SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Ashton Jeanty has gotten well-deserved hype for all his game-breaking runs that have put him in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race for Boise State.
Jeanty won’t be the only prolific playmaker on the field when the 13th-ranked Broncos hit the road to face San Jose State on Saturday.
The Spartans (6-3, 3-2 Mountain West) have their own dynamic star that Boise State (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West, No. 13 CFP) will have to deal with in receiver Nick Nash.
Nash is on pace to win the receiving triple crown this season, leading all of FBS in receptions (86), yards receiving (1,156) and TD catches (13). He is starting to get some of the attention that has been on Jeanty all season.
“Nick Nash is one of the top receivers in the country and he deserves it,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “He’s strong when he goes up for catches. He’s a matchup nightmare for defenses.”
Nash has caught at least one TD pass in all nine games this season and has even thrown two TD passes but his numbers aren’t quite like Jeanty’s.
The Broncos’ star back leads the nation with 192.7 yards rushing per game and with 23 TD runs. Even with defenses focusing their game plan on slowing him down, Jeanty has had four games this season with at least 200 yards rushing and five with at least three TD runs.
“He’s as good a back as I’ve seen,” Spartans coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “Of the guys I’ve seen, he’s the best back I’ve seen since Marshall Faulk. He has it all, physical, can run between the tackles, outside the tackles and take it to the house. He can run you over and he can make you miss.”
High stakes
Boise State is in position to make this a special season. With a win on Saturday and a loss by UNLV, the Broncos can clinch a spot in the Mountain West title game. Boise State is currently 13th in the CFP rankings and in position to earn a playoff spot as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions without another slipup.
Big opportunity
Niumatalolo has an opportunity for a signature win in his first season as Spartans coach. San Jose State is 1-15 all-time against Boise State with the only win coming in the 2020 Mountain West title game. The Spartans have lost 10 straight games against ranked teams since beating No. 16 Fresno State in 2013 and Niumatalolo knows ending that streak against Boise State won’t be easy.
“There’s a reason they’re 8-1,” he said. “We will have our hands full but our kids are excited.”
Close calls
The Broncos have pulled out a couple of tight games the past three weeks, winning by five points at UNLV on Oct. 25 and then overcoming two turnovers last week to hold off Nevada 28-21. Danielson credits the resiliency of his players for gutting out those wins.
“It’s a testament to how hard they work and how much they love each other and finding a way to win those games,” he said.
Home cooking
San Jose State is 4-0 at home this season and has won seven straight overall at Spartan Stadium. They last hosted the Broncos in 2019 in a back-and-forth game that Boise State pulled out 52-42.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
