College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Round: #6 Penn State against #3 Boise State in Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, AZ, 7:30 PM

By Colin McGuigan

 

 

COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

 

College Football Playoff Bracket 2024-25 (courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

 

 

The Broncos are making their inauguarl appearance in the CFP after earning a first-round bye

 

#9/8/8 BOISE STATE (12-1, 7-0 MW) vs. #4/5/5 PENN STATE (12-2, 8-1 BIG TEN)
Date | Time Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 | 5:30 p.m. MT
Location | Stadium Glendale, Ariz. | State Farm Stadium (67,200)
Game Day Information CFP Quarterfinal at Vrbo Fiesta Bowl | WEAR ORANGE
Television ESPN | Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), Kris Budden, Tom Luginbill (sideline)
Radio Network Bronco Radio Network | Bob Behler (play-by-play), Pete Cavender (analyst) | Affiliate List | Listen Live
Sirius XM | Ch. 84
Live Stats BroncoSports.com
Game Notes Boise State | Penn State | CFP | Fiesta Bowl
Social Media X: BroncoSportsFB | #BleedBlue | #BuiltDifferent | #HEI2MAN | IG: @boisestatefootball | Facebook

BOISE, Idaho – No. 3 seed Boise State, the Mountain West champions, will start its journey in the 12-team College Football Playoff as the Broncos will face No. 6 seed Penn State in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 5:30 p.m. MT on ESPN.

The quarterfinal matchup, with the winner moving on to face the winner of Notre Dame-Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, will air nationally as Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Louis Riddick (analyst) call the action on ESPN while Bob Behler (play-by-play) and Pete Cavender (analyst) will have the call on the Bronco Radio Network and on SiriusXM Ch. 83.

OPENING KICKOFF

  1. For the first time in program history, the No. 3 seed Boise State Broncos will play in the College Football Playoff as they will take on No. 6 seed Penn State for the first time with the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 5:30 p.m. MT. The game can be watched on ESPN and heard on the Bronco Radio Network.
  1. While the Broncos will be making their inaugural appearance in the CFP, they are no stranger to the Fiesta Bowl as they are 3-0 all-time in the bowl game. A perfect record that began with the greatest college football game of this century — a 43-42 overtime victory against No. 7 Oklahoma on Jan. 1, 2007 — Boise State also beat #4 TCU, 17-10, in the Jan. 4, 2010 Fiesta Bowl and #10 Arizona, 38-30, in the Dec. 31, 2014 edition. Penn State, meanwhile, is 7-0 all-time in Fiesta Bowls.
  1. Boise State, back-to-back Mountain West champions for the first time in program history, enters the CFP quarterfinal game ranked No. 9 in the final CFP rankings of the 2024 regular season and as the No. 3 seed thanks to being the third-highest ranked conference champion. The Broncos are riding an 11-game winning streak, which is tied for the second-longest active winning streak in FBS (leader: Oregon, 14 games; other: Notre Dame, 11 games).
  1. Boise State is led by running back Ashton Jeanty, who is 131 yards away from tying Barry Sanders for the single-season rushing record in an FBS season. Jeanty is the first Bronco to be named a unanimous All-American as well as win the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award. He was the second Boise State player to become a Heisman finalist as he was runner-up to Travis Hunter in what was the closest Heisman vote since 2009.
  1. While Boise State boasts the third-best scoring offense in the country, its defense has steadily improved over the course of the season. The Broncos are averaging 16.0 points allowed in their last five games and have surrendered only five touchdowns in the last 14 quarters.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
WHAT’S THE RUSH?
Boise State, which owns the fifth-best rushing offense in the country (250.5 ypg), has run for 200+ yards in 10 games this season. It marks the third straight season in which the Broncos have at least seven 200-yard rushing games in a single season. This number leads the Mountain West and is the most in the Broncos’ FBS era (since 1996).

