Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Boise State Broncos Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 9th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Ashton Jeanty is currently leading the nation in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, but the Boise State standout must deliver a stellar performance on Saturday night to keep his Heisman Trophy aspirations alive.

In order to secure a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, the No. 12 Broncos must continue their winning streak as they face off against Nevada in a Mountain West conference game in Boise, Idaho.

Boise State (7-1, 4-0 MW) is aiming for a first-round bye in the playoffs, which would require them to be ranked higher than the lowest-ranked conference champion from the top four conferences, most likely the Big 12.

The Broncos have been on a roll, winning their last six games. Their only loss was a close 37-34 defeat to Oregon on September 7th.

As for Jeanty, he has emerged as a top contender for the Heisman Trophy after rushing for over 200 yards in three of his first six games. He also had impressive performances against then-No. 7 Oregon and Utah State, with 192 and 186 yards respectively.

However, his past two games have been more challenging as UNLV and San Diego State have focused on stopping him with eight or nine defenders in the box.

Despite facing tough defenses, Jeanty still maintains an average of 8.0 yards per carry and has accumulated 1,525 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. But in order to solidify his Heisman chances, he will need to replicate his early-season success where he averaged at least 10 yards per carry in four of the first five games.

Nevada (3-7, 0-4) has struggled defensively, ranking 80th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing an average of 156.4 yards per game. Although their coach Jeff Choate did not reveal their game plan, he did praise Jeanty's skills and versatility as a runner.

Boise State's quarterback Maddux Madsen has also been a key factor in their success this season, with 17 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. He has completed 64% of his passes for 1,789 yards.

The Wolfpack have lost their last three games, including a 38-21 defeat to Colorado State last week. However, their quarterback Brendon Lewis had a strong performance with 252 passing yards and 109 rushing yards, and has a total of 11 touchdown passes this season.

Despite Nevada's recent struggles on offense, they will face a tough challenge against a Boise State team that ranks third in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 45.8 points per game. The Broncos also lead the nation with an average of 4.75 sacks per game.

Boise State has dominated this matchup in recent years, winning 17 of the past 19 meetings. However, Nevada did manage to pull off a 41-31 upset in their last visit to Boise in 2021.

Overall, both teams are expected to put up a strong fight in this Mountain West showdown, with Boise State being considered a top contender for the College Football Playoff.

PREDICTION

Nevada Wolf Pack

Boise State Broncos

Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Boise State Broncos Recap NOV 9TH 2024

Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 12 Boise State to a 28-21 victory over visiting Nevada on Saturday night in the Mountain West Conference matchup.

The Heisman Trophy candidate topped 200 yards for the fourth time this season and raised his season totals to 1,734 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. He entered the day as the national leader in both categories.

Maddux Madsen completed 9 of 20 passes for 119 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Broncos (8-1, 5-0 MW), who won their seventh straight game. Matt Lauter had a touchdown catch as Boise State beat Nevada for the 18th time in the past 20 meetings.

Jeanty became the fourth Boise State running back to top the 1,700-yard mark in a single season and finished the night second on the list. Jay Ajayi set the school record of 1,823 yards in 2014, while Ian Johnson (1,713 in 2006) and Jeremy McNichols (1,709 in 2016) also topped the mark.

Brendon Lewis was 17-of-26 passing for 188 yards and one touchdown for Nevada (3-8, 0-5), which lost its fourth consecutive game.

Jaden Smith caught a 36-yard touchdown pass with 2:19 left that kept the Wolf Pack in the game.

But Jeanty's 17-yard run on the ensuing possession gave Boise State a first down. A short time later, Jeanty scampered for 10 yards and another first down to seal it.

The score was tied at 14 at the break before the Broncos moved ahead to stay behind a dominating eight-play, 95-yard drive to start the third quarter. Jeanty went the final yard for the touchdown.

Boise State took a 28-14 advantage on Jeanty's 2-yard run with 10:05 left in the contest. However, Nevada bounced back and was threatening to make it a one-score game when it faced fourth-and-goal from the Boise State 1-yard line.

But Lewis and Sean Dollars botched the exchange and Jeremiah Earby of the Broncos recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

Boise State jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the game was 11 minutes old.

Jeanty's rushes moved the ball down the field on the Broncos' first possession, which ended with Madsen's 11-yard scoring pass to Lauter.

With 4:12 left in the period, Jeanty powered through a Nevada defender on a 4-yard scoring run.

Lewis got the Wolf Pack on the board with a dazzling 17-yard burst with 57 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Nevada tied the game on a trick play with 6:14 left in the half. The ball was handed to Marcos Bellon. The receiver tossed a short pass to Caleb Ramseur, who broke two tackles en route to finishing off a 44-yard scoring play.