The Penn State Nittany Lions continue their quest for a national title on Tuesday, traveling to Arizona to take on Boise State in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve. James Franklin and company face another formidable foe to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Happy Valley Insider takes a closer look at Boise State by the numbers, ahead of Tuesday's clash.
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Offense:
It has been the Ashton Jeanty show in Boise this season, with the Heisman Trophy runner-up and All-American running back leading the charge for the Broncos' offense. Jeanty has been one of the best collegiate running backs of all time with his historic 2024 campaign, having 2,496 yards and 29 touchdowns through 13 games this season.
Jeanty sits just 131 yards away from Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record set in 1988 and will look to surpass that mark at the expense of the Nittany Lions on Tuesday.
Jeanty headlines what has been the number five rushing attack in all of college football, averaging north of 250 yards per game. The Heisman finalist has also been the root of many of Boise State's big plays, accounting for 57 runs of 30 yards or more, while Penn State has given up just ten such runs all season.
Jeanty is and will continue to be the focus of Boise State's offense, but quarterback Maddux Madsen has been efficient and effective under center to serve as a compliment. The redshirt sophomore has thrown for 2,714 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions in his breakout campaign, leading the Mountain West in touchdowns thrown and yards per attempt with 8.36.
Madsen has a strong receiving corps that has been overshadowed by Jeanty's brilliance, but have also played well. That group is led by Indiana transfer Cam Camper, who has 55 catches for 837 yards and four touchdowns, with his yards and receptions being team-highs for the Broncos.
Tight end Matt Lauter and wide receiver Latrell Caples have also been reliable targets, with Lauter amassing 43 catches for 523 yards and six scores, while Caples has 34 catches for 443 yards and five touchdowns.
The balance of the Boise State offense has been picture perfect, with the aerial attack capitalizing on teams selling out to stop Ashton Jeanty, which hasn't worked. The Broncos own the number three scoring offense in the country, averaging 39.1 points per game this season.
Defense:
Boise State's offense has gotten the headlines and for good reason, but Spencer Danielson's defense has been improving as the season has progressed, playing some of its best football of late.
Boise State owns a top 40 scoring defense in college football and have been getting better during the final month of the regular season, holding teams to an average of 16.0 points per game over their last five contests. The most notable of those performances came against UNLV, holding the Rebels' attack to only seven points, which had been done just once in Barry Odom's tenure, against Michigan in 2023.
The recent success comes on the heels of an up-and-down start to the season, surrendering 30.0 points per game across the first five games of the year, including 37 points to Oregon and 45 points to Georgia Southern.
The Broncos have limited opposing offenses to just 115.1 yards per game on the ground, having only giving up 150 yards or more just twice this season. Linebackers Marcos Notarainni and Andrew Simpson have played a large role in helping in that regard, combining for 18 tackles for loss.
Boise State has had moments where opposing aerial attacks find success, including games against Georgia Southern, Utah State, Washington State, and San Jose State, which all surpassed 300+ yards through the air.
Edge rushers Jayden Virgin-Morgan and Ahmed Hassanein have been a productive 1-2 punch for the Broncos, tallying 29 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks between the two, with Virgin-Morgan having 16 tackles for loss and ten sacks in his own right.
On the back end, cornerback A'Marion McCoy and safety Rodney Robinson have been standouts in coverage, holding coverage grades of 82.7 and 80.3 respectively, from Pro Football Focus this season.
Special teams:
Kicker Jonah Dalmas has been lights out in the Idaho elements for the Broncos, going 13-16 on field goal attempts this season, as well as a perfect 63-63 on extra points. He has been almost automatic inside 40 yards, having just one miss, but still being 5-7 from 40 yards or longer. Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds has averaged 43.8 yards per punt on 39 chances this season, as well.
Running back Dylan Riley also provides a threat in the return game, averaging 29.6 yards per kick return, including having one for a touchdown. As a team, the Broncos are averaging 23.1 yards per return on kickoffs.
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