PUT THE BALL DOWN
Boise State’s run game has been one of the best in the country when facing ranked opponents. The Broncos are one of six teams to average over 200 rushing yards per game against AP-ranked opponents (minimum two games). Boise State averages 207.0 rushing yards per game when playing ranked opponents, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

ESTABLISHING THE RUN GAME
The current average of 250.5 rushing yards per game is the highest average in the program’s FBS era (since 1996), with the next-closest being 229.8 yards per game, achieved in 2004. The Broncos rank second in the FBS in yards per carry, averaging 6.32. This year, the Broncos have 14 individual 100-yard rushing performances, a single-season program record. The previous record of 11 was set in 2014.

GROUND GAME
Boise State’s total of 3,257 rushing yards is the highest single-season number of the program’s FBS era (since 1996), passing last year’s total of 3,008. The Blue and Orange have 42 rushing touchdowns this season, the team’s most in a regular season since the 2004 Broncos had 46.

IN TOTALITY
While the Boise State offense has been churning in the run game, it also ranks among the best in total offense as the Broncos are sixth in the nation with 470.2 yards per game. Boise State has four games of 500+ total yards this season, which already equals its total from the last two seasons combined and are its most in a season since 2013 (4). The program’s FBS record for most 500-yard games of total offense during a season is six set in 1996.

OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
Boise State ranks third nationally with 39.1 points per game, the most since 2011, when the Broncos averaged 44.2. Boise State has scored 508 points this season, matching the total of the 2015 squad. In addition to being sixth in the country in total offense, Boise State is sixth in the country in yards per play (6.83) and seventh in total yards (6,112). The Broncos are one of eight FBS teams to eclipse 6,000 total yards this season.

UNDER PRESSURE
Boise State’s pass rushers have been incredibly effective in reaching the quarterback this season.  According to Pro Football Focus Ultimate, the Broncos have 250 total pressures, which combines sacks, hits and hurries. This ranks them fourth in the FBS. There are 17 Broncos with multiple pressures and 23 Broncos with at least one. Ahmed Hassanein has a team-high 60, ranking fourth in the country. He also has 17 quarterback hits, ranking third in the nation.

BRONCOS IN THE BACKFIELD
Boise State continues to wreak havoc in opponents’ backfields, ranking second in the nation with 51 sacks. The 51 total sacks are the most in the Broncos’ FBS era, which began in 1996. Leading the attack for the Broncos are Jayden Virgin-Morgan (10.0) and Ahmed Hassanein (8.5). Virgin-Morgan is tied for 13th in the country and Hassanein is tied for 20th. The Broncos also have 104 tackles for loss, third-most in the country. Virgin-Morgan also leads the way in TFLs, ranking 14th-nationally with 15.5.

BEND, DON’T BREAK
Boise State’s defense has allowed 21 or fewer points in five-straight games, a mark it has not achieved since 2017, when it also had a five-game streak of allowing 21 or fewer points. The 2012 unit limited opponents to 21 or less in eight-straight games. During the current stretch, the Broncos have allowed 10 touchdowns while scoring 19. Boise State has climbed to second in the conference and 36th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 21.9 points per game.

FIRST-YEAR SUCCESS
Spencer Danielson joined an exclusive list when he led Boise State to the College Football Playoff in his first year as a full-time head coach. The only coaches to achieve this feat previously were Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma, 2017) and Ryan Day (Ohio State, 2019).

ANCHORING THE TRENCHES
Kage Casey is one of the nation’s top offensive linemen, earning a PFF overall grade of 85.0 that ranks fourth among FBS left tackles who have played over 700 snaps. The redshirt sophomore has not allowed a sack all season and has played a team-high 867 offensive snaps.

ALL-AMERICAN HONOR
Casey earned second team All-America honors from The Athletic and Walter Camp while garnering honorable mention All-America from Sports Illustrated. He joins an elite list of Boise State offensive linemen to be recognized as All-Americans, including consensus picks Ryan Clady (2007) and Nate Potter (2011).

