Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns, helping No. 12 Boise State defeat Nevada 28-21 on Saturday night, extending their winning streak to seven games.
Boise State (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West, No. 12 in the CFP rankings) kept its position strong among the Group of Five teams competing for the automatic spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The Broncos’ only loss came in a close 37-34 game against now-No. 1 Oregon.
“This is the compete month,” said Boise State coach Spencer Danielson. “What we did before doesn’t matter. It’s all about going 1-0 each week. … But we found a way to win. That’s a testament to our players. And we will build more from this game than we would have from a big blowout.”
The game wasn’t easy, though it seemed like Boise State might run away with it early on.
The Broncos’ offense struggled until the fourth quarter when Maddux Madsen led a 10-play, 62-yard drive, capped off by Jeanty’s 2-yard touchdown run. This came after a replay review overturned an interception on the 1-yard line.
Nevada (3-8, 0-5) looked like it might score next, but Sean Dollars fumbled at the 1-yard line, and Boise State recovered in the end zone.
“There were some unfortunate breaks in this game that fell their way,” said Nevada coach Jeff Choate. “They created some of them and we gave them some of them. And that’s how the game goes at times.”
Boise State took an early 14-0 lead with touchdowns on its first two possessions. Matt Lauter caught an 11-yard touchdown pass, and Jeanty ran for a 4-yard touchdown.
Nevada fought back, scoring with a 17-yard run by quarterback Brendon Lewis and a 44-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Marcus Bellon to Caleb Ramseur, tying the game at 14.
Boise State had a rough start to the second half, muffing the opening kickoff but recovering it at the 5-yard line. Then, the Broncos moved 95 yards down the field in eight plays, finishing with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jeanty.
Lewis finished the game 17 of 26 for 188 yards and also had a touchdown run.
