Having a rich history in the Fiesta Bowl, Penn State is ready to make its eighth appearance when the Nittany Lions clash against Boise State.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Blowing out SMU 38-10 in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Penn State punched its ticket to Glendale once again but with significant implications on the line. For the first time ever, the Fiesta Bowl will host a CFP quarterfinal and the winner will advance to the semifinals of the expanded 12-team playoff.
Penn State prepared for hard-fought battle
Owning a flawless 7-0 record in the Fiesta Bowl, Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin wants his team to understand Tuesday’s matchup is no ordinary bowl game.
“We’re really not approaching this like a bowl game. This is a playoff game, and I wanted to make sure that our players understood the differences,” Franklin said at a press conference on Sunday. “We’re not coming out here for a week, and enjoying the community for a couple of days and then getting into work. This is a business trip. I want to make sure our guys understand that. It’s really been good so far.
“We’re excited about the opportunity. Obviously, when you look at Penn State’s history being 7-0 in this game, it’s also very, very cool that Boise is undefeated in this game, from what I understand, 3-0. So two teams with tremendous history.”
Video Credit: Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated
Preparing for the game, Penn State is gearing up to stop Broncos superstar running back Ashton Jeanty from causing havoc. A finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Jeanty has rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns from 344 carries.
Watching Boise State from afar, Franklin has been impressed by the Broncos and especially Jeanty for the way the offense centers around him.
“Boise is a really, really good football team led by arguably the best player in college football, and definitely the best running back [Ashton Jeanty] in college football, or one of the best running backs in college football,” Franklin said. “They have our respect, there’s no doubt about that. Our guys have done a great job all week long preparing.”
Saturday, August 31, 2024; Statesboro, Georgia; Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty gains yardage against Georgia Southern during the season opener on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia.
Though Boise State went 12-1 in the Mountain West and won the conference championship, Penn State is very familiar with the only team that was able to beat the Broncos.
At the beginning of the season, Boise State was leading at certain moments against No. 1 Oregon before the Ducks were able to just get over the line, winning 37-34. Finishing second in the Big 10, PSU lost to Oregon in the conference championship 45-37 on Dec. 7.
When looking at the Broncos’ film, Franklin specifically watched their game vs. Oregon and how they were able to compete with the top-ranked team in college football.
“When you talk about, again, respecting our opponent, that’s the only game you got to watch,” Franklin said. “They went to Oregon, which is a tough place to play, and they not only played well and lost by three but had the lead for significant parts of that game. It doesn’t take a whole lot more than watching that game.
“For our players and our staff, whenever you share a common opponent and you’re able to watch that game and make some parallels, there’s a ton of value in that. That game was very valuable for our staff and very valuable for our coaches.”
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin arrives with his team at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Ragsdale Executive Terminal, on Dec. 28, 2024.
To kickstart the quarterfinal round of the CFP, Penn State and Oregon State go head-to-head on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. MST inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Boise State wants to prove doubters wrong, continue winning tradition in Fiesta Bowl
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Suns, ASU Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
