LAS VEGAS – Ashton Jeanty, the country’s leading rusher, didn’t live up to his billing but still rushed for 128 yards and the game-winning touchdown to help No. 17 Boise State beat UNLV 29-24 in a game on Friday night the college football playoffs.

Jeanty’s 1-yard TD run on fourth-and-goal with 12:38 left gave the Broncos (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) the lead for good.

Maddux Madsen passed for 209 yards and a touchdown as Boise State kept its hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff alive. The Broncos are eligible for the bowl for the 27th straight season, the second-longest active streak in the country at 28 behind Georgia. They are also 28-1 after a break since 2001.

“This UNLV team is real,” Madsen said. “This defense played hard and fast until the end. We talked all week about it being a heavyweight fight. Their only loss was to Syracuse in overtime. The game was going to be tough.”

The Rebels (6-2, 2-1) needed a win to stay in realistic contention for a playoff spot.

“I’m devastated for our team that we didn’t find a way to win this game,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “Our boys fought. We have a really good team. Boise too. There is no consolation. We lost the game.”

Jeanty’s performance was his second-worst of the season, just one yard better than his performance in a blowout win over Portland State. He averaged at least 7 yards per carry in each of his previous games this season, but was held to 3.9 yards per attempt by the Rebels.

“You’re talking about an absolute warrior,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “Every single (yard) was earned. He is the best football player in the country.”

UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams threw one pass for 179 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 105 yards and a TD.

This game was played before an announced crowd of 42,228 at Allegiant Stadium, breaking a 22-year-old attendance record for a UNLV home game. The previous high was reached on August 31, 2022, when 42,075 spectators watched the Rebels’ game against Wisconsin at Sam Boyd Stadium, where the game was canceled due to a power outage midway through the fourth quarter. This was UNLV’s home stadium until the move to Allegiant in 2020.

The Broncos appeared to take control with two touchdowns in the final 1:50 of the first half to take a 20-10 lead.

Madsen scored on a 7-yard run as the middle opened up for him for the first touchdown. Then linebacker Andrew Simpson intercepted a pass to give Boise State the ball at UNLV’s 7-yard line, setting up Madsen’s 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matt Lauter on fourth-and-goal. It’s only the second touchdown the Rebels have allowed after a turnover.

The Rebels immediately cut the deficit to three points early in the second half, but remained in chase mode the rest of the way. UNLV then took the lead back 24-23 with 1:03 left in the third quarter when Williams hit Jaden Bradley on a go route for a 34-yard touchdown strike.

That lead was short-lived as Boise State regained the lead early in the fourth quarter.

UNLV wide receiver/return specialist Jacob De Jesus left the first half with an unspecified injury.

The takeaway food

Boise State: Jeanty is the 2-1 Heisman favorite at , but his odds could have seen him suffer a setback, especially for those looking for a reason not to give their top vote to a Group of Five player. BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990 is the last player to win the award outside of a power conference. Jeanty has other opportunities to make an impression on voters, and he needs to make the most of them. Danielson said any doubters should “watch the film” as UNLV’s defense has made limiting Jeanty a priority.

UNLV: Untimely penalties were particularly costly in the Rebels’ other loss to Syracuse, and two calls in the fourth quarter were particularly damaging for the Broncos. An unsportsmanlike penalty on left tackle Jalen St. John nearly stalled a drive, and a defensive hold call on cornerback Tony Grimes extended a Boise State series that otherwise would have ended in a punt. Instead, the Broncos ran away with 8:07 minutes in the final.

Impact on the survey

The Broncos at least assured themselves of maintaining their spot rather than potentially falling out of the rankings. UNLV could have moved back into the top 25 with a win, but it significantly hurt its chances of making the poll this season.

Next

Boise State: Hosts San Diego State on Friday.

UNLV: In Hawaii on November 9th.

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This story has been amended to correct that Boise State has the second-longest active bowl qualification streak in the country, not the longest.

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