Ashton Jeanty and the Boise State Broncos essentially came out of nowhere to become one of the best teams in the country, winning the Mountain West Conference and earning a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
Boise State finished 12-1 and was undefeated against conference opponents. With Penn State on the schedule Tuesday night, the Broncos are leaning into the underdog mantra. The Broncos are asking the media, fans and anyone else to “count us out.”
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Ashton Jeanty, No. 2, of the Boise State Broncos runs for a touchdown against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming, Nov. 23, 2024. . (Image by Troy Babbitt-Imagn)
“I think Boise State as a program has just been ignored,” Jeanty said, via ESPN. “I’d like to say we accepted it, but that’s been our story. We’ve been the underdog for a long time. We’re here to prove we can compete with the best of the best.”
Jeanty is the face of the underdog story.
He finished second to Travis Hunter in Heisman Trophy voting with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns. It was only the second season he led the nation in rushing yards. He has Barry Sanders’ rushing yards record (2,628) in mind, but he’ll need a few more games to potentially get there.
Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Ginty (#2) during the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers on November 29, 2024, at Albertson Stadium in Boise, Idaho. (Image by Brian Losness-Imagn)
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“It all starts and revolves around Jeanty,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “You could argue that the guy won the Heisman any other year and he should have won it this year.”
The Boise State football program knows how to slay giants.
The Broncos upset Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl with a famous hook-and-ladder play and a Statue of Liberty play from Jared Zabransky to Ian Johnson. The win put Boise State on the college football scene, and they went largely unnoticed.
Boise State Broncos fans watch Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Ginty (#2) during a game against the UNLV Rebels at Albertson Stadium in Boise, Idaho, on December 6, 2024. Show support. (Image by Brian Losness-Imagn)
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Defeating Penn State, a prestigious school in college football, would be a huge win in the school’s history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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