Abdul Carter injury update: Penn State star enters medical tent in Fiesta Bowl vs. Boise State

Penn State star pass-rusher Abdul Carter was injured during the second quarter of the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game.

Carter appeared to be favoring his right shoulder and went into the team’s medical tent on the sideline, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Devin Jackson.

On the drive that Carter was injured on, Boise State punched it in for a touchdown, marching down the field methodically to cut its deficit to 14-7. Abdul Carter and the Penn State pass rush had been dominant in the early going, but Carter’s absence was notable.

Carter had not logged any statistics, but he had been in the backfield several times and had hurried up the Boise State operation. He’s expected to be a key factor in the contest, so any further updates on his status will be noteworthy.

Just how big an impact has Abdul Carter had this season for the Nittany Lions?

Well, he has logged 63 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and three passes defended. He’s been an absolute monster and is widely viewed as an early first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, should he choose to enter.

Penn State takes early lead

Abdul Carter and Penn State got off to a hot start in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, going up 14-0 early on as the offense cruised and the defense put the clamps down on Broncos star Ashton Jeanty.

Through the first quarter, Boise State had totaled 79 yards of offense but only 17 on the ground, with Jeanty kept in check by the Penn State front seven.

Meanwhile, Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar was sharp. Allar threw for 75 yards in the first quarter, including a 38-yard touchdown strike to Omari Evans to extend the lead to double-digits.

Boise State answered midway through the second quarter and was pushing to make it a closer game before the half at the time of this writing.