Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown as No. 10 Boise State secured a College Football Playoff spot by defeating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 on Friday night to claim its second consecutive Mountain West title.
Boise State (12-1, No. 10 CFP) is on track for a first-round playoff bye if it maintains its ranking above the Big 12 champion and finishes as one of the four highest-ranked conference champions.
“In January, as they played tug of war shirtless on the field, they discussed their goals for this season,” said Boise State coach Spencer Danielson. “They aimed to win a conference championship and reach the college playoffs, and they put in the work for it.”
Jeanty, having the stage to make his case for the Heisman, did not disappoint, breaking off an impressive 75-yard touchdown run. This marked his fifth TD run of 70 yards or more this season, tying LaDainian Tomlinson’s FBS season record.
Jeanty also surpassed 1981 Heisman winner Marcus Allen of USC to claim fourth place on the FBS season rushing list and is only 132 yards away from surpassing record-holder Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State.
Maddux Madsen threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score for the Broncos.
UNLV (10-3, No. 20 CFP), ranked seventh nationally in scoring offense with an average of 38.7 points, had not been held below 23 points this season.
“I’ve been in championship games before and ended up on the losing side,” said UNLV coach Barry Odom. “But you keep learning from them, push your organization forward, and find a way to get back to a game like this and win it.”
Odom didn’t hold back in praising Boise State, which handed his team two of its three losses.
“Good luck to anyone coming here thinking they can win the game,” Odom remarked. “I believe they are one of the best teams in college football right now and will represent this conference well. They’re ready to make a run.”
With UNLV crowding the box with eight or nine defenders early in the game, Boise State relied heavily on Madsen in the first quarter, and he delivered by completing six of his first seven passes, including a 22-yard scoring pass to Latrell Caples for a 7-0 lead.
Madsen used his rushing skills to extend the Broncos’ lead to 14-0, scoring a 14-yard TD run with 2:40 remaining in the first half.
After a quick stop, Boise State got the ball back and let Jeanty showcase his talent. Two plays later, he blazed through the defense and raced to the end zone for a 75-yard TD run, giving the Broncos a 21-0 advantage with 29 seconds left in the half.
UNLV had an opportunity to get back in the game late in the third quarter when Kylin James ran 86 yards, but Seyi Oladipo caught up to him at the Boise State 5-yard line. However, the Rebels lost 4 yards on the next four plays and failed to score.
The Rebels finally scored with 9:06 left on a Greg Burrell 31-yard run.
Hajj-Malik Williams led UNLV offensively with 110 passing yards and 56 rushing yards.
UNLV: Odom, who guided the Rebels to their first 10-win season in 40 years, has the program moving in the right direction after just seven wins in the three seasons before his arrival. With continued good recruiting and building through the transfer portal like this season, the Rebels could compete for the Mountain West title.
Boise State: First-year coach Spencer Danielson delivered what the fans of the program have been yearning for since the memorable 2006 undefeated season and Fiesta Bowl win. Now, the team has a chance to go even further and challenge the elite in the playoffs.
Boise State eagerly awaits the selection show on Sunday to learn its College Football Playoff opponent and schedule.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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