Penn State will take on the Boise State Broncos at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup. The game, which is also this year’s Fiesta Bowl, will determine who advances to the Orange Bowl — and the College Football Playoff semifinal. Who can swing the game on both sides of the ball? And who will win? Here’s what Penn State beat reporter Jon Sauber and Boise State beat reporter Shaun Goodwin had to say. Who’s the most important Penn State offensive player in the game? Jon Sauber (Centre Daily Times): QB Drew Allar.
Allar could be tasked with leading an offense that’s in a high-scoring game, putting the pressure on him to hit the explosive plays that are there. He has taken his game to a new level this season, making the type of throws that very few college quarterbacks can make.
However, he may not need to be that type of quarterback in this one. The Nittany Lions will need to take care of the ball, so while his ability to make big-time throws will always be of benefit, it may not be as much of a necessity in this one. As long as Allar doesn’t give Boise State the ball, he should be in for a big game.
Shaun Goodwin (Idaho Statesman): QB Drew Allar. When Boise State has found itself in tight games this year, it’s often been because the Broncos have allowed too many explosive plays. The Broncos rank 113th in the nation for passing yards allowed per game (256.6) and have allowed 11 plays of 50-plus yards this season, tied for the fifth-worst mark in the country. If the Nittany Lions want to cause quick damage, some deep balls from Allar into one-on-one matchups with Boise State’s cornerbacks could be the answer. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar makes a pass during the game against Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com Who’s the most important Boise State offensive player in the game? Sauber: QB Maddux Madsen. Yes, running back Ashton Jeanty is the best player on the field Saturday — but what Madsen does may be more important. He’s going to have opportunities to create big plays with his arm when Penn State quickly figures out how many resources it will have to commit to the running game.
If Boise State wants to win this game, Madsen is going to have to hit on enough of his throws to move the ball downfield on the rare occasion that Jeanty gets stopped by Penn State and the Broncos end up behind the sticks. Of course, I’m not dismissing the possibility that Jeanty runs roughshod regardless of what the Nittany Lions do.
Goodwin: C Mason Randolph. While Jeanty is the obvious choice, the return of redshirt junior center Mason Randolph could be a game-changer. Randolph played in Boise State’s opener at Georgia Southern — a game in which Jeanty rushed for 267 yards and six touchdowns — but then missed almost three months because of a left bicep injury. That monster game from Jeanty was only possible because of Randolph’s leadership and ability to open up holes at the line of scrimmage for Jeanty to dash through.
Jeanty has managed 435 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the two games since Randolph’s return. If the Broncos want to see Jeanty succeed, they’ll need the 309-pound Randolph firing on all cylinders. Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen greets fans after the Broncos’ 34-18 win over Oregon State at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Darin Oswald doswald@idahostatesman.com Who’s the most important Nittany Lion defensive player in the game? Sauber: LB Tony Rojas. This may seem like an odd choice, but Penn State’s obvious choices — DEs Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton — are inevitably going to be involved less in stopping Jeanty.
They will still be major factors, but what Rojas does could flip the game. He’s been caught out of position more than once this season and has missed tackles in the open field that have allowed opponents to get explosive plays. He has to be in position and making those tackles for Penn State to have the kind of success it will be aiming for against the Boise State offense. Goodwin: LB Kobe King: It’ll be no surprise come New Year’s Eve to see Penn State stacking the box against Jeanty.
Nearly every team has employed the tactic against Boise State this year — and still, Jeanty has averaged 192.1 rushing yards per game. Penn State will need a ball hawk who can follow the hard-to-tackle Jeanty and wrap him up, and King could be that guy. The redshirt junior has the second-most tackles (80) for the Nittany Lions this year, and if he can force a fumble out of Jeanty, it could swing the game.
Penn State captains Abdul Carter, Kobe King, Tyler Warren and Dominic DeLuca walk onto the field with arms linked before the Big Ten Championship game against Oregon at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com Who’s the most important Bronco defensive player in the game? Sauber: DE Jayden Virgin-Morgan. The best way for Boise State to get Penn State off schedule is by getting to Allar and getting the Nittany Lions away from the running game. The Bronco pass rush has been led by Virgin-Morgan with 10 sacks — fellow pass rusher Ahmed Hassanein is no slouch either with 8.5 — and will need him to make a big play or two in this game.
A strip sack would do wonders, but getting consistent pressure on Allar will help the Boise State defense against a unit that should be able to score 30-plus points in this game. If that’s the case, the Broncos need those high-variance plays — like strip sacks — to win. Goodwin: DE Ahmed Hassanein.
In Boise State’s biggest game of the season, the Broncos will naturally look to their senior leaders, including team captain Hassanein. The Egyptian defensive end led the Broncos in sacks last year (12.5) and is second on the team this year, sharing duties with the emergent Virgin-Morgan. The Broncos average the second-most sacks per game in the nation (3.8); a large part of that is because of Hassanein. If the Broncos want to prevent Allar from making big plays into the secondary, putting pressure on him and dropping him for a few sacks, or even a strip sack, would go a long way.
Boise State defensive end Ahmed Hassanein celebrates a late stop against Washington State. Boise State defeated Washington State 45-24 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, in late September. Kyle Green For the Idaho Statesman Who wins? Sauber: Penn State. At the end of the day, the Nittany Lions are double-digit favorites for a reason. This is a matchup where the offense should find success in a number of ways, and it has a counter to almost everything Boise State does defensively. As long as Allar and the running backs can hang onto the ball and not give the Broncos extra possessions, Penn State should win. That being said, this is not going to be an easy matchup, just because Jeanty is good enough to swing a game on his own — just like he almost did when the Broncos nearly knocked off Oregon early in the season.
Goodwin: Boise State. It’s not a surprise that Penn State is a heavy favorite, considering the Nittany Lions’ season and standing in the Big Ten compared to Boise State, which would arguably not be here if not for Jeanty. But Boise State does have Jeanty, and against a Penn State defense that has not fared too well against potent running offenses, the Heisman Trophy runner-up could keep the Broncos in it as he did against Oregon earlier this season, scoring three touchdowns in a 37-34 loss. I think it’ll be a one-possession game either way, but I’ll lean toward the underdog Broncos, who are waving the Group of 5 flag in this year’s College Football Playoff.
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