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Penn State Runs Past Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and Into the Orange Bowl

Kaytron Allen overshadows Boise State's Ashton Jeanty in the Nittany Lions' 31-14 victory in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Mark Wogenrich

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) rushes the ball against the Boise State Broncos during the first half in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) rushes the ball against the Boise State Broncos during the first half in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. | Penn State running back Kaytron Allen upstaged the Heisman Trophy runnerup Tuesday night in the Fiesta Bowl, rushing for 134 yards as the Nittany Lions sweated out a 31-14 win over Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Penn State, which won its 13th game for the first time in school history, advanced to a semifinal appearance in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 8. The Nittany Lions will play either Notre Dame or Georgia, which meet Wednesday night in the Sugar Bowl.

Penn State (13-2) labored through a key defensive injury, some self-inflicted wounds and an offensive system that occasionally forgot about its top two players on the night. But ultimately, Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 216 yards, overshadowing Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, and shouldered the Nittany Lions into the next round.

Kaytron Allen plays the role of Ashton Jeanty

Allen ran all night as though he was tired of being compared to Jeanty, who led the nation with 2,497 yards rushing. Allen had four carries of 12+ yards, averaged 7.9 per carry and delivered the kind of yards-after-contact expected from Jeanty. Allen's season-high rushing total included some Jeantyesque runs in which he ran through contact and bounced off tackles. And it didn't include a 50-yard gain in the second quarter that was negated by a penalty.

Singleton ran hard as well but couldn't break through holes, at least until the fourth quarter, when he cut through a middle seam and exploded 58 yards for a score. It was his longest carry of the season at just the right time, giving Penn State a 31-14 lead with 4:54 remaining.

Allen and Singleton combined for 221 yards and both went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Nittany Lions shut down Jeanty

Penn State's defense corralled the nation's best running back like no other team has this season. Jeanty finished with 104 yards on 30 exhausting carries, falling 28 yards short of Barry Sanders' career record. Jeanty had 4 yards on his first three carries, finding no bounce room through a swarming defense, and few tackles to break. Jeanty didn't have a 20-yard carry until his 21st attempt of the game. Penn State's defensive line closed lanes, and its linebackers effectively got him to the ground. Kobe King (eight tackles) was exceptional, as was safety Jaylen Reed (eight tackles, one sack).

Penn State loses star Abdul Carter in the first half

Carter, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, emerged at halftime with his left arm wrapped and a towel around his neck. His night ended abruptly in the second quarter after he was hurt on an incompletion. Carter went to the injury tent, tried to return and left the game again. He was in the tent when Boise State bulled downfield for its first touchdown. The defensive end peeked his head out of the tent when the Broncos scored, prompted by the crowd noise. He spent the rest of the quarter pacing the the sideline, wearing a sleeve on his left arm.


Carter's absence altered Penn State's defense dramatically. Amin Vanover joined Dani Dennis-Sutton as the primary edge, and true freshman Max Granville took over Carter's third-down spot. But Boise State took advantage of Carter's absence on its touchdown drive, which Penn State's offense softened. However, Dennis-Sutton was a second-half menace and made a huge impact play by drawing a penalty. Dennis-Sutton waved Vanover off the field, bulled into the backfield and drew a penalty for illegal hands to the face, which occurred on a Boise State touchdown pass.

The Nittany Lions force four more turnovers

Penn State's defense has forced seven turnovers in its two playoff games, including four against Boise State. Safety Zakee Wheatley spotted himself perfectly twice to recover a Jeanty fumble (forced by King) and intercepting a deep throw in the second half. Cornerback Zion Tracy effectively ended the game with a fourth-quarter interception, and safety Tyrece Mills iced it with a pick near the end zone with :20 seconds remaining.

Penn State's one true lapse was a broken coverage in the third quarter, leading to Boise State tight end Matt Lauter's 53-yard touchdown catch that cut the Nittany Lions' deficit to 17-14.

Penn State gives Boise State life in the first half

Leading 14-0, Penn State had a prime opportunity to drive a real stake through Boise State's rally. Linebacker Kobe King dislodged the football from Jeanty's clutch, which looped fortunately backward to Zakee Wheatley. The Nittany Lions took over at their own 49-yard line tasting jugular. Two plays later, though, Allar and Nicholas Singleton fouled an exchange, leading to a Boise State quick-change turnover. A score there would have given Penn State a three-possession lead and an enormous runway for its defense.

The Nittany Lions then gave Boise State some life with a trick-play attempt on thirddown from deep in their territory. Tyler Warren tossed to Drew Allar, who wanted the throwback to Warren. But the tight end got caught in traffic, and the pass fell incomplete. The Broncos scored on their next series (of which Carter mostly missed) on an 8-yard run by fullback Tyler Crowe.

Late in the second quarter, two penalties on offensive lineman Sal Wormley (holding and facemask) negated 61 rushing yards, including a 50-yard burst by Kaytron Allen. After a superb start to the game, Penn State's offensive line committed four penalties in the second quarter and gave up a key sack. Further, Penn State's offense was 0-for-5 on third down in the second quarter.

Drew Allar's erratic day

The Penn State quarterback could not have started the game better. He threw two touchdown gems, on back-to-back passes, to Tyler Warren and Omari Evans, the second for a 38-yard score that gave the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead. On the first touchdown pass, Allar initially looked at Trey Wallace in the right corner of the end zone but saw Warren crossing from the left. He lofted a dime to Warren, who toe-tapped for the score.

But Allar fought it thereafter. After starting 10-for-13, the quarterback missed seven consecutive throws and was sacked. On one incompletion, Allar (fortunately for him) overthrew a wide open Boise State cornerback. But, as he has done this season, Allar rallied, converting two key third-and-long plays in the second half. He scramvled for a big gain on 3rd-and-14 (which a penalty lifted to a first down) and hit Warren on 3rd-and-11 for their second touchdown connection of the game.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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