Ashton Jeanty ran for 226 yards and a touchdown, while Maddux Madsen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as No. 11 Boise State defeated Oregon State 34-18 on Friday.
Jeanty’s performance moved him into fifth place on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list, putting him just 54 yards behind Marcus Allen in fourth place. Jeanty is 340 yards behind the all-time record set by Barry Sanders, who rushed for 2,628 yards in 1988. Jeanty still has at least two more games to play.
Boise State (11-1, No. 11 CFP) is still the top-ranked team among Group of Five teams hoping for an automatic bid to the new 12-team College Football Playoff. The Broncos’ only loss this season was a close 37-34 game at No. 1 Oregon in September.
“We’re proud of what we’ve done this season, but we’re not done yet,” said Boise State coach Spencer Danielson. “We’ve never won back-to-back Mountain West championships, and that and the rest of our goals are still ahead of us.”
The Broncos are set to host either Colorado State or UNLV in the Mountain West championship game on Friday, with a playoff spot at stake.
“We took a step as a program this week, but we’re going to need to take a big one next week,” Danielson added.
Oregon State (5-7) ended its first season after the Pac-12’s mass exodus and is ineligible for a bowl game.
“Obviously, this season is not how we wanted it to go, but it’s a stepping stone for the future,” said Oregon State cornerback Skyler Thomas, the team’s leading tackler this season. “I’m most definitely planning on coming back.”
Boise State took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Madsen to Austin Bolt and a 7-yard touchdown run by Jeanty.
Late in the second quarter, Jeanty was about to add another touchdown but fumbled when Oregon State’s Skyler Thomas punched the ball loose. The Beavers recovered at their own 8-yard line. It was only the second fumble lost by Jeanty in his career.
Two plays later, Oregon State’s Anthony Hankerson ran for an 83-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 1:48 left in the half.
But Boise State quickly responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Madsen to Latrell Caples with 20 seconds remaining, giving the Broncos a 21-7 lead at halftime.
Oregon State fought back and pulled within 27-18 early in the fourth quarter but couldn’t stop Boise State’s offense when it was needed most.
Madsen completed 17 of 33 passes for 195 yards for Boise State, while Ben Gulbranson passed for 226 yards and one touchdown for Oregon State. Hankerson led Oregon State’s rushing game with 110 yards.
