Boise State’s dangerous backfield is healthy. One star runner is ready for senior day
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty didn’t have too look far to find a mentor when he landed in Boise, and it just happened to be the guy he was competing with for playing time.
Running back George Holani was on campus for three years before Jeanty arrived. He already had a 1,000-yard season and a Mountain West championship on his resume, but Jeanty said Holani never hesitated to show him the ropes.
“My first few weeks here, he helped teach me pass (protection) and stuff like that,” Jeanty said Tuesday. “He said, ‘If you ever need anything, just let me know.’ It’s great to have somebody like that.”
Holani, a senior, will play what is probably the final home game of his college career Friday when Boise State hosts Air Force (2 p.m., FS1) on senior day.
Holani said Wednesday that he’s trying not to think about the end of his college career and instead focusing on all the memories he’s made in five years at Boise State.
“It’s the relationships I’ve built here with players and coaches, and just cherishing those moments,” Holani said.
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Boise State (6-5, 5-2 Mountain West) has 19 players who are seniors, redshirt seniors or sixth-year seniors, but Holani kind of stands out, interim head coach Spencer Danielson said. He’ll never forget when Holani called the staff in 2018 to say he was committing despite scholarship offers from Oregon, Oregon State, Cal, BYU, Utah, Boston College and Arizona State.
“He’s a young man who knew this was the place for him, regardless of all the other offers he had,” Danielson said. “He’s a young man I’m so proud of. Going into his senior year, he had all the accolades but gets banged up, misses half the season, and he was still working his tail off, supporting his teammates, watching extra film with running backs even though he knew he wasn’t going to play.”
Holani has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume. He posted 1,157 yards last season, and he ranks No. 7 all-time at Boise State with 3,326 career rushing yards.
He also has an extensive injury history. Holani missed all but three games in 2020 because of a knee injury. Nagging injuries also cost him three games 2021. Then he got hurt in the season opener at Washington this year and didn’t return until the Oct. 28 game vs. Wyoming, missing six contests in between.
The resiliency he’s shown in bouncing back each time will serve him for a lifetime, offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said.
“There are always tough games and years that college athletes go through, but I think it’s bigger than that,” Hamdan said. “It’s that constant battle with themselves, and the injuries and the confidence and the resiliency that will be with them for the rest of their lives.”
Boise State had big plans for its stacked backfield this year. Holani and Jeanty looked dangerous enough in their own right, and there was athletic quarterback Taylen Green in the mix — a three-headed rushing monster that could give defensive coordinators nightmares.
Unfortunately, those plans were derailed when Holani suffered his injury and further held up when Green started sharing time with Maddux Madsen. Jeanty became the team’s workhorse and a budding superstar, earning midseason All-American honors.
Jeanty, a sophomore, leads the Broncos with 1,006 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He’s also No. 2 on the team in receptions (32), receiving yards (419) and receiving touchdowns (4). He also got hurt this season, missing two games after Holani returned.
They were both finally healthy at the same time last week, and the vision of how terrifying the backfield could be came to life at Utah State. The duo combined for 263 yards rushing and three touchdowns, with Holani going for 178, and Boise State racked up 352 rushing yards in a 45-10 win.
“The cool thing is (Ashton) and George want to do it together,” Danielson said. “That’s the mentality that they have together, and they want to do it for their teammates.”
The Broncos have a big challenge Friday if they’re going to repeat the rushing success they had against Utah State. Air Force is surrendering just 88.5 rushing yards a game, which is tied for No. 7 in the country.
“They’re really disciplined up front,” Holani said. “Their safeties play really tight in the box, and their whole defense is always running to the ball.”
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Senior day plans
Eighteen seniors will take part in a ceremony before Friday’s game, a spokesperson for Boise State confirmed on Wednesday.
The lone senior who won’t participate is nose tackle Sheldon Newton, who transferred to Boise State from Northern Arizona this year.
The seniors who will be honored along with Holani are: TE Riley Smith (6th year), WR Stefan Cobbs (6th year), WR Billy Bowens (6th year), edge Cortez Hogans (6th year), edge Demitri Washington (6th year), LB DJ Schramm (6th year), OL Garrett Curran (6th year), OL Cade Beresford (6th year), CB Markel Reed (R-Sr.), WR Shea Whiting (R-Sr.), RB Tyler Crowe (R-Sr.), S Alexander Teubner (R-Sr.), LS Joby Tryggestad (R-Sr.), OL Ben Dooley (R-Sr.), DT Michael Callahan (R-Sr.), K Jonah Dalmas (Sr.) and OL Ethan Carde (Sr.).
