If there were any doubts about the legitimacy of No. 17 Boise State’s campaign for a spot in the College Football Playoff heading into Friday’s showdown against UNLV, the Broncos put them to rest.
On a night that Heisman Trophy frontrunner Ashton Jeanty put up pedestrian numbers – by his lofty standards – the Broncos fought and clawed their way to a 29-24 win over a UNLV team that had scored at least 50 points in two of its past four games.
The win makes Boise State the favorite to host the Mountain West Championship game. It also gives the Broncos a sizable lead in the race to clinch one of the five guaranteed spots in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
The five highest ranked conference champions are guaranteed playoff spots. The next seven highest ranked teams earn at-large spots.
Boise State (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) was the highest-ranked team from a Group of Five league in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, and the Broncos aren’t likely to drop in next week’s poll.
Their top competition is No. 23 Army (7-0) and No. 24 Navy (6-1), both of which have some challenges on their schedules. Navy lost to No. 12 Notre Dame today, and Army takes on the Fighting Irish on Nov. 23. The Midshipmen still have to face Tulane, and the Black Knights have to play North Texas and UTSA. Navy also hosts Army on Dec. 14.
Liberty (5-1) was likely knocked out of the running when the Flames lost to Kennesaw State on Wednesday.
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The Stars Are Aligning For Boise State
What remains of Boise State’s schedule isn’t nearly as daunting as what Army and Navy have to face.
The Broncos will almost certainly be favored in every game for the rest of the season, and they have a chance to be 11-1 heading into the Mountain West title game in early December. They do have to face Nevada (Nov. 9) and San Jose State (Nov. 16), both of which have looked good at times this year, but Boise State’s remaining five opponents have a combined 16-19 record.
Boise State hosts San Diego State on Nov. 1, travels to Wyoming on Nov. 23, and ends the regular season at home against Oregon State on Nov. 29. The Broncos don’t play Colorado State or Fresno State this year.
If Boise State runs the table and heads into the conference championship game with its only loss of the year coming against top-ranked Oregon, the Broncos could be looking at a top-four seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Ashton Jeanty Injured In Gritty Performance
Jeanty posted a season-low 128 rushing yards against UNLV, falling well below the 208 rushing yards he averaged heading into Friday’s game. He did find the end zone on a 1-yard run that put the Broncos ahead for good early in the fourth quarter, but the Rebels’ defense slowed him down better than any other team has this season.
Jeanty did appear to injure his left arm or elbow in the first half. His arm was heavily taped in the second half, and it was clear he was in pain, but he finished the game and helped his team grind out a huge win.
Looking a little less superhuman than usual could slightly hurt Jeanty’s chances at the Heisman, but his health moving forward is a much bigger story. Any missed time would be very detrimental to his chances of becoming the fourth running back to win the Heisman since 2000, but Jeanty didn’t seem concerned after the game.
“It’s alright,” he told CBS Sports reporter Tiffany Blackmon. “We’re going to take care of it and get some treatment.”
On Friday, Boise State leaned on a defense that racked up six sacks. Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen, who threw for 209 yards and a touchdown, added a rushing touchdown and picked up key first downs with his legs in the second half.
Run It Back?
All is not lost for UNLV. Losing to Boise State certainly hurt the Rebels’ chances of earning a CFP spot, but they could get another shot at the Broncos.
UNLV (6-2, 2-1 Mountain West) still has a chance to make the Mountain West Championship. If the Rebels hoist the conference title trophy, they’re right back into the playoff mix.
The Rebels still have road games at Hawaii and San Jose State and home games against San Diego State and Nevada on the schedule. UNLV could win out and make the conference championship game, especially considering how explosive the offense looks.
Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams accounted for at least three touchdowns for the fifth straight game on Friday. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns and added a team-high 105 yards and another touchdown on the ground. He did throw an interception late in the first half, which led to a touchdown and helped Boise State go into halftime with a 10-point lead, but this offense is hard to deal with when Williams takes care of the ball.
