Boise State candidate Ashton Giunty's Heisman Trophy acceptance speech will end in the same place as Kamala Harris' presidential victory speech.
Giunty, a finalist for the award Saturday night, fell behind Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter in the voting. Giunty had the best season in Boise State history and one of the best seasons in college football history.
He valued the possibility of winning the award so highly that he wrote and practiced his acceptance speech and told the world about it.
“I practiced my speech last night to make sure I was ready when I got to the venue,” Gianti told reporters before Saturday's ceremony.
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Heisman Trophy finalists (from left: Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, Colorado's Travis Hunter, Boise State's Ashton Giunty and Miami's Cam Ward) pose with their trophy (2024) (December 13, 2016, New York). (AP Photo/Corey Shipkin)
But Hunter's dominance this season both offensively as a wide receiver and defensively as a defensive back was too difficult for Giunty to overcome.
Mr. Hunter received 552 first-place votes to Mr. Giunty's 309 votes. Hunter was by far the top two finisher in the poll, which was the closest vote since 2009.
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Boise State running back Ashton Giunty, 2, hits UNLV defensive lineman Tatoo Martinson, 98, during the first half of the Mountain West championship game on Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. Escape from the arms of a man (years old). (AP Photo/Steve Connor)
As a wide receiver, Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 total touchdowns. Hunter won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver. As a corner, Hunter anchored Colorado's defense with 31 tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions.
Hunter also won the Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player, making him the first player to win both the Bednarik Award and the Biletnikov Award.
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Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Giunty is interviewed by FOX Sports reporter Allison Williams after the game against the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on Dec. 6, 2024. (Brian Rosnes/Imag Images)
Giunty is a running back finalist for the Heisman Trophy for the first time since 2017 after an impressive season in which he led the nation with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns.
The running back led Boise State to the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff, including a first-round bye. Boise State will face the winner of SMU and Penn State.
Hunter's Colorado team failed to make the playoffs, finishing in 23rd place. Colorado State will play BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
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