NCAAF News: Broncos RB Ashton Jeanty delivers strong self-criticism after loss to Penn State

The Boise State Broncos‘ loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions marked the end of the NCAAF season for Spencer Danielson’s team. Ashton Jeanty, the standout player of the team, acknowledged after the game the reasons why they couldn’t overcome Drew Allar’s squad.

“They executed. They tackled. We didn’t play our best,” Jeanty said after the game via 247 Sports. “I didn’t take care of the ball, so that’s why we weren’t able to get the job done.”

Although they couldn’t come out victorious in the matchup against PSU, Jeanty made it clear that the season for his Broncos was very good, and that he appreciated the effort made by all his teammates to get as far as they did.

“This season’s been a blessing,” the RB said. “God’s favor has been upon me and all my teammates all year, and I’m just thankful. Obviously we didn’t come away with the result that we did, not just me, but a lot of guys on this team did special things all year”

Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Boise State Broncos shakes hands with fans following the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at State Farm Stadium on December 31, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. Penn State defeated Boise State 31-14.

With yesterday’s loss, the Broncos concluded their participation in this College Football season with a record of 12 wins and only two losses. Jeanty, the star of the team, finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.

see also

NCAAF News: former Pro Bowler's son has agreed to join DeSean Jackson's Hornets

Jeanty was left wanting another record

That Ashton Jeanty’s season was extraordinary is no surprise. The talented running back finished the season with 374 carries for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. Without a doubt, numbers that few could reach in college.

Despite these extraordinary numbers, Jeanty came close to breaking the record still held by Barry Sanders, who, in 1988, achieved a historic 2,628 yards in a single season. The Broncos player fell just 27 yards short of reaching it.

His departure to the NFL will likely leave this record in Sanders’ hands for a long time, as it will certainly be hard to see a talent of Jeanty’s magnitude in the NCAAF in the near future.

James Franklin expressed his plan to stop Jeanty

One of the biggest concerns leading up to the game for Penn State was undoubtedly the damage Boise State could inflict through its running backs, especially Ashton Jeanty. That’s why, once the game was over, James Franklin made it clear what the plan was to stop them.

“I think we did corral him. Not “sort of.” I think we did corral. They got some yards there at the end. And I think defensively, I think our team was sick of me talking about him. I think we got the point across about the respect that we have for that young man and the type of running back he is,” Franklin said.

“Even today, I think our defense would say they have a ton of respect for him and how many tackles he was able to break and how strong he is and the contact balance. He’s an impressive guy. But we’re pretty good on defense. Thought our D-line did a really good job of being disruptive and getting in the backfield. I thought we did a really good job gang-tackling. There were a few times where we didn’t wrap like we should have. But for the most part, our defense played lights out.“