In a much-anticipated Friday night Mountain West showdown, No. 17 Boise State won 29-24 at UNLV, strengthening the Broncos’ case for a College Football Playoff berth and boosting star running back Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman hopes.
Boise State (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) took sole possession of first place in the conference but may have to face the Rebels (6-2, 2-1) again in the Dec. 6 conference championship. The team that finishes first in the conference hosts the title game.
UNLV, which came in with the Mountain West’s top rushing defense, largely prevented Jeanty from breaking his usual long runs, but the Heisman candidate still finished with 128 yards on 33 carries.
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen (18-of-33 for 209 yards) threw a 2-yard touchdown on fourth and goal that put the Broncos up 20-10 just before halftime. UNLV rallied, and quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw a 34-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to put the home team up 24-23.
But on Boise’s subsequent drive, Jeanty scored a 1-yard touchdown on fourth and goal to put his team back up for good. Williams hurt the Broncos at times with his legs, including a 71-yard run in the first quarter, but Boise’s pass rush was dominant in the fourth quarter. The Broncos finished the night with six sacks.
Just enough space for Jeanty. Touchdown @BroncoSportsFB
📺 CBS Sports Network pic.twitter.com/3toOlbMCqZ
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 26, 2024
The new 12-team College Football Playoff includes automatic berths for the committee’s five highest-ranked conference champions, at least one of which will be a Group of 5 league. Boise State entered the weekend as the highest-ranked G5 team in the AP poll, ahead of No. 23 Army and No. 24 Navy from the American Athletic Conference.
UNLV is hardly out of it but may need to run the table to have a shot at the CFP. Though the Rebels have two losses, they have non-conference road wins at Houston, Kansas and Oregon State.
Friday night’s announced attendance of 42,228 broke UNLV’s home attendance record and far eclipsed its highest previous crowd at Allegiant Stadium (35,193), which opened in 2020.
For more on UNLV-Boise State, see The Athletic’s live blog.
How did Ashton Jeanty do?
Jeanty’s longest run was 16 yards, ending a streak of at least one run of at least 50 yards in every game this season. It was the first time Jeanty didn’t run for more than 190 yards in a game in which he played the second half. UNLV loaded up the box to limit his explosiveness.
Jeanty also injured his left wrist or elbow in the first half while planting his arm on the turf to keep himself upright. He entered the medical tent multiple times and came out with his arm wrapped but kept playing. Jeanty told CBS Sports Network in a postgame interview that he’d get it taken care of and be fine. — Chris Vannini, national college football writer
Jeanty shaken up, but later returns to the game pic.twitter.com/aaebLd0guU
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 26, 2024
(Photo: Ian Maule / Getty Images)