MORE EFFICIENCY THAN MADDOG
Maddux Madsen currently ranks second in the MW in passing efficiency (143.6) and has thrown 22 touchdowns to only three interceptions, the best ratio among FBS quarterbacks with at least 20 touchdown passes. Since 2000, only 42 quarterbacks have a TD:INT ratio of 7:1 or better. Alex Smith (Utah, 2004) is the lone MW quarterback on the list. The only Boise State player on the list is Kellen Moore, who achieved the feat in 2009. In MW games, Madsen had 12 touchdowns and one interception, making him the only player in the country with 12+ touchdowns and one interception in conference play. His career record as a starting quarterback is 13-1.

GET THE BALL OUT
Boise State has recovered eight fumbles this season, including two or more in three different games. The Broncos are first in the conference and 14th in the country with 13 fumbles forced.

LAUTER CONTINUING TO PRODUCE
Matt Lauter had five receptions for 62 yards against UNLV, bringing his season totals to 43 catches for 523 yards. He is the first Boise State tight end since Jeb Putzier (2001) to register 40+ catches and 500+ receiving yards.

GOING FOR IT
The Broncos are 11th in the nation in fourth down conversion rate this season (71.4%). The Broncos have scored in 12 of their 15 drives with a fourth-down conversion (11 TDs, 1 FG), with two drives that did not feature a score being drives that ended in kneel-downs to end their respective games (Oct. 25 at UNLV, Oct. 5 vs. Utah State). The other was a drive that resulted in a punt in the third quarter at Hawai’i on Oct. 12.

HEI2MAN-WORTHY NUMBERS
Ashton Jeanty has scored as many as or more total touchdowns (30) this season than the total scored by 17 FBS teams. He has scored 29 rushing touchdowns this season, equaling or besting the season total of 117 FBS teams, and rushed for 2,497 yards, more than 113 FBS teams. The mark of 2,497 rushing yards is the fourth-highest single-season total in FBS history. Jeanty also leads the nation in all-purpose yards (2,613) and points (180).

BUCKING BRONCO
Of Jeanty’s 2,497 rushing yards, 1,889 have come after contact. This is the most in a single-season during the College Football Playoff era (since 2014), when Pro Football Focus began tracking the stat. No FBS player has recorded that many total rushing yards in a season since 2019. His season total of 134 missed tackles forced on rushes is the most in the CFP era (since 2014). His overall total of 143 is also the most in a single-season. There have been 10 instances of a player forcing 100+ missed tackles in a season, with Jeanty being the only player to do it twice. In 2023, he forced 106 missed tackles in 12 games.

AWARDS SEASON
Jeanty has collected numerous conference and national awards this season, most recently the Doak Walker Award and Maxwell Award. He is the first player to earn both awards since Derrick Henry (Alabama, 2015) and only Group of 5 player to earn both in the same season. He also became the first unanimous All-American in Boise State history, earning first team honors from all five official selectors. He joined Ryan Clady, Nate Potter and Avery Williams as the program’s only consensus All-Americans. Jeanty was a finalist for the Walter Camp Award and is a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. He also repeated as Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and was the conference’s lone unanimous first team All-MW selection.

LOADING THE BOX
The only way to stop Ashton Jeanty has been to load the box. Against 9+ man boxes, Jeanty has still scored 15 touchdowns, per PFF. He has 51 attempts against 9+ box defenders, most in the country among non-service academy players. He has been most effective against a 7-man box, running for 1,229 yards, 526 more than the next-closest player (Ahmad Hardy, ULM). Jeanty has 1,829 yards when facing 7+ box defenders. No other FBS running back has more than 1,200.

Box Defenders              Att                  Yards       Touchdowns      Jeanty Yards/Att        Rest of FBS Yards/Att
6                                          76                   625           3                              8.2                                    5.8
7                                          137                 1,229       7                              9.0                                    5.3
8                                          77                   498           3                              6.5                                    4.5
9+                                       51                   102           15                           2.0                                    2.4

ECLIPSING THE CENTURY MARK
For the 13th game in a row, Ashton Jeanty ran for at least 100 yards, churning out 209 yards on 32 attempts against UNLV in the MW Championship. The 13-consecutive 100-yard rushing games is the most in Mountain West history. Jeanty has not only eclipsed 100 yards in every game, he’s totaled over 125 rushing yards. He is the first FBS player to run for over 125 yards in his first 13 games since at least 1996.

