Boise State Broncos ON SI

Game recap, analysis: No. 13 Boise State fights back, runs away from San Jose State

Ashton Jeanty has 159 yards and three touchdowns in 42-21 comeback victory 

Bob Lundeberg

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty.
Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

No. 13 Boise State trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter of Saturday’s Mountain West Conference game at San Jose State.

With their College Football Playoff hopes on the line, the Broncos regrouped to pull even by halftime and blew by San Jose State in the second half for a 42-21 victory. 

Heisman Trophy contender Ashton Jeanty had 32 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns. On a 36-yard third-quarter touchdown run, Jeanty passed Jay Ajayi for the most single-season rushing yards in Boise State history. 

Ajayi ran for 1,823 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2014; Jeanty has 1,893 yards and 26 TDs this season. 

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

FINAL STATS

For the fifth straight game, Jeanty topped the 30-carry mark. He has run for 127 or more yards in every game this season. 

Quarterback Maddux Madsen completed 22 of 30 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score. 

Cameron Camper had six catches for 92 yards while Latrell Caples finished with six catches for 75 yards. 

San Jose State’s Walker Eget completed 34 of 50 passes for 446 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Star receivers Justin Lockhart (10 catches, 172 yards, one touchdown) and Nick Nash (nine catches, 126 yards, one touchdown) both had huge games. 

Boise State’s had four takeaways.

Fourth Quarter Recap

Final score: Boise State 42, San Jose State 21. 

Goal line stand: San Jose State drives to the Boise State 2, but the Spartans can’t punch it in as time expires. 

Pick-six: Davon Banks puts an exclamation point on this win with a 70-yard pick-six. Boise State 42, San Jose State 21, 1:42 remaining. 

Two-minute timeout: SJSU, in desperation mode, has it in BSU territory. 

Jeanty: The Heisman contender’s likely final line: 32 carries, 159 yards, three touchdowns. It felt like SJSU had Jeanty bottled up for most of the first half, but he still did plenty of damage. Jeanty is the best player in the country. 

Touchdown Broncos: Jeanty punches it in from five yards out to effectively end this game. Boise State 35, San Jose State 21. 2:23 to play. 

Red zone: Madsen hits Prince Strachan for an 11-yard gain to the SJSU 15. On the next play, Matt Lauter catches a pass to the 5. Broncos are close to putting this one away with 2:30 remaining. 

Broncos on the move: Three first downs, including a 22-yard pass from Madsen to Camper, and BSU is already down to the SJSU 34. 

BSU defense holds: Spartans are forced to punt for the first time all game. Broncos take over at their own 11 with 8:41 to go in the game, still leading 28-21. 

SJSU air attack: After a rare Nick Nash drop, Justin Lockhart hauls in a 35-yard jump ball while fighting through pass interference. This SJSU receiving group is talented. 

Missed field goal: The drive stalls, and Jonah Dalmas misses a 34-yard field goal wide right. Spartans survive the trick play disaster and are down just a touchdown with 10:40 remaining.  

Jeanty: The Heisman Trophy candidate pulls multiple defenders for six extra yards to the SJSU 15. Broncos have a chance to take command early in the fourth quarter. 

Still on the fumble: That play call was confounding. I just don’t get it. Anyway, Broncos on the march, already down to the SJSU 27. 

SJSU fumble: Spartans go with a pitch trick play, and Ahmed Hassanein falls on the dropped ball at the BSU 43. San Jose State has tried two trick plays tonight, and both failed spectacularly. Wow. 

Jeanty update: Jeanty is now Boise State’s single-season rushing leader. He passed Jay Ajayi, who ran for 1,823 yards in 2014. Jeanty is at 1,841 yards so far tonight.

Injury updates: It sounds like Latrell Caples is good to go. Tyler Keinath is still being evaluated. 

Third Quarter Recap

End of quarter: Boise State 28, San Jose State 21. Spartans are on the march at their own 42. 

Touchdown Broncos: Ashton Jeanty does it again. The Heisman Trophy candidate rips through the left side for a 36-yard touchdown. Jeanty is up to 107 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Boise State 28, San Jose State 21. 

Another injury: And now starting right guard Tyler Keinath is down. It looks like he got rolled up on by Jeanty. Not good. 

