3 takeaways from Boise State’s 34-18 win over Oregon State

No. 11 Boise State ended the regular season with a 34-18 win over Oregon State at Albertsons Stadium on Friday.

Ashton Jeanty was his usual self for the Broncos, rushing 37 times for 226 yards and a touchdown, a career-best performance. The Heisman Trophy candidate is up to 312 carries for 2,288 yards and 28 touchdowns this season.

The Broncos (11-1) are now just one win away from a spot in the College Football Playoff. Boise State hosts No. 22 UNLV (9-2) or Colorado State (7-4) next Friday in the Mountain West Football Championship.

Here are three takeaways from Boise State’s non-conference win over future Pac-12 rival Oregon State (5-7).

Oregon State dedicated its entire defense to containing Jeanty, but the junior tailback still found a way to get his yardage.

Jeanty managed a 60-yard run in the third quarter – his ninth run of 60 or more yards this season – en route to a 226-yard day. It was Jeanty’s third-highest point total of the year, trailing only his performances against Georgia Southern (267 yards, six touchdowns) and Washington State (259 yards, four touchdowns).

During the game, Jeanty became the Mountain West Conference’s new single-season leader. His 2,288 rushing yards are the fifth-most in a season in FBS history.

“It felt great. Not just for me, but also for the team,” Jeanty said during his post-game TV interview. “The personal success I have had is not only due to myself, but also to the success of the team. Great offensive and defensive game.”

Jeanty also scored his 28th rushing touchdown of the year, tying Jay Ajayi’s Boise State single-season record. Ajayi had 28 touchdowns in 2014.

Jeanty still has a chance to break Barry Sanders’ all-time FBS rushing record of 2,628 yards in a season.

For the second straight game, Boise State complemented its lethal running attack with a solid defensive performance.

The Broncos held Oregon State to 342 total yards, including 83 on a touchdown run by Anthony Hankerson that made the score 14-7 late in the first half. Boise State responded with a rushing touchdown to take a 21-7 halftime lead.

Darrius Clemons (eight catches, 123 yards, one touchdown) did some damage on the field, but the Broncos held Oregon State star receiver Trent Walker to four catches for 52 yards. Walker entered the game with 77 catches for 849 yards, but left in the second half with a lower-body injury.

A’Marion McCoy had a particularly strong day for Boise State, recording eight total tackles while also holding down coverage.

“A’Marion McCoy had a tough game at Wyoming,” Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson said. “He came back and had one of his best games as a Bronco.”

The start at 10 a.m. Mountain Time did nothing to dampen the spirits of Bronco Nation.

Albertsons Stadium was nearly full for the opening kickoff as Boise State took an early 7-0 lead with a 14-play, 83-yard drive. The loud environment immediately affected the Beavers, who had two false starts on their first possession.

An announced sellout crowd of 37,264 braved the cold to watch the Broncos win their tenth straight game. Boise State is averaging 37,190 fans per game at Albertsons Stadium this season, a new program record.