Boise State has some vital ingredients of a team that’s poised for an upset.
Of course, one of those is a potent running game. But another is an effective pass rush.
Boise State was one of the best teams in the country in terms of pressuring opposing quarterbacks. And the Broncos’ game plan against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl today will likely have to revolve around giving star quarterback Drew Allar as little amount of time to throw as possible.
“They played really good football throughout the course of the year. But certainly up front, as we talk every week, that’s going to be the battle,” Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. “You see a defense that’s making opponents have to earn their touchdowns and their points, and they’re not really giving up things, which is what you would expect this time of year for a team that’s playing in the national playoffs.”
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
Fiesta Bowl Time, Date & TV Channel
Penn State (12-2) will play Boise State (12-1) in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
The game, which is one of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal matchups, will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander emphasized the importance of discipline against the Nittany Lions. Each defensive lineman will have to maintain their responsibilities while trusting the others around them to do the same in order to contain Allar.
“I think you see a lot in college football, NFL football, guys become undisciplined in their pass rush lanes. And that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stay outside the tackle, but you have to contain the quarterback,” Chinander said. “But when you lose that discipline in your pass rush package, guys start doing their own thing because they’re worried.”
Jayden Virgin-Morgan Stats
Jayden Virgin-Morgan emerged as one of the best pass rushers in the Mountain West this season, totaling 10 sacks during his sophomore campaign. That puts the 6-foot-3, 253-pound Boise State defensive end in a tie for 13th in the country. That’s after totaling no sacks as a freshman in 2023.
He’s racked up 39 tackles, 15.5 for loss, with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this season. He’s also tied for 31st in the FBS with 42 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
For his career, he has 63 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three passes defended, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries.
Going up against an athlete like Allar, Virgin-Morgan emphasized the importance of maintaining leverage in the pocket in case the Penn State signal caller decides to scramble.
“Just knowing our pocket leverage and keeping that and making sure that we know to keep them in the pocket,” he said, “as well as having the mobile quarterback, knowing that we need to get him down if he does break our leverage.”
Boise State’s Defense Thrives When Pressuring QBs
Boise State’s defensive line going up against Penn State’s offensive line will be one of the most important matchups to keep track of in the Fiesta Bowl.
Allar noted Boise State’s defensive front is a sound unit that doesn’t make many mistakes in the run game and that the Broncos usually maintain their gaps while also rarely blowing coverages in the secondary.
But the Nittany Lions passer also complimented his offensive line for doing well against blitzes and stunts and giving him enough time to go through his progressions and find open receivers.
And even when opponents do pressure him, Allar has done pretty well. He’s fifth in Pro Football Focus’ grades for quarterbacks under pressure who have at least 220 dropbacks.
Kotelnicki, though, believes Boise State is one of the best teams in the country in terms of disruption up front. And not only can the Broncos pressure quarterbacks with their base defenses, they mix in a good amount of blitzing as well.
“We have to play well up front,” Kotelnicki said. “We have to slow that pass rush down for sure. We can’t let that take the game over.”
