a score to make it 21-21.

On the Spartans’ next possession, Eget ran it on fourth-and-2 at the Boise State 41. He had the first down but was hit hard by Broncos safety Ty Benefield, who knocked the ball loose and it was recovered by Boise State defensive end Jayden Virgin-Morgan.

Jeanty capitalized on the turnover, running it in from 36 yards on the ensuing drive to give the Broncos a 28-21 lead with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

Boise State scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away. Jeanty ran 5 yards with 2:23 left for his third TD to give the Broncos a 35-21 lead. Davon Banks ran an interception back 70 yards for the final score of the game.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs the ball against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the second half at Albertsons Stadium. Boise State won 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

San Jose St. plots trap as No. 13 Boise St. sets GPS for playoffs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The nation’s leading rusher and leading receiver collide Saturday when No. 13 Boise State travels to San Jose State.

Boise State (8-1) projects as the final team in the 12-team College Football Playoff but the Broncos have no margin for error.

Boise State remains atop the Mountain West standings and its only loss was to No. 1 Oregon. The Broncos would be the 12th seed as an automatic qualifier and the fifth-best conference champ based on the second iteration of rankings revealed Tuesday.

While there’s no celebrating in Idaho yet, BSU has plenty of reason to plan a party.

Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty is a Heisman front-runner with 1,734 yards and 23 touchdowns. He is 895 yards away from Barry Sanders’ single-season college record set in 1988 with three regular-season games left.

The Spartans’ defense ranks 75th in the nation against the run but is only allowing 3.65 yards per carry (Jeanty averages 7.7). Last year, Jeanty ran for 162 yards in a 35-27 win for Boise State.

While the spotlight this year has been on Jeanty, the nation’s leading receiver is a Spartan. Senior Nick Nash leads the nation in receptions (86), receiving yards (1,156) and touchdown catches (13).

“He’s big-time,” said Boise State coach Spencer Danielson. “He’s strong. He will go up and make catches. I remember when he was their backup running quarterback. He’s a matchup nightmare for defenses and I see him as being one of the heartbeats of their team.”

Boise State sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen has thrown for 18 touchdowns, but he only completed 9 of 20 passes against Nevada for 119 yards and an interception. Quarterback play going forward could be the key to how far the Broncos go if and when they reach the playoffs.

“Just like anything else, there will be fundamentals and reads that he needs to get fixed and he will,” said Danielson. “There are a lot of things on film that I am proud of and there are a lot of things on film that I know he needs to improve on. No one is going to want to do it more than Maddux.”

The Spartans (6-3) have used two quarterbacks this season: Emmett Brown and Walker Eget. Brown has thrown for 1,621 yards and 16 touchdowns, while Eget has thrown for 1,312 yards, but six interceptions.

“Both of them run the offense very efficiently,” said Danielson. “I can respect offenses who know what they are, but will attack you. They are going to run their stuff. They know how to adjust to coverages so there will always be open receivers. They run their run plays and pass concepts trying to attack the defense.”

Defensively, San Jose State is led by linebacker Jordan Pollard, who has recorded 82 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss.

Spartans coach Ken Niumatalolo was reprimanded by the conference for his remarks about the officiating after his team’s win over Oregon State. Niumatalolo was dismayed over defensive penalties on a late drive by the Beavers.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and that was tough because we felt like we were playing more than 11 people out there,” Niumatalolo said after the win. “Some of the calls at the end, I don’t have any words for them.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) warms up before the game against the San Diego State Aztecs at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Nevada aims to slow Ashton Jeanty, No. 12 Boise State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ashton Jeanty leads the nation in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, but the Boise State star needs a huge performance Saturday night to assure his Heisman Trophy hopes don’t get derailed.

Jeanty will look to load up on yardage and create highlight-reel plays when the No. 12 Broncos host Nevada in Mountain West play at Boise, Idaho.

Boise State (7-1, 4-0 MW) needs to keep winning after being unveiled as the last team in the field per the initial rankings for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The Broncos have an eye at landing a first-round bye. To do so, they have to be ranked higher than the lowest-ranked conference champion of the big four conferences, probably the Big 12.

