Ashton Jeanty rushed for 186 yards and scored three touchdowns on 13 carries in the first half, while Maddux Madsen threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns, leading No. 21 Boise State to a 62-30 win over Utah State on Saturday night in the Mountain West opener for both teams.
Jeanty became the eighth FBS running back since 1996 to reach over 1,000 rushing yards just five games into the season, joining names like Ricky Williams and Leonard Fournette.
Boise State (4-1) has now won eight straight games against the Aggies (1-4), jumping to a 49-17 lead by halftime and showing no signs of slowing down after their win against Washington State last week. Jeanty did not play in the second half due to the large score margin.
With the Broncos scoring an average of 50.6 points, Boise State coach Spencer Danielson believes the team’s success comes from its unselfish play.
“There are no egos in our offense or on our team,” Danielson said. “It’s, ‘What does the team need?’ That’s what we’ve got, especially when it’s led by a guy like Ashton Jeanty. He was waiting for me on Tuesday before practice to find out if he could get on special teams.”
Danielson was playful about whether Jeanty might play special teams. “We’re always evaluating,” he said with a grin.
Utah State suffered its third loss of the season against a ranked team, having previously lost to Southern California and Utah in consecutive weeks.
“We need to make sure we come out executing better, especially after a bye week,” Utah State coach Nate Dreiling said. “When you miss tackles against that offense, it’s going to be a seventy to eighty yard gain against what’s probably the best player in the country.”
Jeanty set the tone for Boise State with his very first play, breaking through three tackles and sprinting 63 yards for a touchdown. He also had a 75-yard scoring run, powering through the line and then sprinting to the outside before pulling away.