MR. CONSISTENCY
Ashton Jeanty has been equally productive in both halves over the course of his historic season, averaging 104.9 yards per first half played and 103.0 yards per second half played. He averages 7.5 yards per attempt and has 15 touchdowns in first halves while rushing for 7.0 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns in second halves. Jeanty has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in 17 of the 24 halves he’s played, seven more than any FBS player in a single season since 2012. He has rushed for 100+ in a half in 12 of Boise State’s 13 games, with the outlier being the Oct. 25 game at UNLV.

ALL FOR 2(00)
Ashton Jeanty’s 209-yard performance against UNLV marked the eighth 200-yard rushing performance of Jeanty’s career, breaking the MW record previously held by Rashaad Penny (San Diego State, 2014-17) and Brian Hill (Wyoming, 2014-16). Jeanty’s total of six 200-yard games this season ties Penny for the most in an FBS season since at least 2000.

SECOND TO NONE
Ashton Jeanty has rewritten the Boise State record book this season, breaking the program’s single-season rushing records for yards (2,497), touchdowns (29), 200-yard games (6), 100-yard games (13) and consecutive 100-yard games (13). He is one of three players in program history to record back-to-back 200-yard rushing efforts, joining Cedric Minter (1978) and Alexander Mattison (2018). Jeanty also set the career records for 200-yard rushing games (8), 100-yard rushing games (21) and 200-yard all-purpose games (11). His season averages of 7.3 rushing yards per carry, 192.1 rushing yards per game and 201.0 all-purpose yards per game are currently school records, as are his career rushing averages of 6.5 yards per carry and 119.6 yards per game.

THE CLOSER
When it’s crunch time, no running back in the FBS has been more productive than Ashton Jeanty. He leads the country in nearly every fourth quarter rushing category, including attempts (86), yards (679), touchdowns (9), first downs (29), 10+ yard rushes (21) and 20+ yard rushes (6). His average of 7.9 yards per carry is second-most among players with 40+ fourth quarter attempts.

RACE TO THE END ZONE
Ashton Jeanty’s electrifying 75-yard touchdown run against UNLV was his 10th of at least 50 yards this season, more than double the number of any FBS player. Since 2000, only Bryce Love (Stanford) has more 50+ yard touchdowns in a season, running for 11 in 2017. It was also Jeanty’s eighth touchdown of at least 60 yards, again more than double of any FBS player. He holds the record for the most 60+ yard

DEUCE CAN DASH
Ashton Jeanty is known for breaking off big runs, but also impressive is his ability to limit rushes for loss. This season, he has been stopped behind the line of scrimmage 23 times. He is more likely to run for 20+ yards than he is to rush for a loss, tallying 24 attempts of 20 or more yards. He has nearly as many 30+ yard rushes, totaling 17 this season.

LEAVE A LEGACY
Not only has Jeanty left a legacy on the field, he has done so off the field with the creation of the Ashton Jeanty Endowed Scholarship for Football. A total of $245,000 was donated by over 492 supporters, eclipsing the $200,000 goal.

WINNING WHEN IT COUNTS
The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will mark Boise State’s 46th postseason appearance since the program began in 1933. The Broncos are 26-19 (.578) in those games, including a 23-15 (.605) mark as a four-year institution and a 13-8 (.619) mark since 1996, when the Broncos were elevated to the FBS.

SEYI SETS THE STANDARD
Seyi Oladipo is one of Boise State’s top pass-rushers, totaling 6.5 sacks this season, the most among FBS defensive backs. The MW Championship Defensive MVP is tied for second on the team with 63 total tackles (48 solo).

