Many of the greatest running backs of all time shared an it factor – an almost mythical quality that gives them superhuman powers but is difficult to accurately quantify.
Maybe it’s the ability to plan their next move before ever making the first defender look silly for even trying to tackle them. Maybe it’s the explosiveness to hurdle another grown man or the power to run through him. Maybe it’s the resolve to continue punishing defenders play after play.
Or it’s all of the above.
Whatever it is, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has it, just like the best of all time, including Barry Sanders, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Reggie Bush.
Jeanty leads the country in rushing yards (2,288), rushing touchdowns (28), and carries (312). He’s the first college running back to rack up at least 2,000 yards in a season since 2019 when former Oklahoma State star Chuba Hubbard posted 2,094. Jeanty’s rushing yards already rank No. 5 in NCAA single-season history, and he has Sanders’ record of 2,628 in his sights.
He also has a chance to be the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since former Alabama star Derrick Henry won college football’s most prestigious award in 2015.
Jeanty can put a bow on his Heisman campaign in the Mountain West Championship game against UNLV at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Boise State is a four-point college football betting odds favorite, and the Over/Under is 57.5 points.
A Close Race
The race for the Heisman Trophy will come down to two players: Jeanty and Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.
Hunter has been impressive on both sides of the ball. He ranks No. 2 in the country with 14 touchdown catches and No. 5 with 1,152 receiving yards. He also leads Colorado with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
What Hunter has done on both sides of the ball isn’t likely to be repeated anytime soon, and he’ll potentially be a top-three pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He has a chance to go No. 1 overall, but he isn’t playing in a championship game this weekend.
Jeanty could run away with the award with a dominant performance in yet another nationally televised game. The Mountain West Championship will be the Broncos’ third game on FOX’s flagship station since their home win over Nevada on Nov. 9. They also knocked off Oregon State on FOX last weekend.
I think Jeanty has already had his Heisman moment. It came two weeks ago in Wyoming when he was battered and bruised and still managed to make defenders look silly on a drive that ended with Boise State taking the lead for good in the fourth quarter.
His Heisman resume is strong, but another 200-yard, multiple-touchdown performance might be just what he needs to convince voters nationwide.
Rewriting Record Books
Jeanty opened the season with a record-setting performance, and he hasn’t slowed down since then. He scored six TDs at Georgia Southern, setting Boise State’s single-game touchdowns record.
His 2,288 rushing yards set Boise State and Mountain West single-season records. He has tied with former Boise State running back Jay Ajayi with a program-record 2,390 all-purpose yards. Jeanty and Ajayi are also tied with a single-season record 28 rushing touchdowns.
Jeanty also notched the 20th 100-yard rushing performance of his career last week, tying him with former Boise State running back Cendric Minter for the most in program history. Jeanty needs just 95 yards to break Minter’s record of 4,550 career rushing yards.
Jeanty has already put together a season that won’t be forgotten anytime soon, but he would probably trade all those records for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Boise State has to win on Friday to make that happen.
