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Monday Special…December 16, 2024.
After Ashton Jeanty won the Maxwell Award last Thursday as college football’s player of the year, there was hope of a surprise Saturday night when the Heisman Trophy was unveiled. Alas, it shook out the way it was projected to, with Colorado’s Travis Hunter taking home the hardware. But it was the closest Heisman ballot in 15 years, and Jeanty won the national fan vote (he had been leading that poll virtually all season). He’s the first Group of 5 player to finish second in the Heisman since San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk in 1992.
A big takeaway from Jeanty’s trip to New York is the way he carried himself—the only of the four finalists to wear his school’s gear on Friday, the spiffy orange suit Saturday night, the trademark smile in interviews and the ever-present praise for his experience at Boise State. You can’t overstate the value that has brought to the program. But he did tell reporters after the ceremony, “I really felt like I should’ve walked away with the award, but kudos to Travis for winning.” Chip on the shoulder for the Fiesta Bowl? Jeanty said he’s “100%” motivated by not receiving the trophy.
HE’S THE BEST OF THE BEST
We had no idea what would happen in NYC, but Jeanty’s place in Broncos history was already secured. To this point, there was only one G.O.A.T., and we couldn’t foresee that ever changing. Kellen Moore was fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2010, and he led Boise State to a 50-3 record in his four years. Jeanty was winner of not only the Doak Walker Award that goes to the nation’s best running back, but also the Maxwell. It was the first time a Bronco has ever taken home even one of the major college football awards. With all due respect to Kellen and everything he did for Boise State, we’ve got ourselves a new G.O.A.T.
UNPRECEDENTED PUB
Boise State football has received far more coast-to-coast publicity this year than any other before it. There are two reasons: the national phenomenon that Jeanty became, and the College Football Playoff. Even a year ago, a 12-1 Broncos season wouldn’t have been front-and-center across the country. But now that the CFP has expanded to 12 teams, with a Group of 5 team guaranteed to be in it, there’s been a weekly spotlight on who the leader of that pack is. And since the last week of September, it’s been Boise State. The Broncos’ game versus UNLV 10 days ago averaged 3 million viewers on FOX—the most-watched Mountain West championship game on any network in history. Even during the 2006 run to the first Fiesta Bowl and the ensuing Kellen Moore era, there’s never been anything like this.
NOT-SO-SURPRISING PORTAL ENTRY
Although it hasn’t been confirmed yet by Boise State, quarterback Malachi Nelson is reportedly leaving for the transfer portal. The path forward with the Broncos was muddy at best, with Maddux Madsen locking down the starter’s spot this fall. And it sure doesn’t look like that’s apt to change. The one thing most perceptive people are remembering: offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter knows QBs, and he saw Nelson in practice every day. If there was a time that Koetter felt Nelson gave the Broncos the best chance to win, in he would have gone. But Madsen has won—to the tune of a 13-1 record dating back to his one start last year. Nelson is immensely talented, and everyone wishes him well. But Brock Huard pointed out last Friday that Madsen has the one thing you can’t teach: instinct.
JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
After a flat performance in a loss to Washington State the week before, Boise State needed to show some moxie as it took on 9-1 Saint Mary’s Saturday night in Idaho Falls. The Broncos did just that, but they had to match the Gaels’ moxie at the end. A 13-point Boise State lead late in the first half dissolved into a five-point deficit midway through the second, but the Broncos pulled it back together with some clutch play down the stretch, including two free throws from Tyson Degenhart with 11 seconds left to send the game to overtime. From there, Boise State gritted out a 67-65 OT victory that is essential to their resume.
As expected, the Broncos starting lineup was tweaked for the Saint Mary’s game. R.J. Keene got his first career start, and Andrew Meadow returned to the first five, replacing Javan Buchanan and Julian Bowie. Keene went scoreless but pulled down six rebounds and blocked two shots, while Meadow put up nine points and contributed three key free throws in overtime. Buchanan did have 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Meanwhile, O’Mar Stanley looked more like his old self with his second double-double of the season—13 points and 11 boards. Boise State hosts Texas Southern Tuesday night in ExtraMile Arena.
MORE MW COACHING MOVEMENT
UNLV first stirred things up Thursday with the hiring of former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, who gets an NIL and revenue-sharing war chest of some kind. But it was New Mexico who made waves locally by luring Jason Eck away from Idaho on Saturday. Rebuilding the Lobos is going to be a challenge. They were 5-7 under Bronco Mendenhall this season, their best record in nine years, but they have a whopping 38 players in the transfer portal.
Eck has experience in turning a program around, though. He took over the long-suffering Vandals three years ago and led them to a 26-13 record and three straight FCS Playoffs appearances, including two trips to the quarterfinals. Idaho won 10 games this season for just the third time in program history and went 6-0 at the Kibbie Dome for the first time since 1996. Side note: Eck will finally coach a game on the blue turf next year. UNM got a good one.
THE LAST ONE…
Eck’s final game at Idaho came in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs, as Montana State had the Vandals’ number again, drubbing them 52-19 Friday night on ESPN. Idaho and MSU traded punches in the first quarter—it was 7-7 after the first 15 minutes. But then the undefeated Bobcats exploded. They scored 24 points in the second period to essentially put the game away. A botched onside kick attempt and a lost fumble by the Vandals led to two touchdowns. MSU quarterback Tommy Mellott rushed for 131 yards and a TD and Adam Jones added 95 yards and four scores. Idaho’s standout was wide receiver Aaron Dwyer, who had 11 catches for 189 yards and scored both Vandals touchdowns. But Dwyer is in the portal himself now, along with quarterback Jack Layne.
LOVELAND TO THE NEXT LEVEL
One of the best high school players ever to come out of Idaho, Gooding’s Colston Loveland, declared for the NFL Draft on Friday and will forego his final season at Michigan. Loveland is projected as a first-round draft pick next spring after producing two All-Big Ten seasons. He was especially good in the national championship win over Washington in January. Loveland was a finalist this year for the Mackey Award that goes to the nation’s best tight end after leading the Wolverines with 56 catches, 582 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions. He was the talk of Magic Valley after Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh made a recruiting visit to Gooding High four years ago.
STEELIES TOUGH SLEDDIN’ CONTINUES
For the second straight week, the Idaho Steelheads won the first game of a series and dropped the final two. After defeating Tulsa 6-4 last Wednesday and celebrating captain A.J. White as he became the franchise’s all-time games-played leader, the Steelies fell to the Oilers 5-4 in overtime on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday. The team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss was a rousing success, though. After White scored Idaho’s first goal Saturday, there were an amazing 10,543 teddy bears collected, plus $16,027 in cash donations.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by THE JAMES…craft food and cocktails, with heart and soul.
December 16, 1973: O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills gains 200 yards against the New York Jets to become the first NFL player ever to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Simpson finished the season at 2,003. There have been seven 2,000-yard rushers in the NFL since Simpson: Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and—in 2020—Derrick Henry. (Boise State faced Johnson and Peterson in bowl games, the 2007 Hawaii Bowl and 2007 Fiesta Bowl, respectively.)
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
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