Ashton Jeanty becomes first RB to post 2,000 rushing yards since 2019

Ashton Jeanty is still doing his best to at least make the Heisman race a conversation.

The Boise State running back crossed the 2,000-rushing yard threshold on Saturday against Wyoming. He is the first running back to reach the mark since 2019, when four players did it: Chuba Hubbard, Malcolm Perry, J.K. Dobbins and Jonathan Taylor.

He got there in the third quarter, breaking a tackle for some extra yardage.

Jeanty finished the game with 169 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, while the Broncos won 17-13 to preserve their College Football Playoff hopes.

Reaching 2,000 yards is significant to Jeanty for reasons beyond wins, awards and NFL stock. He made a preseason bet with his offensive line that he would cut off his dreadlocks if he didn’t reach the double-millenium mark. It was an audacious bet for a player who posted 1,437 yards the season before, but that confidence was clearly warranted.

In case you opened the Ashton Jeanty article because you wanted to see a home run rather than a gritty five-yard gain, Jeanty had one of those in the first quarter.

The junior ripped off a 61-yard run to take the lead, using a hole just big enough to find wide-open space at the second level.

Unfortunately, Jeanty had to take a significant break after reaching 2,000. Later in the third quarter, he took a hard tackle to the legs and was left in significant pain after the play. He was able to walk off the field with a limp and entered the injury tent, returning to the game in the fourth quarter.

Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson later described Jeanty as “banged up.”

The injury was ill-timed for No. 12 Boise State, which was tied 10-10 with 2-8 Wyoming when Jeanty exited the game. After Wyoming took a 13-10 lead, the game turned around on Jeanty’s first drive back, in which he ran for 53 more yards to set up the go-ahead touchdown.