Momentum is on the side of the Broncos, who are riding a six-game winning streak. Boise State’s lone blemish was a last-second 37-34 loss to Oregon on Sept. 7.

As for Jeanty, he moved into the favorite’s role for the Heisman after topping 200 rushing yards in three of his first six games. He also had 192 against then-No. 7 Oregon and 186 against Utah State.

However, things were tougher the past two weeks as both UNLV and San Diego State flooded the box with eight and nine defenders.

Jeanty averaged just 3.9 yards while gaining 128 yards on 33 carries in a 29-24 win at UNLV. Last weekend, he broke loose for 112 yards in the third quarter to end up with 149 yards on 31 carries in a 56-24 whipping of visiting San Diego State.

“Ashton is the best player in the country, so everybody’s whole game plan is to stop Ashton,” Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen said.

Jeanty is still averaging 8.0 yards per carries to go with 1,525 yards and 20 rushing scores. But he needs to approach his early-season output, when he averaged at least 10 yards per carry in four of the first five games.

Nevada (3-7, 0-4) ranks 80th in rushing defense at 156.4 yards allowed per game. Wolf Pack coach Jeff Choate didn’t reveal if his squad would stack the box with extra defenders, but he is mighty impressed with Jeanty.

“People bounce off of him. He’s a five-tool runner,” said Choate, a Boise State assistant from 2006-11. “This guy runs for power, he has good speed, he can blow the top off, he can make you miss, he’s a good blocker, and he’s a threat out of the backfield.

“This guy does it all. It’s rare you see a guy with this combination of skills. That’s what separates him and makes him a special player.”

Loading up the box to stop Jeanty backfired for San Diego State as Madsen established career highs of 307 yards and four touchdowns.

“That’s who he is,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said of Madsen. “‘Mad Dog’ is an elite competitor.”

Madsen has been efficient all season with 17 touchdown passes against two interceptions. He has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,789 yards.

The Wolfpack have dropped three straight games after falling 38-21 to visiting Colorado State last week.

Quarterback Brendon Lewis stood out in defeat, passing for 252 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 109 yards and two scores.

Overall, Lewis has thrown 11 touchdown passes against five interceptions.

Nevada has averaged 18.3 points during its three-game slide, which would seem to make it tough to threaten a Boise State squad that ranks third nationally in scoring offense at 45.8 points per game and leads the nation with 4.75 sacks per game.

Choate can’t find many negatives with the Broncos.

“They are playing with a lot of confidence and should be in the (playoff) conversation,” Choate said.

The Broncos have won 17 of the past 19 meetings, but the Wolf Pack prevailed in their last visit to Boise, winning 41-31 on Oct. 2, 2021.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Darius Lassiter (5) celebrates a touchdown with teammates in the last minute of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Take 5: Drawing conclusions from first CFP rankings

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The initial rankings for the highly anticipated, first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff confirmed what many believed even before the season began: The Southeastern Conference will be represented in the new-look tournament.

Indeed, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama combine to make up one-third of the field. But the first rankings also offered some surprises — not the least of which is that the committee might prefer another conference just a little bit more.

1. Going big on the Big Ten

Occupying the top two rankings and three of the top six, the Big Ten was rewarded handsomely by the committee. Undefeated Oregon, with wins over two of the 12 teams currently slated for playoff berths — Boise State and Ohio State — is an unsurprising No. 1.

Ohio State’s positioning at No. 2, however, speaks highly of the committee’s assessment of the Big Ten overall. The same goes for No. 6 Penn State, which, before losing to the Buckeyes at home last weekend looked dominant against a somewhat middling schedule.

Perhaps the most telling indicator of the committee’s faith in the Big Ten, however, is Indiana at No. 8. The Hoosiers have blown the doors off of all comers, but their best win might be over either 4-4 Maryland or 3-5 UCLA.

2. Big dismissal of the Big 12

Big 12 pace-setter BYU open the playoff rankings at No. 9, which is the committee’s least defensible decision.

