For Ashton Jeanty to continue to pad his Heisman Trophy resume in the eyes of voters, a statistic-packed game on the road against one of the Mountain West’s most porous defenses seemed to be a must. However, thanks to an injury and a surprisingly stout Wyoming defense, it looked as if the junior running back would not be able to accomplish that task on Saturday.
However, when the Broncos needed Jeanty the most, he came through with some of his most clutch runs of the season.
Behind 169 rushing yards from Jeanty, Boise State clinched a spot in the Mountain West title game with a hard-fought 17-13 decision over Wyoming that wasn’t decided until the game’s final seconds.
Boise State’s defense snuffed out Wyoming’s final chances as the clock ran out, ensuring the 10-1 Broncos would be in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game.
But Boise State wouldn’t have been in that position without Jeanty’s fourth-quarter heroics. After leaving the game early in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury, Jeanty didn’t return until 9:03 was left in the game.
While he was out, Boise State’s offense sputtered. However, when he returned, he lit an immediate spark, running for 15 yards on his first touch of the drive. He would add runs of 20, 15 and three yards to get Boise State to the 2-yard line before Jambres Dubar finished off the drive with what would eventually prove to be the game-winning touchdown.
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said he considered Jeanty’s fourth-quarter burst another of his “Heisman moments” on a night when the Broncos desperately needed to find an offensive rhythm.
“There are countless Heisman moments this season by Ashton, starting from game one to game 11,” Danielson said. “That’s why I tell people, watch the film. Watch the film. Just watch it. And what he’s done through 11 games, and what our team’s been able to do, is special.”
Things started slow for Jeanty as the Cowboys limited him to five yards on his first three carries. However, his fourth tote of the game went for 61 yards to give the Broncos a 7-3 edge with 3:40 left in the first quarter.
That, however, would be one of the few early highlights for Jeanty against Wyoming as the Cowboys limited him to 116 yards on 13 carries before his injury. Including the 61-yard run, Jeanty averaged 8.9 yards per rush. However, eight of those totes went for four yards or less.
Jeanty totaled just three carries in the second half before being sidelined. He did, however, stay in the game long enough to go over the 2,000-yard mark on the season, marking the first time since 2019 that an FBS rusher had hit that threshold.
However, after a trip to the medical tent and standing on the sidelines for almost a quarter, Jeanty was able to return when it mattered most.
“He’s banged up,” Danielson said. “Every time he touches the ball, there are 11 guys trying to be a heat-seeking missile and find him. That’s a testament to what he’s done thus far. He’s battle-tested.”
And so are the Broncos, a team with hopes of continuing their quest through the conference and on to the CFP thanks to another one of Jeanty’s many Heisman moments from the 2024 season.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
