Utah State football: Jalen Royals put on a show against Boise State, but so did Broncos star Ashton Jeanty – Deseret News

If you like offense and explosive plays, the first half of Utah State's Mountain West Conference opener against Boise State was a must-see event.

Through the first two quarters of action on the Smurf Turf, Boise State scored 49 points on 439 yards of total offense.

Utah State wasn't close on the scoreboard with 17 points, but the Aggies did have 337 yards of offense.

The combined 776 yards of offense in the first half was the most in a half this season in all of college football.

Both teams can thank their biggest stars for the outburst. For Boise State, that means running back Ashton Jeanty, and for Utah State, wide receiver Jalen Royals.

The duo were outstanding for their respective teams in the first half, record-setting even.

What did Ashton Jeanty do in the first half against Utah State? It didn't take Jeanty long Saturday to show why he is considered a genuine Heisman Trophy candidate this season.

On the first play of scrimmage for Boise State's offense, Jeanty broke loose and rushed for 63-yard touchdown run.

He was bottled up on his next four carries, but on the fifth he did it again, with a 75-yard scoring scamper.

All told, Jeanty carried the ball 13 times and rushed for 186 yards and three scores in the first half, averaging 14.3 yards per carry.

Jeanty's impact went well beyond just his own explosive runs, though. His mere presence on the field — the attention he garnered from the Aggie defense — made it easy for BSU quarterback Maddux Madsen to throw for three touchdowns while completing 17 of 20 passes.

As good as Madsen was, Jeanty was the biggest standout for Boise State though and he has now rushed for 1,000 yards on the ground in four and a half games played this season. He is the first player in all of college football to reach that mark this season.

To say that Jeanty deserves the attention he gets may be an understatement.

What did Jalen Royals did in the first half against Boise State? As good as Jeanty was for Boise State, Royals was nearly as good for Utah State. Considering the state of the game and quality of the teams, he may have been even better.

The senior wide receiver — who was recently tabbed by The Athletic's Dan Brugler as a possible first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL draft — took a little bit to get going, but when he did it was something to watch.

Royals finished the half with eight catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Those touchdowns? One was for 59 yards, the other for 75.

The Spencer Petras-Jalen Royals connection was pretty much the only real bright spot in the first half for Utah State, with Royals' 75-yard TD reception being the longest play of the season for the Aggies.

With the first half outburst, Royals made his way up the Utah State record books in a real way.

Entering the game, he was ranked No. 8 all-time in school history in career touchdown receptions. He is now tied for fifth all-time, with 19 in his career.

The multi-touchdown game is the fifth of Royals' career and he now has nine touchdown receptions that have gone for 50 or more yards.

More history could await him, too. The USU school record for most receiving yards in a game came against Boise State in 2000, when Aaron Jones had 297. Given the Aggies' deficit Saturday, it wouldn't be crazy to see Royals break that mark.

Royals is a legitimate NFL prospect, the first in a few years for the program.