COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Boise State 62, Utah State 30

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOISE, Idaho - Ashton Jeanty ran for 186 yards and three touchdowns on 13 first-half carries, Maddux Madsen passed for 256 yards and three TDs and No. 21 Boise State beat Utah State 62-30 on Saturday night in the Mountain West opener for both team.

Jeanty became only the eighth FBS running back since 1996 to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing five games into a season, a list that includes Ricky Williams and Leonard Fournette.

Boise State (4-1) won its eighth straight against the Aggies (1-4), racing to a 49-17 halftime lead and showing no signs of a letdown after beating Washington State last week. Jeanty sat out the second half in the blowout.

Utah State lost its third game this season to a ranked opponent after falling to Southern California and Utah in consecutive weeks in September.

Jeanty set the tone on Boise State’s first play from scrimmage, shredding three tacklers and racing 63 yards for a touchdown. He added a 75-yard scoring run, bowling through the line and bouncing outside before pulling away.

Utah State’s Jalen Royals had a career-high 211 yards receiving, including two TDs, one of which went for 75 yards. Spencer Petras, a transfer from Iowa, set a career high in passing yards with 351. Her threw three touchdown passes.

THE TAKEAWAY

Boise State: The Broncos showed its offense isn’t a one-trick pony with a balanced attack against Utah State (303 passing, 296 rushing). However, Boise State’s defense has been porous at times and will need to tighten up against some of the more formidable teams left on the Broncos’ schedule if they want to crash the playoff party in December.

Utah State: The Aggies are almost out of their gauntlet of a schedule to start the season, with another tough opponent in UNLV next week. However, the tough start should serve them well as they get into the softer part of their schedule in mid-October.

Boise State athletics press release

October 4, 2024