Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty launched himself to the forefront of the Heisman Trophy conversation with yet another dominant performance, making good on Tim Tebow’s recent prediction.
On Saturday, Jeanty and the Broncos hosted the Utah State Aggies at Albertsons Stadium – and it didn’t take long for the star junior to leave his fingerprint on the contest. On his first carry of the game, he bounced a run to the outside and outmuscled two defenders on a 63-yard score.
Then in the second quarter, Jeanty stiff-armed his way past Utah State defensive end Gabe Peterson before turning on the jets and galloping 75 yards into the end zone. Just over eight minutes later, he scored his third touchdown of the game on a 6-yard carry.
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Before the first half had even come to a close, Jeanty managed to surpass 1,000 rushing yards on the season – accomplishing the incredible feat in just 90 carries over five games. At halftime, he trotted off the field with 186 yards on 13 carries.
Jeanty’s dominant start to the season has caught the eye of Tebow, who was crowned the Heisman winner while playing at Florida. Prior to Saturday’s kickoff, the former Gator argued that the 20-year-old was most deserving of the award this year.
“Well, listen, I think Jalen Milroe is standing out. I think Cam Ward is doing a great job. I think Travis Hunter is playing at an unbelievable level on both sides of the ball,” Tebow began. “But if I had to go with my winner right now through September, I’m going with Ashton Jeanty from Boise State.
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Ashton Jeanty surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in five games (
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“This dude is unreal. Through four games, 845 yards, 13 touchdowns. That’s what everybody’s going to talk about. But I want to talk about what nobody’s talking about. Through four games, 21 broken tackles, most in the FBS.
“Oh, and by the way, the most ridiculous stat I’ve seen this season, per rush, 5.7 yards after contact,” he continued. “That means every time he gets the rock, and you hit him, he’s going another 5.7. That’s a joke. This kid is ridiculous. I want everybody to see that stat, 5.7 yards after contact.”
Heading into Week 6, Jeanty boasted the fourth-best Heisman odds at +1000, per USA Today. Only Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (+200), Colorado two-way player Travis Hunter (+450) and Miami quarterback Cam Ward (+500) were ranked above him.
The Heisman trophy race is expected to receive a major shakeup, however, following the latest slate of games. Milroe will likely drop from his leading position after No. 1 seed Alabama suffered a shocking 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt. Cam Ward and Miami, meanwhile, are set to face off against Cal on the road Sunday night.
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