Boise State Broncos ON SI

Game recap, analysis: No. 12 Boise State football holds off Nevada

Ashton Jeanty runs for 209 yards and three touchdowns in the 28-21 win

Bob Lundeberg

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and three touchdowns against Nevada.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and three touchdowns against Nevada. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

No. 12 Boise State jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead over Nevada Saturday night, but the Broncos found themselves in a war at Albertsons Stadium.

Behind 209 yards and three touchdowns from Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West Conference) held on for a 28-21 victory over the Wolf Pack (3-8, 0-5).

Boise State needed the victory to have any chance at securing a top-four seed in the College Football Playoff. The Broncos will once again be the highest-ranked team outside of the Power 4 conferences when the next rankings are unveiled Tuesday. 

Read our game recap, with in-game analysis and big play highlights from start to finish.

FINAL STATS

Jeanty once again put Boise State on his back, carrying it 34 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Running room was sparse all night, but the Heisman Trophy candidate still went over the 200-yard mark for the fourth time this season. 

Maddux Madsen struggled after last week’s breakout performance and completed just 9 of 20 passes for 119 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Madsen had two other interceptions nullified (one by penalty, one on replay review). 

Brendon Lewis was sensational for Nevada. Playing with a sore right arm and ribs, Lewis finished 17 of 26 passing for 188 yards with a touchdown while running for 32 yards and a TD on 10 carries. 

FOURTH QUARTER RECAP

Final score: Boise State 28, Nevada 21

First down Jeanty: On second-and-15, Jeanty rips off a 17-yard run that will all but seal the game. Jeanty has had to work for all 199 of his yards tonight. 

Onside kick: Nevada goes with an onside kick, and BSU recovers it at the Wolf Pack 44.  We are at the two-minute warning in Boise. BSU will have a second-and-15 when play resumes. Nevada has two time outs left.

Touchdown Nevada: Wolf Pack will not go quietly. Lewis delivers a dime to Jaden Smith for a 36-yard touchdown. BSU 28, Nevada 21, 2:19 remaining. What a gritty performance by Nevada on the Blue. BSU will need one first down to ice this game. It’s Jeanty time. 

BSU punt: Facing a fourth-and-inches at the 29, Broncos choose the safe option and punt it back to Nevada. 3:25 to play in Boise, the lead remains 28-14. 

Disaster Nevada: Wolf Pack march to the Boise State 1, but Sean Dollars fumbles for the third time near the goal line. Jeremiah Earby recovers it for the Broncos. Massive swing late in this game. BSU, leading 28-14, has 5:24 of clock to kill.

Big kick return: BSU committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Jeanty touchdown, and Ky Woods makes the Broncos pay by returning the long kickoff 48 yards to the Broncos 33. 

Touchdown Broncos: One play after the overturn, BSU hands it to Jeanty, and the Heisman candidate delivers a two-yard touchdown run. It’s Jeanty’s third of the day. BSU 28, Nevada 14, 10:05 remaining in the game. 

BSU bailed out: After further review, Chad Brown did not secure the ball before sliding out of bounds. Very, very borderline overturn. BSU has it third-and-goal from the 2. 

Wolf Pack interception: BSU drives to the Nevada 2, and Madsen forces a pass to Chase Penry at the goal line. Chad Brown makes a great play on the ball and intercepts it. Really poor decision by Madsen. Wolf Pack still has life, trailing 21-14 with the ball at its own 2. 

Big Jeanty run: Jeanty finally gets some space and rips off a 31-yard run to the Nevada 31. 

Nevada punt: Lewis takes another huge hit on third-and-five. Jayden Virgin-Morgan again with the pressure, hitting Lewis on his sore right arm. Boise State, leading 21-14, takes over at its own 38 following a Nevada punt. Seth Knothe muffed the punt, but it was recovered by the Broncos. 

THIRD QUARTER RECAP

BSU punt: Broncos go three-and-out and punt it right back to Nevada. Wolf Pack held Jeanty to 18 yards in the third quarter as we head to the fourth. BSU offense has really struggled after the first two drives. 

Wolf Pack punt: BSU’s defense gets a stop, and the Broncos take over at their own 27 late in the third quarter. Still BSU 21, Nevada 14. 

Nevada’s QB: Brendon Lewis is one tough dude. He’s holding his right wrist and ribs, but still hanging in and delivering good balls. 

Broncos punt it back: Nevada regroups from the questionable call and forces a BSU punt. James Ferguson-Reynolds pins Nevada at the 7. Wolf Pack trail 21-14 with the ball. 

Penalty saves BSU: Kitan Crawford picks off Madsen, but a Nevada teammate is called for pass interference on the play. Very, very tough call if you’re a Wolf Pack fan. Fox announcer Tim Brando called it a “phantom foul.” 

Attendance: Announced crowd of 37,143, the sixth-largest in Albertsons Stadium history. 

Broncos get it back: Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis limps off the field after taking another big hit (it’s been a physical game). Boise State takes over first-and-10 on its own 18 following a Wolf Pack punt. 

Injury: Boise State senior safety Alex Teubner is done for the day. Teubner has a brace on his left leg. 

Touchdown Broncos: Jeanty’s second touchdown of the evening is a one-yard run up the gut that caps a 95-yard drive. The lengthy march included a 38-yard pass from Madsen to Cameron Camper that was a perfect deep throw. Madsen also had a tough nine-yard run to the Nevada 1. BSU 21, Nevada 14.

Near disaster: Wild start to the third quarter as Boise State can’t corral the deep kickoff. After a mad scramble, the loose ball goes out of bounds at the 5. Broncos very lucky to retain possession. 

