Ashton Jeanty needed a big performance in the Mountain West Football Championship to stay within reach of Heisman Trophy frontrunner Travis Hunter, and the Boise State junior tailback was up to the challenge.
In a nationally televised game on Fox, Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries Friday night as No. 10 Boise State (12-1) wrapped up a College Football Playoff bid with a 21-7 victory over No. 20 UNLV (10-3) at Albertsons Stadium.
Late in the game, Fox color commentator Brock Huard said if coaches awarded the Heisman Trophy, Jeanty would be the clear favorite.
“If only coaches voted, Ashton Jeanty would win the Heisman,” Huard said. “I really fully believe that, because they know. Travis Hunter is the most spectacular, the most dynamic player. But the best player who’s elevated his team to a championship in a playoff and a bye is (Jeanty).”
Unfortunately for Jeanty, coaches don’t vote for the Heisman; media members do. And the media seems to prefer Hunter.
In the latest Heisman odds update from FanDuel, Hunter remains the favorite at -2500 while Jeanty is +1000. Jeanty’s odds dropped all the way to +400 after he ripped off a 75-yard second-quarter touchdown that put Boise State up 21-0, but the Broncos didn’t do much offensively after the break.
Jeanty is up to 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns this season, leading the country in all three categories. He ranks fourth on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list, trailing only Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (2,628 yards, 1988 season), Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (2,587, 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567, 2007).
Jeanty will need rushing 132 yards in the College Football Playoff to break Sanders’ record. The Broncos are expected to receive a first-round bye as one of the four highest-rated conference champions.
Hunter made a strong closing statement last week by catching 10 passes for 116 yards and three touchdowns while picking off a pass on defense in a victory over Oklahoma State. No. 23 Colorado (9-3) failed to qualify for the Big 12 Championship and will not be in the CFP.
Earlier in the week, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson took a small dig at Hunter and the Buffaloes.
“Ashton Jeanty is the best football player in the country,” Danielson said. “And for me, if you’re one of the best players in the country, you play in a championship game.”
Hunter has 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns — a new Colorado single-season school record — with four interceptions on defense.
The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists will be announced Monday.
MORE BOISE STATE NEWS & ANALYSIS
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Continue to follow our Boise State coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.
