If you like offensive and explosive play, the first half of Utah State’s Mountain West Conference opener against Boise State was an event not to be missed.

Through the first two quarters of action on the Smurf Grass, 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 an offensive margin of 337 yards.

The combined 776 yards of offense in the first half were 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 this means running back Ashton Jeanty, and for Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals.

The duo were excellent for their respective teams in the first half and even set a record.

What did Ashton Jeanty do in the first half against Utah State?

It didn’t take long Saturday for Jeanty to show why he’s considered a true Heisman Trophy candidate this season.

On the first play from scrimmage due to Boise State’s offense, Jeanty broke loose and rushed for a 63-yard touchdown run.

He was bottled on his next four carries, but on the fifth he did it again, scoring 75 yards.

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.

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

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

To say that Jeanty deserves the attention he receives might be an understatement.

What did Jalen Royals do in the first half against Boise State?

As good as Jeanty was for Boise State, Royals was almost as good for Utah State. Given the state of the game and the quality of the teams, he might 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 while to get going, but when he did, it was something to watch to look.

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

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

With the first half blowout, Royals climbed the Utah record books in real fashion.

Entering the game, he ranked No. 8 all-time in school history in career touchdown receptions. He now ranks 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. Considering the Aggies’ deficit on Saturday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Royals break that mark.

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

Brugler writes: “Royals is a game maker with drawing talent. His size is average (5-11 1/2, 193 pounds), but he is an explosive athlete with the great ball skills needed to create big plays.