After a "dig deep" effort, Boise State was able to escape, a search for an oasis still intact.
The 17th-ranked Broncos (6-1, 3-0) went on the road and left Las Vegas with a hard fought 29-24 victory over the UNLV Rebels.
With one of the top run defenses in the nation, UNLV (6-2, 2-1) swarmed in slowing down Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty. Every yard for the nation's top rusher was hard-earned. Banged up, with little depth behind him, Jeanty managed an efficient game worthy of the best backs around.
Jeanty had 33 carries for 128 yards and one score. His 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on fourth and goal gave Boise State the winning score.
The offense had its struggles finding the end zone as much as it could have, despite moving the ball well. It was the defense for the Broncos, overcoming big plays all night, which proved once again to be a sack machine and propelled Boise State to victory.
Boise State Broncos: Big sack attack
Sacks have arrived in big bunches for the Boise State Broncos in 2024. They happened again against the Rebels, with players making huge plays at opportune times.
Leading the charge was defensive back Alexander Teubner. From the get-go, Teubner was all over the field. He notched a sack on the first UNLV series, forcing the Rebels to settle for a field goal.
Teubner did not stop until the final defensive series, finishing with 14 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two tackles for loss.
As a team, the Broncos finished with six sacks. These came from the secondary (Seyi Oladipo with 1.5, Rodney Robinson with 1) and the defensive line (Jayden Virgin-Morgan 1.5, Herbert Gums and Ahmed Hassanein combined for 1).
Oladipo finished with six tackles and Virgin-Morgan also made big plays to disrupt UNLV drives.
A normally stout run defense allowed 188 rushing yards, the majority of which came from UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams. Williams had 105 yards on the ground, with a 71-yard scamper on the first drive for the Rebels.
Despite allowing 367 total yards, and 12 plays of 10+ yards, the defense was much better after falling behind 10-3 in the first quarter. This included a second quarter in which the Broncos allowed only 18 total yards of offense and had their second interception of the season, by linebacker Andrew Simpson.
Williams also burned Boise State with a couple of long passes, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to put the Rebels up 24-23 towards the end of the third quarter.
Madsen, offense keep moving
The most impressive stat of the night for the Boise State offense: holding ball final 8:07 of the game to seal the victory.
It was a drive where the Broncos put the onus on the back of Jeanty, who also picked up chunks of yards and converted on key third downs.
Third down conversions where a problem all game for Boise State. Normally one of the best in the nation, the Broncos were only 3 for 15. However, fourth downs were a different story, going 4 for 4.
Converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns was a mixed bag. Yes, the Broncos scored three touchdowns but missed on three other chances. Thankfully, Boise State has Jonah Dalmas, who converted on three field goals.
With the running game mostly hemmed in, quarterback Maddux Madsen put forth one of his best games. Looking at the box score, the stats will not reflect that 100 percent. But Madsen again controlled the game, made huge plays when needed, and kept the Broncos on track.
Madsen completed 18 of 33 passes, throwing for 209 yards and one touchdown. Buoyed by a 49-yard on the game's first series, Madsen finished with 58 yards on the ground. He scored a touchdown on a seven-yard run in the second quarter.
Dropped passes were part of the lower completion percentage, as were batted balls at the line of scrimmage (and a couple of near-interceptions by UNLV star Jackson Woodard, who finished with 14 tackles).
Nine different receivers caught a pass for Boise State. Matt Lauter had four for 38 yards and a touchdown, while Cam Camper (36 yards) and Jeanty (11 yards) added three each.
Austin Bolt and Prince Strachan each had two catches for 43 yards.
Jeanty and Madsen had all but one of Boise State's carries. Running back depth, due to injuries, is a slight concern at the moment, with only Tyler Crowe the only other back to get a carry (an important one on that final drive for 3 yards).
Words like grit and determination come to mind with this Boise State victory. Both are apt descriptions, with mettle being a nice word to toss in the mix. All three were on display and a big step in showing what makes a champion.
And with them, the solidifying of a mirage, one week at a time.
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