A variety of one-loss teams are ranked higher than the 8-0 Cougars, including No. 6 Penn State and No. 5 Texas, neither of which has a win over an opponent ranked by the committee. Fellow undefeated Indiana is ranked one place ahead of BYU despite also having no Top 25 wins.

BYU, meanwhile, has two: a road victory over No. 13 SMU and a blowout of No. 19 Kansas State. With no other Big 12 team ranked higher than Iowa State at No. 17, and BYU closing out the season against unranked Utah, Kansas, Arizona State and Houston, the Cougars’ chances of climbing from an incomprehensibly low starting position look bleak.

3. Committee not sold on Army

The first name revealed on the Tuesday show was No. 25 Army, one of only five undefeated teams remaining. However, the Black Knights are second in line among teams jockeying for the all-important fifth conference champion position.

Boise State leads that race, which is no surprise. The Broncos gave No. 1-ranked Oregon all it could handle and routed No. 21 Washington State, another outsider looking to crash the party. (Without an FBS conference membership, Washington State can only make the field with an at-large bid.)

Army’s positioning behind Washington State, as well as three-loss Louisville and the fast-fading tandem of Clemson and Missouri is surprising. Army does, however, benefit from closing with more opportunities to bolster its resume than Boise State does. With matchups against Notre Dame, Navy and a potential American Athletic Conference championship game, Army has plenty of room to climb during the radical shifts expected in the next four weeks.

4. Shifts happen in CFP rankings

Each team appearing in the initial playoff rankings has varying paths to make the field based on remaining strength of schedule — or the likelihood for another loss. SEC counterparts Texas A&M, LSU and Ole Miss fall into the latter category, all sitting just beyond the top 12 but left with little margin for error.

As conference schedules intensify, some playoff hopefuls will have opportunities to climb. This being the first year of the 12-team model, there is no precedent to reference. But in the decade of the four-team playoff, the first ranking rarely projected the final field.

To wit, 2014 opened with Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn, and Ole Miss; only Florida State made the field. In 2015, LSU and Ohio State fell out of the first rankings. Expect similar shake-ups in the coming months.

5. Despite slight, SMU has reason to feel good

Coming off a blowout win over previously undefeated Pitt, and boasting a road defeat of Louisville, SMU could have gone into Tuesday with reason to believe it would be tabbed for an at-large berth.

No dice. Instead, SMU is unlucky No. 13, the first team out of the field. The good news for the Mustangs is that they close with a manageable three-game stretch, hosting Boston College and Cal on either side of a visit to Virginia.

Get through that stretch unscathed, and the Mustangs are positioned to move onto the ACC championship game and a potential showdown with No. 4 Miami.

–Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws a pass during warmups as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks host the No. 21 Illinois Fighting Illini Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

Oregon, Ohio State 1-2 in first CFP ranking of 12-team era

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Oregon debuted at No. 1 in the College Football Playoff committee’s 2024 in-season rankings Tuesday, with Big Ten rival Ohio State right behind at No. 2.

The CFP rankings were revealed for the first time in the playoff’s 12-team era, up from four teams in previous years, leading to a new format with new ramifications.

The Buckeyes, whose only loss came by one point to Oregon, are ranked No. 2 but would be seeded No. 5 because the top four seeds (and accompanying first-round byes) are reserved for the four highest-ranked conference champions.

Automatic bids are reserved for the five highest-ranked conference champs; No. 12 Boise State, representing the Mountain West Conference, would garner the last auto bid and face fifth-seeded Ohio State for a quarterfinal game in Columbus in Tuesday’s projection.

The CFP’s top 12 teams hewed closely to this week’s AP Top 25 poll, with the only difference being the position of Georgia and Ohio State. The AP voters had Georgia second, but the Bulldogs were ranked third by the CFP.

Miami was ranked No. 4 and would get the final first-round bye. Texas was fifth, and Penn State, Tennessee, Indiana, BYU and Notre Dame rounded out the top 10.

Ohio State’s loss was BYU’s gain, as in Tuesday’s projection, the Cougars were the Big 12 champion and No. 4 seed, five spots higher than their ranking.

