GLENDALE, Ariz. — Powered by explosive plays, Penn State defeated Boise State, 31-14, to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinal round, winning its eighth consecutive Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday night in State Farm Stadium.
The Nittany Lions’ main goal was inevitably stopping Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, and the Nittany Lions did just that.
Trotting three defensive ends onto the field for the opening drive, the extra man enabled Penn State’s defensive line to contain Jeanty, who recorded just four yards on three carries to kick off the game.
When Abdul Carter left the game with an injury, the Nittany Lions brought safety help into the box instead and frequently blitzed linebacker Dom DeLuca for added pressure.
Boise State (12-2) was held to just 48 rushing yards in the first half, the fewest in any half all season, with 39 belonging to Jeanty. He finished the game with 30 carries for 104 yards.
Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, while Amin Vanover shined in an expanded role, making splash plays throughout the night and totaling five tackles, two for loss, and a forced fumble.
Offensively, the Nittany Lions were clicking, with running back Kaytron Allen shredding the Broncos’ defense to the tune of 134 yards on 17 carries, while his counterpart Nick Singleton lagged behind early until a 56-yard explosion in the fourth quarter. Despite the success, Penn State (13-2) seemed hesitant to run between the tackles in short-yardage situations, instead opting to pass with little success.
Through the air, quarterback Drew Allar hit tight end Tyler Warren twice as well as wide receiver Omari Evans on deep bombs for touchdowns. The Nittany Lions quickly identified and frequently targeted Boise State safeties Alexander Teubner and Ty Benefield, who proved to be the weak links defensively and surrendered all three passing touchdowns. Freshman tight end Luke Reynolds got involved, with two catches for 16 yards in the first half.
Penn State’s offense moved the ball well initially, although the unit’s momentum stalled with several penalties on offensive linemen in the second quarter, including two false starts, a face mask and a holding call.
With much of the focus on Jeanty, Bronco quarterback Maddux Madsen had a solid day distributing the ball, finishing 23-for-34 for 304 yards including a 53-yard bomb to tight end Matt Lauter. His biggest mishaps were three fourth-quarter interceptions to safety Zakee Wheatley, cornerback Zion Tracy and safety Tyrece Mills, which helped the Nittany Lions to put the game to bed.
Quotable
James Franklin: “I want to give Boise a ton of credit. I think it’s a really, really good football team. They’ve been winning there for a long time. Coach Danielson done a phenomenal job. And obviously, you know, could go on and on about their players.”
“We played a complete game, offense, defense and special teams, complimentary football. Did some, did some special things today. So I’m just proud of our guys. We talked and we get in a season about our guys have these type of opponents and these type of experiences and these type of opportunities.”
Drew Allar: “I think it’s just the narrative that’s out there. But again, there’s no, there’s no other coach in this country that I’d rather go to war with. With Coach Franklin, he’s done, you know, so much for me personally, off the field and on the field, for my family. And you know, he’s been a tremendous, you know, resource for me ever since I’ve been on campus.”
Notable stats
Total yards: Boise State 412, Penn State 387
Rushing yards: Penn State 216, Boise State 108
Penalties: Boise State 13, Penn State 10
Red zone: Penn State 2-for-2, Boise State 1-for-3
Injury report
Carter went down in the second quarter and didn’t return to the game, although he remained on the sideline in uniform.
Up next
Penn State will travel to Miami to face the winner of Georgia and Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
First Published: January 1, 2025, 4:22 a.m.
Updated: January 1, 2025, 4:41 a.m.
