What Penn State head coach James Franklin said about Boise State, Ashton Jeanty during Fiesta Bowl media day

‘I think our guys understand and respect who this team is and what (Jeanty) is all about,’ Franklin said

Penn State head coach James Franklin speaks to the media on Sunday ahead of their Fiesta Bowl matchup against Boise State. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sixth-seeded Penn State (12-2) may be a double-digit favorite over No. 3 Boise State (12-1) in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal, but Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin believes the Broncos are for real.

“I think our guys understand and respect who this team is and what (Ashton Jeanty) is all about,” Franklin said during Sunday’s media day festivities in Glendale, Arizona. “Led by a head coach (Spencer Danielson) that is doing a phenomenal job as well as a Heisman finalist who I’d make the argument probably would’ve won the Heisman nine out of 10 years. So they have my respect, and I think they have the nation’s respect. 

“All you’ve got to do is turn on the Oregon game. They went to Oregon and were winning a large percentage of that game and had a chance to win it at the end.”

• LIVE UPDATES, SCORE: NO. 3 BOISE STATE VS. NO. 6 PENN STATE

Here are the highlights from Franklin’s press availability: 

On his respect for Boise State 

“They’ve just been winning for a long time. Obviously the head coach has done a phenomenal job and this current team has done a great job, but I also talked about this earlier in the week. Coaches, ADs, search firms and agents, you track what are good jobs. And how you determine if something is a good job is multiple coaches have won there. And if you look at Boise’s history, there’s something in the water there. There’s something in the culture. It’s ingrained into the university, it’s ingrained into the community. And there’s a long list of coaches that have been very, very successful there and won at the highest level.”

On what makes Ashton Jeanty special 

“It’s really everything. When you talk to people or listen to interviews, he’s a class act off the field, which is awesome to see. When your best player is also one of your best kids and your hardest workers, that goes a long way for the culture of your program. The 1,900 yards of rushing after contact is one of the craziest stats I’ve ever heard or seen. Most guys don’t ever get 1,900 yards, let alone after contact.

“I think the thing that not a lot of people are talking about is just the durability. The ability to carry the ball that many times throughout a season and understand what he has to do to take care of his body and have the ability to do that is also super impressive.”

On his Pacific Northwest experiences 

“I remember first getting the Washington State job from James Madison and driving 37 hours by myself in a 1988 Honda Accord with 160,000 miles on it. I think I did 18 hours, 18 hours … I remember getting in at like one o’clock in the morning, it was my birthday. I remember breaking down and having to go to a Honda dealership in Billings, Montana. But then I had a great experience at Washington State and then was able to go to Idaho State and had a great experience in Pocatello, Idaho. Met a ton of really great people. 

“When I was at Maryland, we came out and played in the Boise bowl game, the Idaho Potato Bowl. We played Nevada and (Colin Kaepernick) was the quarterback of that team, I was the offensive coordinator. We won the game, had a great game. I had a great experience in Boise. Great town. So I’ve got some familiarity. I’m a Northeast guy who grew up just outside of Philadelphia, but in this profession you kind of go where the opportunities present. And I was fortunate to coach on the West Coast, and I had a great experience.” 

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• What Ashton Jeanty said about Penn State, extra rest, elbow injury, Barry Sanders

• Boise State coach Spencer Danielson happy with College Football Playoff expansion

• What Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said about Penn State, Fiesta Bowl

• What Penn State coach James Franklin said about Boise State, Ashton Jeanty

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