Two-loss Alabama was ranked No. 11 and was projected to visit SEC foe Texas for a quarterfinal playoff game. The first two teams out of the field hailed from that state: No. 13 SMU and No. 14 Texas A&M.

CFP projected first-round byes: No. 1 seed Oregon, No. 2 seed Georgia, No. 3 seed Miami, No. 4 seed BYU

CFP projected quarterfinal games (campus sites):
No. 9 seed Indiana at No. 8 seed Tennessee
No. 10 seed Notre Dame at No. 7 seed Penn State
No. 11 seed Alabama at No. 6 seed Texas
No. 12 seed Boise State at No. 5 seed Ohio State

CFP rankings (different from seed)
1. Oregon (9-0)
2. Ohio State (7-1)
3. Georgia (7-1)
4. Miami (9-0)
5. Texas (7-1)
6. Penn State (7-1)
7. Tennessee (7-1)
8. Indiana (9-0)
9. BYU (8-0)
10. Notre Dame (7-1)
11. Alabama (6-2)
12. Boise State (7-1)
13. SMU (8-1)
14. Texas A&M (7-2)
15. LSU (6-2)
16. Ole Miss (7-2)
17. Iowa State (7-1)
18. Pitt (7-1)
19. Kansas State (7-2)
20. Colorado (6-2)
21. Washington State (7-1)
22. Louisville (6-3)
23. Clemson (6-2)
24. Missouri (6-2)
25. Army (8-0)

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) throws a pass during the first quarter against the San Diego State Aztecs at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Maddux Madsen’s 4 TD tosses take No. 15 Boise State past SDSU

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Maddux Madsen threw for four touchdowns in the first half of No. 15 Boise State’s 56-24 romp past visiting San Diego State in a Friday night Mountain West Conference matchup.

Latrell Caples caught six passes for 90 yards and three touchdown for the Broncos, and Ashton Jeanty ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries to keep his Heisman Trophy candidacy rolling.

Madsen connected on 24 of 32 passes for 307 yards.

Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) produced 541 yards of total offense and also scored a touchdown on defense en route to its sixth win in a row.

The Aztecs (3-5, 2-1) managed only 12 first downs and 256 yards of total offense, as Marquez Cooper gained 94 yards on 16 carries.

San Diego State quarterback Danny O’Neil threw for two touchdowns, but he was intercepted twice and was 14-for-30 for 155 yards.

The Aztecs, whose previous four games were all decided by three points or fewer, couldn’t keep it close after the Broncos built a 21-0 first-quarter lead. As a result, what was billed as a bit of a conference showdown didn’t materialize.

Madsen threw for 18 yards and 19 yards to Caples for scores in the first quarter. A’Marion McCoy’s 35-yard interception return gave Boise State a second touchdown in an eight-second span and a 21-0 lead late in the opening period.

It was 28-0 after Madsen threw to Prince Strachan for a 14-yard scoring play with 11:35 to play in the second quarter. The third Madsen-to-Caples TD connection came with 22 seconds left in the half, which ended with the Broncos up 35-10.

Jeanty did his scoring in the second half. He had the only touchdown in the third quarter, a 4-yard run, and he opened the fourth-quarter scoring with another 4-yard run.

O’Neil had his two touchdown throws in the fourth quarter, tossing 30 yards to Jordan Napier and 30 yards to Mekhi Shaw.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) cuts through the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors defense for a touchdown during the first quarter at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

No. 15 Boise State, ‘warrior’ Ashton Jeanty meet San Diego State

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Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will try to continue his push for the Heisman Trophy when the No. 15 Broncos host San Diego State in a Mountain West game on Friday evening.

Jeanty has rushed for a nation-leading 1,376 yards and is second in the country with 18 touchdowns while averaging 196.6 rushing yards across seven games for the Broncos (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West).

He’s more than halfway to the NCAA rushing record for a season (2,628), set by Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State in 1988. Boise State has five more games on its regular-season schedule, but could play as many as nine more if the Broncos qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff.

