On December 31, the Boise State Broncos (12-1) will play in their fourth Fiesta Bowl as they battle against the No. 6-seeded Nittany Lions of Penn State (12-2). Boise State received a first-round bye, while Penn State routed the Mustangs of SMU 38-10 at home in Happy Valley.
The Fiesta Bowl has been a home away from home for Boise State over the years. They are undefeated in the bowl game with a 3-0 record: In 2014, Boise State won 38-20 over Arizona; in 2010, the Broncos defeated TCU 17-10. But the greatest Boise State victory in the Fiesta Bowl came in January 2007 vs. the Oklahoma Sooners.
Boise State vs. Oklahoma, 2007 Fiesta Bowl
The Broncos led for most of the game, but the Sooners came storming back to take a 35-28 lead with a minute left. Boise State coach Chris Petersen turned to the page in his playbook titled “gimmick plays.”
The Broncos ran three gimmick plays:
- Hook and Ladder
- Halfback Pass
- Statue of Liberty
Boise State snatched a thrilling victory from the jaws of the mighty Sooners.
Boise State vs. Penn State, 2024 Fiesta Bowl
The matchup to watch in this game is the Nittany Lions’ rushing defense against Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. On average, Penn State has not allowed an opponent to rush for more than 100 yards per game on the ground.
Jeanty has rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns and is only 131 yards away from breaking Barry Sanders’ 1988 single-season rushing record.
Penn State and Boise State both have top-notch defenses. And both are adept at forcing turnovers. Penn State returned 2 INTs to the house for scores against SMU.
The Broncos get to the quarterback often ranked No. 2 nationally in sacks and have averaged almost four sacks per game.
That does not bode well for Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (over 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns), who has posted three games this season without throwing a touchdown pass.
Allar threw 3 INTs against USC in a game that the Nittany Lions had to hold on for a 3-point victory. In an 8-point loss to Oregon in the conference championship game, Allar threw 2 INTs
Contrast that to Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen, who has passed for over 2,700 yards, 22 TDs, and only 3 INTs. Over the last nine games, Madsen has thrown 1 INT for a Broncos team that has won 11 consecutive games.
Boise State can win this game if the Broncos’ defense can put pressure on Allar and force him to make mistakes and make the passing game a non-factor. If the Broncos can make the Nittany Lions one-dimensional, Boise State will be victorious.
Prediction
On the biggest stage, Big Game James Franklin and the Nittany Lions will falter yet again. Jeanty will break the record, and the Broncos will be on the right side of history in this game. Boise State wins their fourth Fiesta Bowl to move on in the college football playoff.