Jeanty falls short of record as dream season gets stuffed by Penn State defense in CFP loss

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ashton Jeanty took the handoff on Boise State's first play and made it just a few steps before being greeted by a wall of dark blue Penn State jerseys that swallowed him up and shoved him backward for no gain.

A dream season was about to end with a rough night for the Broncos star.

Jeanty — the Heisman Trophy runner-up — ran for a season-low 104 yards on 30 carries as No. 6 seed Penn State beat No. 3 seed Boise State 31-14 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals Tuesday night. The Broncos never led, struggling to establish their run game after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter.

''Ashton Jeanty's the best football player in the country, period. Point blank,'' Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. "You're always ready for those explosive plays. We believe in wearing a defense out.

''But it's hard when you're digging yourself out of a two-score (hole)."

Jeanty finished with 2,601 yards rushing this season, falling just short of the Football Bowl Subdivision record. Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders ran for 2,628 yards with Oklahoma State in 1988. Sanders accomplished his mark in just 11 games, while Jeanty played 14.

Penn State coach James Franklin said he had a ''highly motivated group'' that wanted to keep Jeanty from setting the single-season record.

''He's an impressive guy, but we're pretty good on defense,'' Franklin said. ''I thought our D-line did a really good job of being disruptive and getting in the backfield. Then I thought we did a good job gang tackling. There were a few times we didn't wrap like we should, but for the most part our defense played lights out.''

Jeanty moved from fourth place to second on the single-season chart with his Fiesta Bowl performance, passing UCF's Kevin Smith (2,567 yards rushing in 2007) and then Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon (2,587 in 2014).

The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Jeanty gained just 39 yards on 13 carries in the first half as the Broncos fell behind 17-7, rarely finding room to operate except for a 12-yard gain up the middle in the first quarter. Penn State's defensive front has been one of the best in the nation this season and proved it once again, meeting Jeanty with a host of tacklers on most plays.

''It wasn't really that they did anything extraordinary," Jeanty said. "They executed and tackled.''

Jeanty finally broke free for a 26-yard gain early in the fourth with the Broncos trailing 24-14, slicing through Penn State's defense to kickstart a promising drive. But then Jonah Dalmas missed slightly to the right on a 38-yard field goal try that would have made it a one-possession game.

Jeanty was hindered by the fact that Boise State was never in good position to run the ball consistently. Playing catch-up the whole evening, the Broncos had to lean more on quarterback Maddux Madsen and the passing game.

It didn't work. Madsen threw for 304 yards and a touchdown, but also three interceptions.

Jeanty also lost a fumble in the first quarter, which was just his third of the season.

''We didn't play our best. I didn't take care of the ball,'' Jeanty said. ''That's why we weren't able to get the job done.''

Even with the sour ending, Jeanty's season was one of the best ever for a college running back. He topped 100 yards in all 14 games and went over 200 in six of them, leading the team to 12 wins and a second straight Mountain West title.

''They re-established the standard of Boise to be a light on the hill to the country that had been lost for a little bit,'' Danielson said. ''I'm so proud of them for doing that. That's a legacy that can never be taken from them.''

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