Penn State, Boise State Get a Fitting Introduction in the Fiesta Bowl

The Nittany Lions and Broncos are a combined 10-0 at the Fiesta Bowl, where they will meet for the first time.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin jokingly pretends to clean the trophy as he celebrates after defeating the Washington Huskies in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Penn State and Boise State have never met before, so it's fitting that they will play for the first time in the Fiesta Bowl. Two of the Fiesta Bowl's most successful teams will square off New Year's Eve in a fascinating College Football Playoff matchup.

Penn State and Boise State have a combined 10-0 record in the bowl game, which raises the stakes significantly this year. The Fiesta Bowl is one of four quarterfinal-round playoff games, with the winner advancing to the Orange Bowl for the semifinals.

The Fiesta Bowl kicks off the College Football Playoff's quarterfinal round at 7:30 p.m. ET on New Year's Eve. In the three other quarterfinal games, Texas will meet Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, Oregon and Ohio State will play a rematch in the Rose Bowl and Georgia will play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. All three of those games are on New Year's Day.

The Fiesta Bowl opens the quarterfinal playoff showcase with two teams that have never lost in the desert. Penn State is 7-0 in the Fiesta Bowl, and Boise State is 3-0.

"In the historic first-ever CFP quarterfinal, it is fitting that we have two schools in Boise State and Penn State that have rich histories and have never lost in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl,” Erik Moses, Fiesta Sports Foundation executive director & CEO, said in a statement. "We are excited to host and kick off the next step in this year’s playoff journey with two teams that are responsible for some of the most memorable games in college football history at the Fiesta Bowl. These are complete football teams
with passionate fan bases. College football fans are in for a New Year’s Eve treat in the next step on the road to the CFP national championship featuring two highly motivated, tough teams competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.”

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Penn State, the playoff field's No. 6 seed, advanced to the Fiesta Bowl with a 38-10 win over SMU on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions (12-2) returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the first half and broke open the game with a 21-point second quarter. Penn State's defense held SMU, which had scored at least 28 points in its last 10 games, to just 10, which included a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Boise State (12-1) received a bye to the Fiesta Bowl after winning the Mountain West Conference title. The Broncos, seeded third in the College Football Playoff, feature the nation's most prolific running back in Ashton Jeanty, who has rushed for 2,497 yards. Jeanty needs 132 yards to break Barry Sanders' 1988 single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards.

No team has won more Fiesta Bowl games than Penn State. The Nittany Lions' list of desert victories includes the 1987 classic, in which they defeated Miami 14-10 for the national championship. Penn State beat Washington 35-28 in 2017, its last trip to the Fiesta Bowl.

Boise State is 3-0 in the Fiesta Bowl, winning those games in a nine-season span from 2007-14. The Broncos scored their most famous Fiesta Bowl victory on Jan. 1, 2017, defeating Oklahoma 43-42. Boise State also defeated TCU in 2010 and Arizona in 2014.

Penn State takes on Boise State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 31 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

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