Boise State WR delivers verdict on opponents trying to stop Ashton Jeanty from clinching the Heisman trophy

Ashton Jeanty is one of the major stories of the 2024 college football season. The Boise State running back has recorded eight straight 100-yard rushing yards games, and he's making the NCAA look like a playground. Jeanty was earning major Heisman Trophy props early in the season, but some of the hype seems to have subsided.

His teammate, Latrell Caples, believes that opponents have targeted Jeanty to derail his potential Heisman hopes.

"We are playing conference teams," the Boise State wide receiver said. "They are trying to let it hang a little bit and stop Ashton from winning the Heisman Trophy. All in all, we are trying to win the game, so we are out there winning the game by executing our fundamentals at a higher level than they are."

Caples called out opposing teams' practice of stuffing the box to prevent runs when facing the Broncos.

"I mean, they are not trying to win," Caples said. "You cannot win by putting nine players in the box on every play."

Ashton Jeanty and the 12th-ranked Boise State Broncos' next game is against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday.

Ashton Jeanty is having a Heisman Trophy-caliber season

The last running back to win the Heisman Trophy was Derrick Henry in 2015. Henry helped the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 12-1 record and led the country in rushing yards with 1,986 and rushing TDs with 23. He also amassed four games with 200 yards.

Ashton Jeanty has 1,525 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He has also amassed three 200-yard games in 2024. He's well on pace to beat Henry's Heisman totals and still has four games to achieve the feat. Furthermore, the Boise State Broncos have lost just one game all season, so Jeanty isn't merely racking up empty stats while his team stays uncompetitive.

The Heisman Trophy race has been interesting, with Colorado's Travis Hunter and Miami's Cameron Ward also getting major plaudits. Let's see how Jeanty and the Broncos close out the season. That might be all he needs to do to break the running back drought for the Heisman.