Madsen, Jeanty Help No. 17 Boise State Get Past UNLV

© Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard/USA TODAY NETWORK

Quarterback Maddux Madsen accounted for 2 touchdowns and running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 128 yards and the deciding TD as No. 17 Boise State (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) defeated UNLV (6-2, 2-1) 29-24 on Oct. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Rebels, behind quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, put up a game fight against the Broncos but fell short.

Jeanty, who finds himself as being tapped as the Heisman Trophy front-runner at this time, scored on a fourth-and-1 play with 12:38 to go in the fourth quarter as Boise State reclaimed the lead at 29-24. Madsen's pass on a two-point conversion attempt went out of bounds.

After three quarters, UNLV led 24-23. The Rebels' defense had kept Jeanty pretty much in check as his longest rush at that time was just 15 yards. But he was able to play a key role when it mattered most. With time running out in the fourth quarter, Jeanty fell inches short on a third-down carry.

Madsen, though, converted on a fourth-and-inches dive with less than 2 minutes left in the game. Boise State knelt to run out the clock and escape with a win. Speaking of Madsen, besides his 2 TDs, he passed for 209 yards against a very stingy UNLV defense.

UNLV Took Third-Quarter Lead

Williams, who finished 12-of-21 passing for 179 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception, hit Jaden Bradley in the right corner of the end zone on a 34-yard strike. With 1:03 left in the third quarter, UNLV led 24-23.

Williams moved UNLV down the field to open the second half, scoring a TD on a 5-yard QB keeper. That put the Rebels within 20-17 early in the third quarter. Jonah Dalmas' 29-yard field goal put Boise State up by a 23-17 edge in the third quarter in front of a record UNLV football crowd of 42,228 at Allegiant Stadium.

In the first half, Madsen accounted for his 2 touchdowns—1 rushing, 1 passing—as Boise State took a 20-10 lead. Madsen was 12-for-21 passing for 121 yards. He also had 2 carries for 56 yards.

Jeanty was getting knocked off his game by the Rebels' defense. Jeanty had 54 yards rushing on 15 carries for Boise State. In the end, he played a critical part for the Broncos.

Boise State Tops First Half

Boise State took an early 3-0 lead on Dalmas' 37-yard field goal with 11:34 left in the first quarter. UNLV answered at the 8:47 mark on Caden Chittenden's 28-yard field goal. Williams connected with Kaleo Ballungay on a 9-yard TD pass. That gave UNLV a 10-3 lead with 4:30 left in the first quarter.

Boise State, though, took control of the game in the first half with a 17-point second quarter. Dalmas' 44-yard field goal with 9:22 left made it UNLV 10-6. But the Broncos managed to put together two TD drives in a two-minute span.

With 1:50 to go, Madsen's 7-yard TD run gave Boise State a 13-10 lead. Then, after Williams threw an interception, Madsen found Matt Lauter hanging out near the end zone's back line for a 2-yard scoring pass. That happened with just 6 seconds left in the first half.

Williams finished 6-for-13 passing for 99 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception for the Rebels in the first half.