RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
What makes Boise State operating again Ashton Jeanty such a risk? What drives defensive coordinators to throw punches within the press field and coaches to throw tantrums? They nearly had him.
Just when everybody within the stadium – gamers, coaches and followers – thinks Jeanty might be tackled, he manages to flee, dropping a defender, vanishing after which showing 20 meters from the sphere.
Jeanty is a magical act. And his stats are pretty.
The junior operating again totaled 2,497 dashing yards heading into Boise State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup in opposition to Penn State (7:30pm ET, Tuesday at State Farm Stadium). Line up Penn State’s three main rushers — Nick Singleton (928), Kaytron Allen (892) and Drew Allar (289) — in opposition to Jeanty’s tally, they usually nonetheless stay practically 400 yards behind the Broncos’ star.
But here is the true motive Jeanty is such a wizard on the gridiron: 1,889 of these 2,497 dashing yards got here after contact. If we solely counted these yards after contact, he would nonetheless be the nation’s main rusher… by 229 yards.
Ashton Jeanty 2024 Boise State Broncos Full Season Highlights
There are those that will say Jeanty did not lower it in opposition to elite competitors. Against top-ranked Oregon on Sept. 8, he cooked the Ducks, tore their guts out and served their livers like pate with 192 yards and three touchdowns. And sure, because it seems, that was simply an “common” sport for Jeanty, who has averaged 192.1 dashing yards per sport this season.
Jeanty created as many missed tackles in 13 video games as Penn State linebackers Kobe King (80) and Abdul Carter (63) mixed. He’s the very best defender these Penn State defenders have seen of their careers and the very best to step on any area with the Nittany Lions since Saquon Barkley broke his information at Beaver Stadium.
Tuesday night time’s Fiesta Bowl showdown ought to be a strength-for-strength matchup, because the Nittany Lions aren’t within the behavior of permitting opposing operating backs to eat. They are so stingy at dinner that they write their identify on cling movie on 4 plates and two complete pots.
Tom Allen’s group has allowed only one 100-yard rusher this season: USC’s Woody Marks, who ran for 111 yards within the Trojans’ 33-30 loss to the Nittany Lions on Oct. 12. day,” I imply like a Sunday within the South, as a result of Jeanty is dashing for 127 yards in opposition to Portland State on 11 rushes.
It’s essential to notice that Jeanty is chasing a number of information on this matchup in opposition to Penn State. He wanted simply 3 yards to turn into the third participant within the sport’s 155-year historical past to hurry for two,500 yards in a season. He is simply 131 yards away from Barry Sanders’ vaunted season report of two,628 yards. And sure, he’ll get greater than 11 runs to chase the best prize: immortality.
For now, Jeanty does not want to think about that Sanders set the single-season dashing report in 1988 in simply 11 video games. He does not have to know that we’re not counting Sanders’ 222 dashing yards within the Holiday Bowl.
This is as much as us to think about. And it is a concern.
The NCAA modified its coverage to incorporate bowl sport statistics beginning in 2002 because the variety of bowl video games grew – 28 bowls in comparison with 36 – and the will for conformity throughout the sport grew alongside it. As bowl video games remodeled from easy exhibition video games into methods to crown a real nationwide champion, the statistics created in these video games gained significance.
Former affiliate athletic director John Heisler informed the Associated Press that he believed the typical fan most likely thought statistics from bowl video games had been included by the NCAA.
“I’m undecided it should make an enormous distinction,” Heisler mentioned.
Just wait till you begin together with complete pictures as a acknowledged and appreciated statistic, one thing that is laborious to disregard when speaking about 2024 Heisman Memorial Trophy winner Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
In the closest vote in 15 years, Hunter beat Jeanty. Among those that imagine he was robbed of the trophy awarded to the game’s most excellent participant is Jeanty himself.
“I actually felt like I ought to have walked away with the award, however kudos to Travis for successful,” Jeanty mentioned.
“Congratulations” is an historic Greek phrase that means “glory.” Now it is time to analyze yours, Ashton.
You informed us how you actually really feel. You are main a workforce that we imagine shouldn’t be fitted to the No. 3 seed. You are taking part in in opposition to a perennial energy within the sport. You’re a three-star recruit whose greatest provide out of Boise State was Cal.
So you ran by way of the Western Mountain. We do not assume it is a noteworthy check. We imagine you continue to have so much to do.
Ashton Jeanty on feelings after the Mountain West Championship: “I’m a canine”
Don’t make the error of believing you don’t have anything left to show. Don’t make the error of considering you’ve got received the reward we gave Barry Sanders and Reggie Bush.
Running for 132 yards in opposition to the Nittany Lions is not sufficient. That’s not sufficient to be thought-about a possible first-round choose within the 2025 NFL Draft. You’ve left tame territory. This is Rome. The Colosseum asks for extra.
Are you higher than Hunter? Bigger than Sanders? Do you need our unrestricted adoration? Then run it. Be the person heart stage on January twentieth once we crown a nationwide champion.
Start taking motion now.
Show us. Win us. Win.
RJ Young is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports and host of “The Number One College Football Show” podcast. Follow him to @RJ_Young.
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