Nevada goes to No. 12 Boise State, will try to slow down Ashton Jeanty

Nevada goes to No. 12 Boise State on Saturday with the tough task of trying to slow down Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty leads the nation in rushing with 1,525 yards in eight games and is a big reason why the Broncos are in a driving position as they try to earn a bid to become a College Football Playoff seed.

“We’re going up against a juggernaut this week, and everyone’s focus will be on Ashton Jeanty and the epic year he’s had,” Nevada coach Jeff Choate said. “But what good players do is make other players around them better. And that’s what Jeanty did.”

Choate, who was the associate defensive coordinator at Texas before taking the head job at Nevada earlier this year, has struggled to find consistent success with the Wolfpack (3-7, 0-4 Mountain West) in an injury-plagued season.

Boise State (7-1, 4-0) also has a first-year head coach in Spencer Danielson. But his season is markedly different, as he has the Broncos sitting atop the Mountain West.

“We’re not worried about continuing to improve here, and we need to, especially in the games we need to win, like when we faced a very good Nevada team,” Danielson said. “We know we’re going to get the best of Nevada, and they’re going to get the best of us.”

The game is a homecoming for Choate, returning to Boise State for the first time since leaving in 2012. He coached at Boise State from 2006-2011, serving as the special teams coach and other defensive units.

But if Nevada is going to pull off the upset, Choate will have his work cut out for him, especially with a team hampered by injuries to key players, most notably starting middle linebacker Tongiaki Mateialona.

“I’m not going to use the injury episode as a defense, but everybody’s a different team if they don’t have all their players,” Choate said.

Mateialona’s absence was conspicuous. Two weeks ago, Nevada gave up 242 rushing yards to Hawaii, which entered that game averaging 83.8 yards per game.

Madsen vs. Lewis

When asked about dual-threat quarterback Brendon Lewis against Boise State’s stout defense, Choate emphasized his importance as the key to the game.

“[Having Lewis] it probably should,” said Choate.

Lewis’ mobility — he’s the team’s leading rusher with 660 yards and seven touchdowns — will be key in slowing Boise State’s offensive defense, which leads the FBS with 4.75 sacks per game.

The performance of Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen will be crucial for the Broncos if Nevada can contain Jeanty.

Last week against San Diego State, Madsen threw for a career-high 307 yards and four TDs after the Aztecs committed to stopping Jeanty.

Fireworks Games

If there’s one glaring flaw in Boise State’s defense, it’s found in the unit’s tendency to give up explosive plays. The Broncos have produced 23 plays of 30 yards or more this season, which ranks 114th among FBS programs.

Choate is paying attention.

“No one moved the ball very well against Boise State,” Choate said, “but they stopped making explosive plays.”

Although Nevada has played two more games than Boise State, the Wolfpack defense has also produced 45 plays of 20 yards or more, 17 of which went over 30 yards.

Jeanty stopped

In almost every press conference this season, Danielson has reiterated his belief that Jeanty is “the best player in college football.” And the statistics back that up.

As the unquestioned leader of Boise State’s offense, Jeanty averaged 200.75 all-purpose yards per game to lead the nation. He also leads the FBS in rushing (20) and total touchdowns (21), and is second in scoring per game (15.8) and yards per carry (8.03).

“It’s actually fun to watch,” Choate said. “You look at him, and you’re like, ‘That was so amazing.’ One of the things he does better than other runners is that he uses his hand as a weapon and if people try to fight him many times, that is not a successful proposition because he uses that strong arm.

It is reported by the Associated Press.

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