Ashton Jeanty ran for 169 yards and a touchdown, leading No. 12 Boise State to a 17-13 win over Wyoming on Saturday night, securing a spot in the Mountain West Conference title game.
The Broncos (10-1 overall, 7-0) will play in the conference championship game for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. They will face an opponent that has yet to be determined, and the win kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Boise State was ranked No. 4 in the playoff rankings this week.
Boise State finished the Mountain West season undefeated, extended its winning streak to nine games, and defeated Wyoming (2-9, 2-5) for the eighth straight time since 2016.
“I’m proud of our guys, and knowing this team and knowing our heart, we’re not done yet,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “We got a big-time opponent that we have to be ready for in Oregon State and whoever we play in the championship game. We got to go earn the right to play our best.”
“I couldn’t tell you the last time we won back-to-back championships, I know it’s not in my time. We know whoever we play, we’re going to get their best and we have to be ready, but right now, we’re locked and focused on Oregon State.”
Wyoming, which entered the game as a heavy underdog, put up a strong fight and led 13-10 midway through the fourth quarter.
But Boise State’s Jambres Dubar scored on a 2-yard run with just over five minutes left to play, and the Broncos defense stepped up to make one final stop to secure the win.
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen completed 14 of 25 passes for 168 yards.
Wyoming used two quarterbacks. Kaden Anderson was 9 for 14 passing for 116 yards and a touchdown before being taken out of the game and placed in concussion protocol at the start of the second half. Evan Svoboda came in and completed 6 of 13 passes for 87 yards.
Jeanty, a Heisman candidate, surpassed 2,000 rushing yards for the season and averaged 8.5 yards per carry. Boise State outgained Wyoming 353-319 in total yards, even though they struggled on third down, converting just 1 of 10 attempts.
Jeanty went to the medical tent in the second half with an apparent lower body injury but returned to the game after missing one drive.
“Ashton’s a warrior,” Danielson said. “I’m going to keep hitting that. He’s banged up. This is game 11, week 13 of the season, and he’s an absolute warrior playing through being banged up. … We got to be smart with his body and make sure we get him what he needs. In that last drive of the game, he was ready to go. … He’s going to be just fine.”
John Hoyland opened the scoring for Wyoming with a 54-yard field goal, giving the Cowboys a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Boise State’s Jonah Dalmas had a chance to tie it with a 49-yard field goal on the next drive, but his attempt went wide left.
After Hoyland missed a 53-yard field goal, Jeanty put Boise State ahead 7-3 with a 61-yard touchdown run with 3:40 left in the first quarter.
Wyoming regained the lead 10-7 early in the second quarter after a four-play, 67-yard drive ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Justin Stevenson.
Boise State added a 24-yard field goal from Dalmas as time expired in the first half, sending the teams into the break tied at 10.
After a scoreless third quarter, Hoyland put Wyoming back in the lead with a 25-yard field goal. However, Boise State responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by Dubar’s 2-yard touchdown run.
This game may have been Boise State’s last trip to Wyoming, as they are set to join the Pac-12 in 2026. Boise State leads the all-time series 18-1, with the only loss coming to Josh Allen’s 2016 Wyoming team in Laramie.
“Give credit to Boise State,” Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel said. “They have a great football team, and they have a great football program. We wish their whole organization the best going forward, and hopefully they can represent the Mountain West well come playoff time. They have to win a couple more games, and we’ll be cheering for them to do it. They have a lot of class, and we wish them the best.”
