A home game: Jeanty stars on offense, Boise State beats Utah State by 32 points

BOISE – Boise State's first play from scrimmage on Saturday was a handoff to the Heisman Trophy contender – the soon-to-be Heisman favorite? —Ashton Jeanty. You guessed it: The Aggies couldn't tackle him and 63 yards later he found himself in the end zone.

That big play was a preview of what the Broncos offense would experience Saturday night in their home game at Albertsons Stadium.

Jeanty played primarily with Utah State's overwhelmed defense and his attention-grabbing dynamic skills opened up the field for the rest of the offense. The Broncos (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West) led 49-17 at halftime after accumulating 439 total yards, allowing Jeanty to take over in the second half, and finished with a 62-30 win .

The offense finished the evening with spectacular numbers: 599 total yards, including 303 passing and 296 rushing yards; 27 first downs; averaged 8 yards per play; nine scoring drives with only two punts; and TD drives that traveled 75, 75, 85 and 86 yards.

In addition to his first carry, Jeanty was responsible for another one-play scoring drive after the Aggies scored a long touchdown pass to make it 14-10. He took a handoff from QB Maddux Madsen, fended off defensive end Gabe Peterson's half-hearted tackle attempt and ran 75 yards for his second touchdown to make it 21-10 with 14:12 left in the second quarter.

It was Boise State's sixth one-play scoring drive of the season, tied for the most in all of college football. Jeanty rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries in the half. Then he was done for the night. And when the junior superstar didn't provide highlights — he now has 1,031 yards on the season and 16 touchdowns — other Broncos stepped up.

Madsen completed 21 of 25 passes for 266 yards, including three short TD throws in the first half. He connected with tight end Matt Lauter and receiver Prince Strachan on big 22-yard completions and hit Chase Pendry on a 42-yard strike that set up Jeanty's third score, this one from 6 yards, on the Broncos' fifth TD drive to finish.

Madsen prevailed in the third quarter, Boise State had a clear lead, and then redshirt freshman Malachi Nelson shot the ball. Backup running back Jambres “Breezy” Dubar had a 22-yard run and also caught a pass First-and-goal while playing Jeanty in the first half.

Dubar was one of nine different Broncos with a reception, as Madsen and Nelson distributed the ball effectively. Dubar finished the game with 65 yards rushing and a touchdown in the second half, wide receiver Cam Camper caught five passes for 59 yards and a TD, and Austin Bolt had two receiving scores from 3 and 4 yards out.

Boise State also got a big play from its special teams, with running back Dylan Riley executing a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Bolt also had a long kickoff return in the second half that tied the score.

The Broncos were a little inconsistent defensively and also fell victim to big plays, with Utah State senior receiver Jalen Royals doing his best to keep up with Jeanty's explosiveness. The Royals had eight catches for 200 yards in the first half, with touchdown receptions of 59 and 75 yards, and finished the game with nine catches for 211 yards.

The Aggies' senior quarterback, 6-foot-10 Spencer Petras, completed 27 of 41 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, and Utah State had 507 total yards. But it wasn't nearly enough.

The Aggies (1-4, 0-1) trailed 55-17 before a pair of late touchdowns made the result a little more respectable.

The Broncos, who will likely move up a bit further from their No. 21 spot in the AP Top 25 poll, once again played without starters Mason Randolph and Roger Carreon – in fact, head coach Spencer Danielson confirmed this week that Randolph, the team's center canceled for the season.

Freshman running back Sire Gaines, junior receiver Chris Marshall, redshirt freshman tight end Matt Wagner and sixth-year cornerback Markel Reed were also out. Redshirt senior wide receiver Latrell Caples, who missed last week's win over Washington State, was listed as a game-time decision and he played some, catching a pass for 14 yards in the half.

The three-game homestand is now over and Boise State is back on the road – well, back in the air – next week to play Hawaii. Kick-off is on Saturday at 9 p.m. mountain time.

The Broncos' next home game won't be until next month when they take on San Diego State on Friday, November 1st at 6 p.m. That's because their second week of release this season is punctuated by two away games.