Big hit: Latrell Caples takes a huge hit on the sideline from Isiah Revis. I’m surprised it didn’t draw a targeting flag. The BSU receiver is slow to get up.

BSU defense: The Broncos defense now has three huge plays in this game. A fourth-down stop at the goal line, a drive-ending interception and a forced fumble. Three massive plays that have saved a bunch of points. 

SJSU fumble: On fourth-and-two, Eget picks up the first down with his legs but takes a big hit and coughs it up. Jayden Virgin-Morgan comes up with the recovery, Ty Benefield had the hit. First-and-10 Broncos from their own 34. 

Spartans on the move: The SJSU passing attack is no joke. Lockhart catches a 26-yard back-shoulder throw from Eget in front of the BSU bench. The Broncos wanted a push-off called, but no flag came. 

Score update: Oregon, the No. 1 team in the country, trails Wisconsin 10-6 at halftime. The Ducks defeated Boise State 37-34 back in September. 

Touchdown Broncos: Matt Lauter hauls in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Madsen off another play-action fake. Really good answer by the Broncos. San Jose State 21, Boise State 21. 6:43 remaining in the third quarter. 

Big penalty: Madsen is sacked for the second time tonight, but the play is wiped out on a late hit penalty. Huge break for Boise State. 

Touchdown Spartans: Who else? Nick Nash catches a six-yard touchdown from Eget in the left corner of the end zone. Nash reminds me of former New Orleans Saints standout Michael Thomas. He is an amazing route runner. San Jose State 21, Boise State 14. 

Nash again: Nash gets open on a double move and hauls one in for a 45-yard gain to the Boise State 10. Nick Nash is a dude. 

No targeting: Ty Benefield led with his shoulder, so the targeting flag is picked up. But the catch stands for Nick Nash. First-and-10 Spartans from their own 41.

Nick Nash hauls one in: The nation’s leading receiver makes a tough catch up the sideline for a 27-yard gain. Nash was interfered with and survived a targeting penalty, which is now under review for ejection. 

Spartans ball: We are back on in San Jose. A bouncing kickoff by Boise State fools the Spartans, which causes Jabari Bates to knock the ball out of bounds at the 2. Much better start for Boise State this half. 

Halftime Recap

Heisman Trophy odds: Colorado’s Travis Hunter is now a -500 favorite after Jeanty’s slow start — by his standards — against San Jose State. Jeanty (+750) and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (+950) have work to do. 

Team stats: Boise State holds a narrow edge in total yards, 208-188. Both teams have one turnover. 

San Jose State stats: Nick Nash, the nation’s leading receiver, has just three catches for 31 yards. Walker Eget is 14 of 22 passing for 153 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Justin Lockhart has five catches for 81 yards and a TD. 

Boise State stats: Ashton Jeanty has 17 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown. Maddux Madsen is 11 of 16 passing for 145 yards with a rushing TD. Receivers Latrell Caples (five catches, 66 yards) and Cameron Camper (three catches, 57 yards) have both been huge. 

Second Quarter Recap

Halftime: Boise State 14, San Jose State 14. Spartans get the ball to start the second half. 

Touchdown Broncos: Jeanty punches it in from two yards out for his first touchdown of the day. We are all tied up in San Jose at 14-all late in the opening half. Really good job by BSU responding to the early 14-0 hole.

Red zone Broncos: Latrell Caples hauls in a 17-yard pass on third-and-13. Broncos have a first-and-goal from the 6 after a Jeanty run. Timeout Spartans with 44 seconds to go in the half.  

Two-minute timeout: After a 14-yard gain by Jeanty, Boise State has it at the San Jose State 33. Spartans get the ball to start the second half, so BSU could really use a touchdown here going into halftime. 

BSU interception: Ty Benefield picks off a deep ball from Eget to end a promising SJSU drive. BSU’s defense has come up with two big plays to prevent the Spartans from adding to their lead. 

More special teams issues: Jabari Bates returns the kickoff 42 yards to the SJSU 43. Boise State has fumbled a kickoff, bungled a fake field goal and now allowed a big return. Not good. 

Drive details: 11 plays, 92 yards. Madsen made big plays with his arm and legs. 

Touchdown Broncos: Boise State gets back into this one as Madsen punches it in on a keeper from four yards out. SJSU 14, BSU 7. 5:36 remaining in the half. 