THE FIRST 15
Spencer Danielson has opened his head coaching career with a 15-2 record, which includes his 3-1 mark as the interim head coach to end the 2023 season. He continues the tradition of successful head coaching careers leading Boise State as he has the third-most wins through the first 17 games as the Bronco head coach. Lyle Smith, in 1947-48, was a perfect 17-0 in his first 15 games while Chris Petersen, in 2006-07, was 16-1.

Boise State Head Coaches, First 15 Games at the Helm
Head Coach                          Years             Record          Achievements
Lyle Smith                             1947-48        17-0               No. 6 in final Paul B. Williamson Poll of 1947, No. 4 in final poll of 1948
Chris Petersen                    2006-07        16-1               Fiesta Bowl Champion, WAC Champion, No. 5 in final AP Poll of 2006
SPENCER DANIELSON       2023-24        15-2               Back-to-back MW Champion, No. 3 seed in CFP, Fiesta Bowl berth
Bryan Harsin                         2014-16        14-3               Fiesta Bowl Champion, MW Champion, No. 16 in final AP Poll of 2014
Tony Knap                             1968-69        14-3               Program’s first two seasons as four-year program
Dan Hawkins                        2001-02        12-5               Humanitarian Bowl Champion, WAC Champion, No. 12 in final Coaches Poll of 2002

CONTINUING THE CLIMB
Boise State moved up to No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings and No. 8 in the AP Poll and US LBM Coaches Poll. The latest CFP ranking is the highest in program history. The Broncos were the highest-ranked Group of 5 team, and as the third-highest ranked conference leader, were the No. 3 seed in the bracket. This is the highest the Broncos have ranked in the Coaches and AP polls since the final polls of 2011, when they were tabbed No. 6 and No. 8, respectively.

THIS IS BECOMING A HABIT
With the most recent rankings release by the Associated Press putting the Broncos at No. 8, this marks the 12th-consecutive week Boise State is in the AP’s Top 25 poll. You won’t have to look back far to see the last time Boise State achieved such a feat – it last happened in 2019. The 2024 season marks the ninth time the Broncos have been in the AP Top 25 poll for six consecutive weeks or more. Since 2000, Boise State has been ranked for at minimum nine consecutive weeks on eight separate occasions: 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2019.

DOWN, NOT OUT
Boise State has not trailed much this season, but it faced a 14-0 deficit after the first 24+ minutes of the game at San Jose State. The Broncos came back, however, and secured their largest deficit overcome since Oct. 7, 2023 vs. San Jose State (trailed 27-7, won 35-27). On Nov. 23, Boise State trailed for over 21 minutes against Wyoming, but rallied from a 13-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to win, 17-13. The Broncos have trailed in four of their 12 wins this year, and have only spent a combined 87:37 of game time trailing in games (11% of game time).

GO LONG!
Beware the big play. Boise State has 15 offensive plays of at least 50 yards this season, the most among FBS teams. Last season, the Broncos had 14 plays of 50+ yards. Only UCF (15) had more.

WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO SHARE
Boise State enters this week’s game with just eight total turnovers committed this season, tied for second-fewest in the nation. Vanderbilt (7) is the only team ahead of the Broncos.

PROTECT THE QUARTERBACK
Thanks to a dominant offensive line, Boise State opponents have found it difficult to reach quarterback Maddux Madsen. Entering this week’s game, Boise State ranks 10th in the nation in sacks allowed (0.92 per game) and ninth in tackles for loss allowed (3.77).

PROTECTING THE BLUE
Boise State went 7-0 at home this season, its best home record since 2019 (7-0). Since 2019, the Broncos are 20-2 at home in conference games and have won 13 straight conference home games.

BIG WINS
Six of Boise State’s 12 wins have come by 20+ points, with only Ohio State (9), Oregon (8), Indiana (7), Miami [FL] (7) and SMU (7) recording more. The Broncos have three wins by over 30 points. Boise State averages 17.2 more points per game than its opponents, the 11th-best scoring margin in the FBS.

