Highs & Lows: Penn State starts fast, outlasts Boise State

By Nate Bauer

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Surely, Penn State’s path to the College Football Playoff semifinals couldn’t be so easy. Racing out to a 14-point advantage over third-seeded Boise State at the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve, the Nittany Lions appeared to be on their way to another lopsided CFP victory after thrashing SMU, 38-10, in the first round.

The Broncos had other ideas, of course. The game turned into a gritty defensive battle, with Penn State outlasting Boise State by a 31-14 score that didn’t reflect how close it was most of the way. Taking advantage of three Boise turnovers, the Nittany Lions will advance to the tournament’s final four. 

Here are the plays and players that lifted the Lions to the win. 

Highs & Lows: Penn State battles Boise to advance to CFP semis

PLAYER OF THE GAME Penn State running back Kaytron Allen admittedly wasn’t thrilled with the middle of his 2024 campaign. By the end of the Fiesta Bowl, however, he had every reason to be ecstatic. Allen rushed for 134 yards on 17 attempts, teaming up with fellow junior Nicholas Singleton to help the Nittany Lions finish with 216 yards on the ground — exactly double Boise’s total of 108 rushing yards.

PLAY OF THE GAME Nursing a tenuous 10-point advantage over Boise State in the fourth quarter, Penn State’s offense understood its task. There was 9:20 remaining, and the struggling Nittany Lion unit needed to use as much of that time as possible.

A touchdown wouldn’t hurt, either.

Singleton took care of the latter. Finding a crease to his left, he hurtled into the third level of the Boise State defense and didn’t look back. His 58-yard touchdown improved Penn State’s lead to 31-14, virtually ensuring the win.

Offensive superlatives

BEST PASS Penn State had already knocked Boise State off-balance with the run game on its first possession. Then quarterback Drew Allar and tight end Tyler Warren delivered an early knockdown. Patiently waiting for his target to emerge on a late-developing pass from the 11-yard line, Allar lofted a well-placed ball to his All-America tight end at the back of the end zone, giving the Lions an early 7-0 lead.

Really, though, take your pick of Allar’s three touchdowns. All were remarkably well-thrown balls, with remarkable catches to go with them.

BEST RUN Singleton’s 58-yard fourth-quarter burst is the easy winner in this category. By putting PSU up by three scores, it all but eliminated any chance of a Boise State comeback.

BEST CATCH For Omari Evans, it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Spending most of the Big Ten schedule struggling to find production in the passing game, the junior wideout capitalized on his first opportunity to make a big mark against the Broncos. Perfectly timing a 38-yard rainbow strike from Allar late in the first quarter, Evans made good by hauling in the touchdown. The score gave the Nittany Lions a 14-0 edge. 

Though less consequential than a touchdown, Evans’ second catch of the evening deserves the same recognition. Snagging a high pass from Allar along the Penn State sideline in the final minute of the first half, Evans picked up 17 yards on the play.

WORST DROP A failed exchange from Allar to Singleton put the ball on the ground, and Boise’s Seyi Oladipo pounced on it. The fumble cost Penn State a chance to take a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

Defensive standouts

BEST HIT Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton arrived nearly at the exchange point and dropped Ashton Jeanty for a 2-yard loss in the first quarter.

BEST SACK Shortly after stopping Jeanty in the backfield, Dennis-Sutton sacked quarterback Maddux Madsen for a 5-yard loss. While the junior edge rusher was the one to get Madsen on the ground, it seemed the entire Penn State defensive line played a role in eliminating all pathways of escape.

BEST EFFORT Jeanty was doing what Jeanty does as he galloped his way toward the Boise sideline late in the first quarter. He had stayed on his feet despite a multitude of shots, but Penn State linebacker Kobe King popped the ball loose and into the arms of safety Zakee Wheatley, who stayed in bounds just long enough to get the fumble recovery.

Special teams superlatives

BEST KICK Riley Thompson boomed a 54-yard punt to open the second half. 

WORST KICKS Stopped short of a first down on its first possession of the evening, Boise State turned to kicker Jonah Dalmas to salvage points from the effort. His attempt from 45 yards sailed left off of his foot out of bounds, never threatening the uprights.

With the Broncos desperately needing to make up ground in the fourth quarter, Dalmas missed again, this time from 38 yards to leave Boise with a 10-point deficit. 

Wrapping up

BEST DECISION Sometimes, an ill-advised move works out. On its final possession of the first half, Penn State forced the issue with a fourth-and-12 pass to Harrison Wallace III. The pass fell incomplete, but an interference penalty gave the Lions a drive-extending first down and ultimately led to a 40-yard Ryan Barker field goal.

WORST DECISION Madsen tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Prince Strachan late in the third quarter, but it was negated by a personal foul on offensive tackle Hall Schmidt. Strachan practically ripped Dennis-Sutton’s helmet from his head, and the ensuing flag moved the Broncos back to the 35-yard line.

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