HALFTIME RECAP

Jeanty observation: One has to wonder if the left arm is bothering him. He doesn’t look quite as dangerous as he did the first six games of the season. Of course, Jeanty is still on pace to run for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns tonight. 

Time of possession: BSU and Nevada are two of the highest time of possession teams in the country, and the Wolf Pack are winning that battle 16:28 to 13:32. 

BSU stats: No surprise, Ashton Jeanty leads the way with 14 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Matt Lauter has six catches for 61 yards and a TD. Maddux Madsen is 7 for 12 for 71 yards with one TD and one interception. 

Nevada stats: Quarterback Brendon Lewis has completed 9 of 12 passes for 66 yards while running for 27 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Caleb Ramseur caught a 44-yard trick play touchdown from Marcus Bellon. 

SECOND QUARTER RECAP

Halftime: A bit of a surprise in Boise as the Broncos and Wolf Pack are tied at 14. BSU was a 24-point favorite, but Nevada closed the first half with 14 straight points. 

One last try for Wolf Pack: On fourth-and-five from the Nevada 48, BSU tries to get Nevada to jump offsides but the Wolf Pack doesn’t bite. Broncos opt to punt it away, giving Nevada one last possession with 1:08 left in the half. First-and-10 Wolf Pack from the 11. 

Nevada punt: More pressure from Virgin-Morgan forces Lewis to dump it down to Dollars, who is tackled shy of the first-down marker. Broncos get it back with 3:05 to go on their own 24. 

BSU punt: Broncos go three-and-out and are forced to punt for the first time tonight. Wolf Pack nearly block the punt and take over at its own 26 with 5:14 remaining in the half. 

Trick play touchdown: Nevada ties the game with a nifty throwback touchdown on fourth-and-one. Wide receiver Marcus Bellon threw the pass to Caleb Ramseur, who spun his way out of a tackle en route to the end zone for a 44-yard TD. 

Jeanty’s first fumble of 2024: Jeanty had the ball in his left arm, which got dinged up during Boise State’s game against UNLV. He has played with a brace on the arm the last two games. The lost fumble was also BSU's first turnover since Oct. 5 against Utah State.

Jeanty puts it on the turf: The Nevada defense recovers its first fumble of the season. Stone Combs gets on top of a Jeanty fumble for the Wolf Pack’s second takeaway of the night. It was Jeanty's first fumble of the season.

Nevada fumble: Sean Dollars puts it on the ground for the second time tonight, and Marco Notarainni falls on it to end a promising Wolf Pack drive. Broncos take over at their own 29. 

FIRST QUARTER RECAP

Boise State turnover: Maddux Madsen overthrows Matt Lauter, and Nathaneal Floyd picks it off. Nevada, trailing 14-7 heading to the second quarter, has it near midfield. 

Wolf Pack answer: Nevada desperately needed a solid drive, and the Wolf Pack go 75 yards in six plays to make it a 14-7 game. Quarterback Brendon Lewis finishes it with a nifty 17-yard touchdown run. 

Total yardage update: Jeanty 92, Nevada -6.

Touchdown Broncos: Jeanty trucks a Nevada defender and crosses the goal line for his first touchdown of the night. 14-0 Broncos with 4:12 to go in the opening quarter. 

Jeanty explodes! The Heisman Trophy candidate rips off a 46-yard run up the gut and is finally pulled down at the Nevada 8. Jeanty is already up to 88 yards rushing.

Another three-and-out: Jayden Virgin-Morgan does it again, punching the ball out of Sean Dollars’ hands. Dollars gets back on it for a big loss, and Nevada is forced to punt for the second time. 

Touchdown Broncos: Matt Lauter catches an 11-yard screen pass from Maddux Madsen and takes it to the house for a 7-0 lead. Very easy 12-play, 68-yard scoring drive for Boise State. Jeanty had seven carries for 42 yards on the drive and had a touchdown called back on a holding penalty. 

BSU on the move: Backup running back Jambres Dubar looked good on his first carry tonight. He has been injured for much of 2024 and hasn’t played since Oct. 5. 

Three-and-out: Boise State’s defense opens with a stop, which included a third-down sack by Jayden Virgin-Morgan. It was the sophomore’s ninth sack of the year. Broncos start at their own 32. 

Opening kickoff: Nevada wins the opening coin toss and elects to receive. Here we go!

PREGAME RECAP

Uniforms: Boise State is wearing all black uniforms tonight. Nevada is in all white.

New Heisman odds: Colorado defeats Texas Tech, 41-27. Travis Hunter finishes with nine catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. The two-way star is now the FanDuel Heisman favorite at +135, ahead of Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (+190) and Ashton Jeanty (+430). Big opportunity for Jeanty to close the gap tonight. 

Heisman update: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Travis Hunter entered Saturday as the Heisman Trophy co-favorites at +185. Miami suffered a loss to unranked Georgia Tech earlier today, and the Buffaloes are leading Texas Tech in the fourth quarter. With a big performance against the Wolf Pack, Ashton Jeanty should shoot right back to the top of the Heisman odds list alongside Hunter.

Weather: It’s a beautiful fall evening in the Treasure Valley. Temperature is 48 degrees with no rain in sight as kickoff looms.

Pregame festivities: After catching three touchdowns in last week’s victory over San Diego State, senior wide receiver is one of Boise State’s flag carriers for tonight’s game against Nevada. 

MORE BOISE STATE NEWS & ANALYSIS

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Bob Lundeberg
BOB LUNDEBERG

Bob Lundeberg is a reporter for Boise State Broncos On SI. An Oregon State graduate, Bob has lived in Idaho since 2019 and is an avid hiker and golfer.

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