Drew Allar describes what stands out in Boise State's defense

The Penn State Nittany Lions got their first taste of College Football Playoff action, scoring 38 points in their win over SMU. Now, quarterback Drew Allar and the offense will look to keep things rolling against the Boise State Broncos.

Ahead of the game, Allar shared his respect for the Boise State defense, explaining what stands out about that unit to him this season.

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“I think defensively, they’re a really sound unit,” Drew Allar said. “You don’t see many mistakes in the run game, like guys in the same gap. Not many blown coverages. So, I think they’re a very sound and disciplined group, and that starts with the coaching staff. They do a great job in getting those guys aligned in the right spots.”

Through 13 games this season, Boise State is 32nd in the country in scoring defense, giving up 21.9 points per game. The Broncos are also 61st in total defense, giving up 361.9 yards per game.

“I think the biggest thing that sticks out about the players is just how hard they play to the whistle. They’re playing through the whistle every single snap there is,” Allar said. “So, a lot of respect for these guys. They’ve had a great season. So, it’s going to be a fun matchup.”

Luckily, for Drew Allar, Penn State has plenty of great options on offense to attack Boise State with. That starts with the running back tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen before extending to tight end Tyler Warren, who proved to be one of the best offensive players in the sport this season.

Andy Kotelnicki describes what he sees in Boise State’s defense

Drew Allar wasn’t alone in his praise of Boise State’s defense. His offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki, also recently praised that unit.

“First of all, they play great team defense. They’re one of the top teams in the country in terms of sacks and disruption up front. So, they have some talented players on their defensive line for sure. But they play great complementary team defense. They have a nice pressure package that complements what their base defense is. They’ve played really good football throughout the course of the year. But certainly up front, as we talk every week, that’s going to be the battle. When you’re in Playoff football, this time of year playing football, you need to be good up front on both sides of the ball,” Kotelnicki said.

“What you see from them is you see a very disruptive defensive line. You see a defense that’s making opponents have to earn their touchdowns and their points and they’re not really giving up things, which is what you would expect this time of year for a team that’s playing in the national Playoffs.”

Penn State and Boise State will meet in the Playoff quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve at 7:30 p.m. EST. That game will be played at the Fiesta Bowl.