UNLV looking to ‘contain’ Boise State star RB again
Ashton Jeanty’s reputation has preceded him all season.
The Boise State running back sits so high on top of the list of college football’s rushing leaders that his yards after contact alone (1,695) could take the No. 2 spot behind his staggering 2,288 yards this season for the 10th-ranked Broncos (11-1, 7-0 Mountain West).
But when the Mountain West championship game kicks off Friday at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, No. 19 UNLV (10-2, 6-1) and its defense are looking to prove that Jeanty’s impact doesn’t have to be the story.
“At the end of the day, we all put our pants on the exact same way,” Rebels defensive back Jalen Catalon said when asked about Jeanty. “We know that they’re going to give him the ball and that he’s going to go and get his. It’s not exactly (about) trying to figure out how to stop him. It’s about how we can contain him.”
Catalon’s comments were made during UNLV’s weekly news conference Monday at the Fertitta Football Complex. Players sat in front of a new backdrop branded with Mountain West and Old Trapper logos to signify a title game that will determine a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Catalon was one of several to call Jeanty the “best player in the country,” a group that included coach Barry Odom, who offered a reminder that it’s nothing he hasn’t said before.
‘Stop him again’
Odom expressed similar praise before the Rebels lost to the Broncos 29-24 on Oct. 25. The subsequent effort saw Jeanty limited to 128 rushing yards on 33 carries for his worst yards per carry average of the season. His longest run was 16 yards.
There are a few things UNLV players have said they would like to change in that game. A key turnover late and limited contact with Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen were two of those things, but how they defended Jeanty isn’t on the list.
Linebacker Jackson Woodard tallied 14 total tackles in the game. He lauded the defensive line for being “gap sound” while defensive backs stayed sharp.
“He’s a really good player,” Woodard said of the junior Heisman Trophy candidate. “We’re going to have to do our best to stop him again.”
Odom also emphasized the importance of all 11 players locking in.
“We need to try to eliminate as many one-on-one tackles as we can,” he said. “Schematically, you got to be right every snap. If not, it could result in a touchdown. We understand that.”
Weather, road warriors
Jeanty attracted viral attention last weekend for warming up shirtless in Boise temperatures cooler than 30 degrees before a win over Oregon State.
The forecast is for just as chilly when the Rebels take the blue turf Friday night.
That said, UNLV made program history by finishing the regular season undefeated on the road. Some of those wins came in wild conditions ranging from cold, wind and rain Nov. 16 at San Jose State to a tropical mini-monsoon Nov. 9 at Hawaii.
“It’ll be perfect weather for the UNLV Rebels,” Odom said of the Boise temperatures. “That’s the way you got to approach it. If you look at it any differently then you’re letting something that you have no control over mess with your emotions, and you can’t do that.”
Still, expect the visiting players to keep their clothes on.
UNLV has emphasized the impact of the team’s consistent preparation for road games, and wide receiver Ricky White noted Monday that nothing will change.
“We’re going to keep our routines,” he said. “We’re going to have everybody against us.”
The idea of a hostile crowd drew wide grins from White and Woodard.
“When everyone’s against us, that’s when we’re our closest. We rally together. We bring our own energy,” Woodard said. “We love when everybody’s against us.”
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.