Big play Broncos: Madsen hits a wide-open Camper for a 29-yard gain off play action. The Jeanty effect. 

Jeanty update: Nine carries, 19 yards. There’s just no room for Jeanty against this SJSU front. After a pass interference call, Broncos have a first down at midfield with 7:21 remaining in the half. 

Great catch: Latrell Caples makes a great sideline catch for an 18-yard gain that survives a replay review. First-and-10 Broncos from their own 24. 

Broncos hold: On fourth-and-one from the 2, SJSU opts to go for it and calls a throwback pass to tackle Sione Nomani. The big man is brought down just short of the line to gain. Huge, huge stop for the Broncos, who take over at their own 2 down 14-0. 

Spartans timeout: SJSU, facing a third-and-four from the Boise State 5, takes a timeout. Big play early in this game with the underdog Spartans up 14-0. 

BSU fumble: Cameron Bates coughs it up on the ensuing kickoff, and SJSU kicker Mathias Brown falls on it at the BSU 34. A disastrous opening 16 minutes for Boise State. 

Eget update: The SJSU QB is 9 of 13 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Boise State has one of the nation’s best pass rushes, but Eget is getting the ball out quickly to his talented receivers. 

Touchdown Spartans: Jacob Stewart catches a seven-yard slant from Eget for a touchdown. San Jose State 14, Boise State 0. Broncos are officially on upset watch. 

Jeanty update: Tough sledding for Jeanty in the first quarter. The Heisman Trophy candidate was held to 18 yards on six carries. SJSU is keying on Jeanty and playing man coverage in the secondary. 

First Quarter Recap

End of quarter: San Jose State 7, Boise State 0. Spartans have it second-and-goal from the 7. Earlier in the drive, TreyShun Hurry broke two tackles en route to a 26-yard gain on third-and-12. Really poor tackling by the Broncos. 

SJSU big play: BSU sends the house on third-and-long, but Lockhart brings down a jump ball from Lockhart for a 35-yard gain. 

Fake field goal disaster: Instead of kicking a 38-yard field goal, Boise State goes with a fake field goal. SJSU isn’t fooled and drops kicker Jonah Dalmas for a two-yard loss. A good drive by BSU ends with no points. The coaching staff must’ve seen something on film, because seven yards is a big ask for a kicker.

BSU on the move: Madsen makes an incredible throw to Austin Bolt while rolling to his left on third-and-10. It was also a great catch by Bolt. Broncos have reached midfield. 

Drive details: SJSU went 67 yards in eight plays, taking 3:17 off the clock. The Spartans made it look very easy against a vulnerable BSU secondary. 

Touchdown Spartans: Quarterback Walker Eget hits Justin Lockhart for a six-yard TD on third-and-goal. It was a bullet from Eget to Lockhart in the back of the end zone. Spartans 7, Broncos, 0. The exact start SJSU needed. 

Lengthy review: A’Marion McCoy makes a great play, ripping the ball out of the arms of Jacob Stewart at the Broncos 16 and returning it to the SJSU 39. After a lengthy review, the call is overturned and Stewart was ruled down. It was very, very close. 

Broncos ball: Boise State begins the game at its own 25. 

Coin toss: San Jose State wins the toss and defers to the second half. Ashton Jeanty and Boise State will get the ball first.

Pregame Recap

Drive details: SJSU went 67 yards in eight plays, taking 3:17 off the clock. The Spartans made it look very easy against a vulnerable BSU secondary. 

BSU punt: Maddux Madsen takes a second-down sack and the Broncos go three-and-out to open the game. Just one Jeanty carry for three yards on the drive. SJSU gets the ball at its own 32. 

Injury update: Senior safety Alex Teubner is out tonight for Boise State. Teubner suffered a left leg injury in last week’s win over Nevada. 

Helmets: Broncos are wearing their throwback helmets tonight. In my humble opinion, these should be their regular helmets. 

Heisman update: Travis Hunter played a big role in Colorado’s 49-24 rout of Utah. He caught five passes for 55 yards and picked off a pass on defense. The two-way star is now -240 to win the Heisman Trophy while Ashton Jeanty is second at +430. 

Weather: It’s a perfect day for football in the Bay Area. The temperature hit 62 degrees early this afternoon. We will be in the upper 50s at kickoff with no rain in the forecast. 

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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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