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.