“I did have high hopes for myself,” Jeanty said. “I had it in my mind that this was going to be a legendary season, but I didn’t know exactly how that was going to unravel.”

Jeanty most recently rushed for 128 yards on 33 carries in a 29-24 win at UNLV last Friday.

He lit up the Aztecs for 205 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 34-31 victory last season. That remained his best game until he ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-30 loss to Colorado State three weeks later.

Jeanty has since topped the 200-yard mark three more times this season.

“He’s just an absolute warrior,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said.

The Broncos have won five in a row overall and remain tied for first with Colorado State atop the conference standings. Boise State and Colorado State do not play this season.

In order to qualify for the CFP, the Broncos would need to finish as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions in the FBS.

With its latest win against UNLV, Boise State moved from No. 17 to No. 15, leapfrogging LSU and Kansas State.

“That UNLV team is legit,” said Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen, who threw for 209 yards and a touchdown. “That defense played hard and fast until the end. We talked all week about how it was going to be a heavyweight fight. Their only loss was to Syracuse in overtime. That game was going to be tough.”

The win in Las Vegas also made the Broncos bowl-eligible for the 27th straight year, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Georgia (28).

The Aztecs (3-4, 2-0) are coming off a 29-26 loss to visiting Washington State on Saturday night, a team that the Broncos beat 45-24 on Sept. 28.

San Diego State took a 26-14 lead with 13:39 left in the fourth quarter but gave up the final 15 points.

“We can’t get lax with that lead,” San Diego State linebacker Tano Letuli said. “We need to play a full four quarters. Every play, every down, we can’t get lax and be complacent.”

San Diego State quarterback Danny O’Neil missed two drives against Washington State after sustaining an ankle injury. Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson filled in for O’Neil before he returned and led the Aztecs on a touchdown drive that pulled them within 14-12 late in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) cuts through the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors defense for a touchdown during the first quarter at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty continues Heisman push as No. 17 Boise State tops UNLV

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Heisman Trophy front-runner Ashton Jeanty rushed for 128 yards and one touchdown to help No. 17 Boise State notch a 29-24 victory over UNLV on Friday night in a Mountain West showdown in Las Vegas.

Maddux Madsen connected on 18 of 33 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown and added a rushing score for the Broncos (6-1, 3-0). Matt Lauter caught a touchdown pass for Boise State, which defeated UNLV for the eighth straight time.

Hajj-Malik Williams completed 12 of 21 passes for 179 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for the Rebels (6-2, 2-1). He also rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts.

Jaden Bradley and Kaleo Ballungay caught touchdown passes for UNLV, which last topped a ranked opponent in 2008 (Arizona State).

Jeanty carried the ball a career-high 33 times but had trouble finding holes in a UNLV defense that was intent on stopping him. Though he topped 100 yards for the seventh straight time this season, his long run was just 16 yards while raising his national-leading rushing yardage total to 1,376.

Jeanty plunged in on fourth-and-goal from the UNLV 1-yard line to give the Broncos the winning points with 12:38 remaining in the game. The ensuing two-point conversion pass was incomplete.

UNLV scored two third-quarter touchdowns to take a 24-23 edge.

Williams scored on a 5-yard run to start the second half and pull the Rebels within three. Jonah Dalmas answered with a 29-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 23-17 lead.

UNLV moved ahead on Williams’ 34-yard scoring pass to Bradley with 1:03 remaining in the quarter.

Dalmas (37 yards) and UNLV’s Caden Chittenden (28) traded field goals early in the game before Williams tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to the wide-open Ballungay to give the Rebels a 10-3 lead with 4:30 left in the opening quarter.

Dalmas kicked a 44-yard field goal with 9:22 left in the second quarter before the Broncos scored two late touchdowns during a 17-point quarter for a 20-10 halftime lead.

Madsen scored on a 7-yard scramble with 1:50 left to give Boise State a three-point lead. Then Andrew Simpson intercepted Williams’ pass and returned it 25 yards to the UNLV 7, setting up Madsen’s 2-yard pass to Lauter with six seconds remaining.

–Field Level Media