RECAP: Washington State Falls To Ashton Jeanty and #25 Boise State, 45-24

Joe Londergan | Sep 30, 2024

Sep 28, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) rolls out to throw a pass during the second quarter against the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

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37,711 fans, a Boise State record, took in Saturday night's highly anticipated game between the #25 Broncos and the visiting Washington State Cougars. The Broncos won the game 45-24 on their home turf.

Ultimately, the Cougs could not find a way to slow down Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who finished with 26 carries for 259 yards and four touchdowns. A Boise State defense that sacked John Mateer a total of eight times and made three fourth-down stops throughout the night did the rest. The final score came to 45-24 as a result.

Ashton Jeanty opened the scoring for the Broncos on the first possession of the game, breaking off a 64-yard run to the end-zone, breaking three or four tackles in the process. Eager to answer, John Mateer ran 52 yards on WSU's first offensive play, going down to the 13-yard line. He threw a touchdown to tight end Cooper Mathers a few moments later.

Boise State punter James Ferguson Reynolds, a preseason All-American, appeared to get hurt on Boise State's second possession, landing awkwardly getting the ball away while being rushed by several WSU defenders. He needed to be helped off of the field by members of the Boise State staff.

The Cougars grabbed some momentum with an interception by Tyson Durant with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter, but were unable to advance the ball more than a yard on the ensuing possession. The Broncos were keen to take advantage right away, mounting a 10-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal by Jonah Dalmas.

In the second quarter, Washington State's offense got back on the board with a 35-yard field goal with 8:27 remaining. Janikowski handled field goals and punting, as well as kickoffs for the Cougs, a deviation from WSU's preference due to specialist injuries.

Later in the quarter, a facemask penalty on the Cougar defense set the Broncos up at WSU's 14, where Jeanty powered through multiple defenders for the touchdown. The Cougars mounted a drive into Bronco territory on the next possession, but Mateer threw an interception into the hands of Ty Benefield. The first half ended with Boise State up 17-10.

It took Boise State until there were less than two minutes left in the third quarter to score again, when Maddux Madsen hit Matt Lauter for a 22-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. The Dalmas extra point made it 24-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

In need of points to start the final frame, Mateer led the Cougar offense on a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive ending with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams. Just a few snaps later, Ashton Jeanty would run 59 yards for another score, running through several Cougar defenders in the process. It's a highlight that will be shown many, many times in the coming days.

He's not real @AshtonJeanty2

📺 FS1#BleedBlue | #BuiltDifferent | #HEI2MAN pic.twitter.com/eRsMYx9DgF
— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) September 29, 2024

At this point, frustrations had set in for Washington State, leading the Cougs' defense to get flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. That put Boise State's offense at the two-yard line, setting up Jeanty's fourth touchdown run. The Broncos quickly added another touchdown pass from Madsen to Lauter after forcing a turnover on downs for Mateer and company.

WSU would mount one final 11-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a rushing touchdown for Leo Pulalasi, albeit inconsequential. This brought the game to the final score of 45-24.

The Cougars look to keep it moving in two weeks, with a road date at Fresno State on the schedule for October 12. The loss brings their record to 4-1 on the season.

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