The Penn State Nittany Lions will be playing for a trip to the national championship.
The No. 6 seeded Nittany Lions defeated the No. 3 seed, Mountain West Conference champion Boise State Broncos on Tuesday night in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl, 31-14. The Nittany Lions smothered Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty throughout the game, keeping the terrific tailback to just 30 carries for 104 yards. Jeanty who had 13 games of 125+ rushing yards this season had just one extensive run, a 26-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Drew Allar started the day off hot but cooled down as the game progressed. He finished the day with a modest stat line of 13-for-25 for 171 yards and three touchdowns. The junior quarterback made several NFL-level throws in the game and was the victim of several drops. Questionable play calling throughout the contest from ofefnsive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki also didn't do Allar any favors on Tuesday.
The Nittany Lions rushing attack led the way, however, with the Nittany Lions. Despite going away from the run at times throughout the quarterfinal matchup, the Nittany Lions totaled over 200 rushing yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. Kaytron Allen led all rushers with 134 yards while Nicholas Singleton who was kept quiet for most of the night broke a 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Tyler Warren was the Nittany Lions' top receiver with six receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Trey Wallace had three receptions for 37 yards including a clutch third-down reception in the fourth quarter while Omari Evans had two receptions for 55 yards including one touchdown. The Nittany Lions targeted Evans multiple times on deep shots but ultimately only competed two of the four targets.
Overall, the Nittany Lions offense totaled 388 yards in the game though it was far from a dominant performance. There will be plenty for the Nittany Lions to clean up from their performance offensively as they prepare for either Georgia or Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Penn State appeared to be set for a blowout
Early in the game, it appeared that Penn State was bound for another blowout victory to follow up their 38-10 win over SMU in the first round.
After Boise State missed a field goal on their opening drive, the Nittany Lions drove down the field with ease on nine plays, going 72 yards. Drew Allar would make a tremendous throw to the back of the endzone finding Tyler Warren to give the Nittany Lions a 7-0 lead. Less than three minutes later, the Nittany Lions made it a 14-0 game as Allar found Omari Evans on a 38-yard touchdown pass, a perfectly placed pass into Evans' wheelhouse in the endzone.
With Boise State's chances already looking dire, Penn State forced their first of three turnovers in the game as Ashton Jeanty fumbled the ball while being tackled. Zakee Wheatley would grab the ball as it flew through the air and gave the Nittany Lions the ball at their own 49-yard line.
But that's where things began to get wonky for Penn State as Drew Allar would fumble the ball on an RPO as he tried to pull the ball back from Nicholas Singleton. The Broncos would fail to convert on the fumble, but the turnover was enough to throw the Nittany Lions off their game. They would punt on each of their next three drives, only garnering 26 yards on 15 total plays.
Boise State would get on the board halfway through the second quarter as fullback Tyler Crowe would punch it in from eight yards out to make it a 14-7 game. The Nittany Lions would add on a field goal before halftime and would head into the break with a 17-7 lead.
Coming out of halftime, Penn State's offense would continue to sputter with a three and outComing out of halftime, Penn State's offense would continue to sputter with a three and out while Boise State looked to continue to capture the momentum. The Broncos would be successful as a blown coverage would allow tight end while Boise State looked to continue to capture the momentum. The Broncos would be successful as a blown coverage would allow tight end Matt Lauter to get wide open, leading to a 53-yard touchdown reception to make it a 3-0 score game.
Desperate to keep Boise State at bay, the Nittany Lions offense would finally find some sustained success with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Tyler Warren's second touchdown reception of the game to once again make it a two-score game. Nicholas Singleton would add a dagger with under five minutes to go on a 58-yard touchdown run that extended their lead to 31-14.
The Broncos in the fourth quarter would reach Penn State's side of the field on three straight drives but would fail to garner any points thanks to two turnovers, a missed field goal, and one turnover on downs.
In total, the Broncos would cross midfield on eight of 12 total drives but managed to get on the board just twice.
NEXT UP
Penn State is now just one win away from playing for a national championship. They'll take on the winner of Wednesday's Sugar Bowl matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl next Thursday.
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