Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty, of Boise State, poses with the trophy during a college football media availability, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

Boise back on verge of all-time record

By Andy Stine

For the Sentinel

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is as talented as it comes as a running back in college football.

In fact, depending on whom you ask, he had a good argument to win the Heisman Trophy but finished second to Colorado two-way player Travis Hunter.

“What he does is insane,” Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen said. “Nobody has ever seen it. He’s still the best player in college football, in my opinion and for a lot of people.”

In fact, Jeanty felt he should have “walked away with the award.”

Instead, his second-place finish of 2,017 points to Hunter’s 2,231 was the closest margin of victory since 2009.

You won’t get much of an argument from Penn State coach James Franklin.

“In any other year, I think he wins the Heisman, and you can make the argument that he should have won it this year,” Franklin said.

Jeanty certainly has a right to feel the way he does after a season where he rushed for 2,497 yards. He only needs 132 yards to break Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, which was set in 1988.

Jeanty caught the eye of the Hall of Famer on X that there’s a possibility of his 36-year-old record being broken in the matter of a few days, and Sanders expressed his support.

“I think it’s pretty cool to have support from the person who has the record right now,” Jeanty said. “Obviously, he’s considered one of the best to ever play the position. I told him thank you for the support, and it’s just great to have the support of a legend.”

Jeanty admitted to knowing he needs 132 yards to break the record. However, that hallowed record is still secondary when it comes to Tuesday night’s Fiesta Bowl (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

“I want to break the record, but the main thing is winning against Penn State,” Jeanty said. “If we take care of what we need to take care of, that will come with it.”

One of the most impressive stats in a long line of great ones is Jeanty’s 1,882 yards after contact.

“He has more yards after contact than most of the elite backs in college football have in general,” Franklin said.

In order to break the record, he will have to do it against one of the best defensive fronts the Broncos have seen this year. Jeanty ran for 192 yards against Oregon, which also has a dominating front seven, but that was also very early in the season.

Jeanty, who is a projected first round draft pick at a position where prospects rarely go off the board on the first day, pointed out Abdul Carter and Kobe King as two members that stand out for the PSU defense.

“They all make each other look really good — the whole front seven,” Jeanty said. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”

The question on the Boise State side is how the team will respond to its long layoff.

Broncos coach Spencer Danielson pointed out the team has practiced an ample amount of time, but it will have been 25 days since its last game (Dec. 6 vs. UNLV).

“It’s been a blessing to have this much time off,” Jeanty said. “It will do us all well having this time off, but it’s been a little bit since we played football. I’m confident in our preparation and how we’ve been working.”

As for Boise State being 10.5-point underdogs to the Nittany Lions?

“It’s nothing new. Nobody had us picked to come to the playoffs,” Jeanty said. “They had us picked to win the conference like they do every year, but in terms of going against the elite teams, nobody ever has us picked to win. We’re out to prove everyone wrong. We still have that chip on our shoulder.”

What if Tuesday night would be the last game in a Boise State uniform for Jeanty? Ask former NFL coach Dirk Koetter, who now serves as the Boise State offensive coordinator.

“Ashton is going to do just fine for himself wherever he ends up,” Koetter said. “The running back is making a comeback. There’s teams running the ball well right now. Ashton is going to make some team very happy.”

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FIESTA BOWL HISTORY

Capsule look at PSU’s Fiesta Bowl history

Penn State is 7-0 in the Fiesta Bowl. Here’s a brief recap:

Dec. 25, 1977 – Penn State 42, Arizona State 30

The Nittany Lions overpowered Arizona State and won their first trip to Tempe. Steve Geise (111) and Bob Torrey (107) both surpassed the 100-yard mark as the Lions rushed for 268 yards to ASU’s 90. Matt Millen was the game’s defensive MVP with 18 tackles. PSU’s special teams also starred as Joe Lally blocked a punt and returned it 21 yards for a TD and Jimmy Cefalo broke a 67-yard punt return. The Lions capped an 11-1 season. Arizona State was coached by Windber native Frank Kush.

Dec. 26, 1980 – Penn State 31, Ohio State 19

The Lions overcame a slow start and trailed 19-10 at halftime before pitching a second-half shutout. Once again, the Lions’ ground game was the difference as PSU outrushed the Buckeyes 351-110. The 351 rushing yards would stand as a PSU bowl record until the 2019 Cotton vs. Baylor. The Lions finished 10-2. Curt Warner rushed for 155 yards to win offensive MVP honors. Frank Case won the defensive award.

Jan. 1, 1982 – Penn State 26, USC 10

The Nits’ defense held Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen to 85 yards on 30 carries. Penn State outrushed the Trojans 218-60. Curt Warner rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns and was the offensive MVP for the second straight year. The Lions capped an 11-2 season (losses to Alabama and at Miami) and set the stage for their first national title a year later.

Jan. 2, 1987 – Penn State 14, Miami 10

Stands as greatest win in PSU history as Joe Paterno’s team stunned the star-studded Hurricanes as a seven-point underdog to claim their second national title in five seasons and finish with a perfect 12-0 record. Penn State’s defense intercepted Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde five times, including Pete Giftopoulos’ game-clincher at the PSU 1-yard line on fourth down with nine seconds left. Shane Conlan made two interceptions. The Lions won the game despite converting just eight first downs. More than 70 million people watched the game, breaking the TV record for viewership. The game was moved from Jan. 1 to Friday, Jan. 2 in order to create a prime-time stand-alone bowl for the national championship. Miami was coached by future Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson.

Jan. 1, 1992 – Penn State 42, Tennessee 17

In one of the more remarkable in-game turnarounds, the Lions bounced back from a sluggish first half in which they were outgained by an incredible 324-59. And yet, somehow the Volunteers only led 10-7. State unleashed an avalanche in the second half and, helped by four turnovers, outscored UT 35-7 to win going away. Tony Sacca threw four touchdown passes, punter Doug Helkowski averaged 47.9 yards on nine punts, Keith Goganious made 15 tackles, and Reggie Givens was the defensive MVP. The Lions finished 11-2 and ranked No. 3.

Jan. 1, 1997 – Penn State 38, Texas 15

PSU, and Joe Paterno, improved to 6-0 in the Fiesta Bowl as, once again, the Nittany Lions turned in a dominance second half. The Lions trailed 12-7 at halftime but outscored the Longhorns 31-3 after intermission. Big plays highlighted the PSU comeback as Chafie Fields took a double reverse 84 yards and Kenny Watson returned a kickoff 81 yards. The Lions outrushed Texas 330-73. The Lions finished 11-2 and ranked No. 7.

Dec. 30, 2017 – Penn State 35, Washington 28

Penn State jumped out to a 14-0 lead and made it stand up. Trace McSorley passed for 342 yards and two touchdowns, and Saquon Barkley rushed for 137 and two touchdowns, including a 92-yarder. McSorley was 12-for-12 on third down for 194 yards and was the offensive MVP. Marcus Allen won defensive honors. PSU racked up 545 yards of total offense and improved to 7-0 in the Fiesta Bowl. The Lions finished 11-2 and ranked No. 8.

(Compiled by Neil Rudel)