G5 Football Daily

Boise State Football Falls To Penn State 31-14 in VRBO Fiesta Bowl

Joe Londergan

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first half in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first half in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Boise State's remarkable 2024 season will come to an end after a loss to Penn State in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl. Spencer Danielson's team were taken down 31-14 on New Year's Eve.

The Broncos produced more total yardage (412 yards) than Penn State (387) and held the ball for longer (34:04), but failed to produce enough points to keep pace with their Big Ten foes.

The back-to-back Mountain West Conference champions will end 2024 with an overall record of 12-2, their tenth 12-win season at the FBS level.

Jeanty's First Half Struggles

The Penn State defense was ready for the Heisman runner-up to start the game. Jeanty fumbled twice in the first half, one of which which was recovered by the Nittany Lions. He carried 13 times for just 39 yards before the halftime whistle.

Matt Lauter Scores A Wide-Open Touchdown

Boise State's only score of the second half was a beauty. Maddux Madsen faked a handoff to Jeanty, then rolled to his right. Madsen then whipped it back to the left and downfield to a wide open Matt Lauter, who scored a 53-yard touchdown.

A Series of Costly Mistakes

At the end of the day, the Broncos racked up far too many errors in their effort to extend their season past the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff.

Kicker Jonah Dalmas missed both of his field goal attempts, one from 41 yards out and one from 38 yards.

In addition to Jeanty's lost fumble, Madsen threw three interceptions, two of which were picked off inside Penn State's 20-yard line.

The Broncos also were flagged 13 times for 90 yards, much more than their average number of penalties per game (4.84). 10 of those penalties were against the offense, and eight of those were pre-snap infractions. The Broncos also had a touchdown play wiped off the board late in the third quarter thanks to a personal foul on offensive lineman Hall Schmidt.

No Rushing Record For Jeanty

Coming into this matchup, Boise State's star running back needed 131 yards to break Barry Sanders' FBS rushing record. He finished with only 104 yards on 30 carries. That ends his season with the second-highest rushing yardage total in FBS history (2601), moving past former Wisconsin Badgers great Melvin Gordon.

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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.

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