Ashton Jeanty & #12 Boise State football power through Nevada 28-21

by Junna Base November 10, 2024

It was a closer contest than many expected, but the #12 Boise State Broncos improved to 8-1 on the season Saturday thanks to a 28-21 win over Nevada.

Heisman hopeful running back Ashton Jeanty had another strong performance, carrying the ball 34 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns. The Bronco defense also came into play several times, allowing Nevada to convert just three of 14 third-down conversion attempts.

Here’s what happened on the blue turf as Spencer Danielson’s team moved one step closer to a spot in the College Football Playoff.

After Boise State’s first two possessions gave them a 14-0 lead, it looked like the Broncos were on their way to a dominant win. However, the wolf pack was ready to fight back. Brendon Lewis launched a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended with the quarterback returning the ball from 17 yards out. The defense then beat Madsen on the second play of Boise State’s ensuing possession.

Nevada fumbled on the ensuing possession, but then forced a fumble of its own by Ashton Jeanty. Nevada tied the game a few plays later with a trick play, a 44-yard touchdown pass from receiver Marcus Bellon to running back Caleb Ramseur, with 6:15 left in the second quarter.

The two teams exchanged punts for the rest of the frame until the halftime whistle, when the score was 14-14.

Early in the second half, the Broncos fumbled the kickoff out of bounds and started at their own five. However, they put together a very impressive eight-play, 95-yard drive to score a touchdown and retake the lead. Madsen made it to the one-yard line and Jeanty completed the ball.

Both teams struggled to find a foothold on offense for the remainder of the third quarter and had some great defensive performances.

In the fourth quarter, the Broncos started a promising drive that made it to the two-yard line, but Nevada’s Chad Brown made what looked like an athletic interception to help Nevada take control at that point … however, video review ruled it an incompletion and Jeanty hit his third touchdown of the night.

Nevada looked like they might answer on the following drive, driving 33 yards to the one-yard line after a long kickoff return. However, Sean Dollars struggled to bring the ball down and Jeremiah Earby recovered for Boise State.

Boise was unable to convert that possession into points, and Lewis fired a shot into the end zone, finding Jaden Smith for a 36-yard score. That made it a seven-point game with 2:18 left. Luckily, it’s pretty easy for Boise State to burn with the best running back in the country with two minutes left. Jeanty ran for another 22 yards on the final drive, allowing the Broncos to get into victory formation.

With the win, the Broncos improve to 8-1 on the season and 5-0 in conference play. Next week they face another tough opponent: the San Jose State Spartans, who secured bowl eligibility against Oregon State on Saturday.

Nevada falls to 3-8 overall. They will have a bye next week before facing Air Force on November 23rd.