No. 10 Boise State earns a spot in the CFP, defeating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 in the Mountain West championship game

Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a touchdown and No. 10 Boise State clinched a College Football Playoff spot, defeating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 Friday night for its second straight Mountain West title.

Boise State (12-1, No. 10 CFP) is guaranteed a first-round berth in the playoffs if it stays ahead of the Big 12 champion and finishes as one of the top four conference champions.

“In January when they were scrimmaging on the field with their shirts off, they talked about what they wanted to do this season,” said Boise State coach Spencer Danielson. “They wanted to win a conference championship and get to the college playoffs, and they worked for that.”

Jeanty, who had seen himself to make his Heisman case, did not disappoint, unleashing a 75-yard touchdown run. It was his fifth TD run of 70 yards or more this season, tying LaDainian Tomlinson’s FBS season record.

Jeanty also passed 1981 Heisman winner Marcus Allen of Southern California to move into fourth place on the FBS season rushing list and needs 132 more to pass record holder Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State.

Maddux Madsen threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score from the Broncos.

UNLV (10-3, No. 20 CFP), which entered the game ranked seventh nationally in scoring average at 38.7 points, had not been held under 23 this season.

“I’ve been to championship games before and I’ve been to the end of it,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “But you continue to learn from them and move your organization forward and find a way to get back in a game like this and win it.”

However, Odom didn’t mince words when explaining how he felt about Boise State, which has handed his team two of three losses.

“Good luck to anyone who comes here and tells themselves they’re going to win this game,” said Odom. “I think they’re one of the best teams in college football right now. And I think they’re going to do a great job representing this conference. They’re built to run.”

With UNLV loading the box with eight or nine linebackers early in the game, Boise State leaned heavily on Madsen in the first quarter. And he delivered, completing his first seven passes, including a 22-yarder to Latrell Caples for a 7-0 lead.

Madsen used his legs to put the Broncos up 14-0, rushing for a 14-yard TD with 2:40 left in the first half.

After a quick stop, Boise State recovered the ball and allowed Jeanty to work his magic. Two plays later, he ran through the teeth of the defense and raced into the end zone for a 75-yard TD run, giving the Broncos a 21-0 lead with 29 seconds left in the half.

UNLV had a chance to get back into it late in the third quarter when Kylin James ran 86 yards before Seyi Oladipo ran him down at the Boise State 5. But the Rebels lost 4 yards on the next four plays and failed to score.

The Rebels finally got into the end zone with 9:06 left on a Greg Burrell 31-yard run.

Hajj-Malik Williams led UNLV offensively with 110 yards passing and 56 yards rushing.

UNLV: Odom, who guided the Rebels to their first 10-win season in 40 years, the program took off after UNLV had won seven in the three seasons before his arrival. If he continues to recruit well and build through the transfer window like he did this season, the Rebels should contend for the Mountain West title.

Boise State: First-year coach Spencer Danielson delivered what fans of the program have been hungry for since it made waves in the college football world in 2006 by going undefeated and beating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. But now this team has the opportunity to take it one step further and take down one of the red sports teams in the play-offs.

Boise State awaits Sunday’s selection game to find out who and when it will play in the College Football Playoff.

It is reported by the Associated Press.