BRONCO NATION MAKES AN IMPACT
Since 2018 (and excluding 2020), Bronco Nation has forced opponents to false start 113 times on The Blue. This is over 25 false starts more than the next-closest team (N.C. State, 85). Boise State averages 2.83 false starts forced per home game, easily the most in the FBS.

SELLOUTS AT ALBERTSONS
Bronco Nation is as dedicated as any fan base and the fervor in which they follow the Broncos is reaching new heights. The 2024 season marks the first time in school history the Broncos sold out every game, averaging a school-record 37,114 fans per game.

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 35
Boise State is unbeaten in its last 80 games when scoring 35 or more points. The Broncos’ last loss when scoring 35+ was to No. 24 TCU on Nov. 12, 2011.

YOU CAN’T STOP THE STAMPEDE
Boise State has produced one of the most prolific and powerful offenses since 2000. Since the turn of the century, the Broncos have averaged 38.028 points per game, a mark that ranks second in the nation behind Oklahoma (38.303). See the top 10 list of those scoring offenses on Page 4.

WE’RE JUST CARRYING ON AN OLD FAMILY TRADITION
The Broncos have won 36 conference championships in its program history, the seventh-most conference titles won by any current FBS team. Boise State trails Oklahoma (50), Nebraska (46), Michigan (44), Ohio State (39) and USC (37).

BACK-TO-BACK
Boise State’s win over UNLV gave the Broncos back-to-back MW titles for the first time in its program history. The last time the Broncos won back-to-back conference titles was 2008-10, when they were members of the WAC.

ONE-PLAY DRIVES
Because the Broncos are second in the nation this season in one-play touchdown drives. Currently, Boise State has scored six touchdowns by only using one-play drives, trailing only North Texas (7). See the national leaders in one-play touchdown drives on Page 10.

SUCCESS IN THE RED ZONE
Boise State enters this week ranked 15th nationally in red zone offense. So far this season, Boise State is 55-for-60 on scoring opportunities inside the red zone, with 46 touchdowns and nine field goals. Three of the five blemishes are kneeldowns at the end of the Utah State, Hawai’i and Nevada wins.

MOST IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Boise State has won six conference championships in the Mountain West, the most by a current member of the league, and surpassing the four claimed by BYU, TCU and Utah for the most in conference history.

WE KEPT THE STREAK ALIVE
Boise State’s win in the 2024 Mountain West Championship Game meant the Broncos’ 2027 senior class will be the 26th straight class at Boise State to win a conference championship. Boise State’s 2023 senior class was the 25th-straight group to graduate with at least one conference championship. Of the previous 24 straight classes leaving with rings, 19 left with multiple championships, including 11 with three-or-more. The last Boise State senior class to not win a conference championship was the class of 1998, a group which led Boise State from I-AA to I-A (now FBS). The streak of 26-straight classes is the longest active streak in the country, and the third-longest in NCAA history. BYU (30; 1975-2004) and Nebraska (28; 1975-2002) boast the longest streaks in NCAA history. Oklahoma’s streak of 24 ended this season.

A WIN WOULD…

  • Improve Boise State’s all-time record in Fiesta Bowls to 4-0.
  • Extend Boise State’s winning streak to 12 games. The Broncos’ 11-game winning streak entering the CFP Quarterfinals is tied for the second-longest active streak in FBS.
  • Give Boise State its most wins in a season since 2009 when it went 14-0.
  • Be Boise State’s first win over a member of the Big Ten Conference at the time of competition. The Broncos are 0-2 in such games entering the Fiesta Bowl.

WAKE UP TO THE LATEST BRONCO NEWS
Get the latest news from Bronco Nation delivered to your inbox every morning! Delivered every weekday, Good Morning, Bronco Nation is a daily email full of the latest news, fun information, weekly schedules, stats and a daily trivia question. Click here to sign up today!

BOISE STATE FOOTBALL
For complete coverage of Boise State Football, download the Bronco Sports App or follow the team on social media on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X.

 

COURTESY BOISE STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *