Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530530
2 6 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ////////// P L A Y O F F P R E V I E W Q U A R T E R F I N A L ///////////////////////////// COACH Spencer Danielson (15-2 in one full season and one partial season; overall collegiate record: same) 2024 RECORD 12-1, 7-0 Mountain West PLAYOFF RECORD First appearance OFFENSE Ashton Jeanty has put together a truly remarkable season. His 2,497 rushing yards lead the FBS. He's outrushed the nation's second-leading ball carrier — North Carolina's Omarion Hampton — by 837 yards and is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, with 29 touchdowns. Quarterback Maddux Madsen hasn't gotten nearly as much attention, but he's completed 62 percent of his attempts for 2,714 yards, with 22 touchdown passes and only 3 interceptions. Cameron Camper is the Broncos' top receiver with 55 catches for 837 yards and 4 touchdowns. DEFENSE Boise State ranks second in the Mountain West in scoring defense, having allowed 21.9 points per game. The Broncos are very good at making plays in the opponent's back- field, with their 51 sacks leading the conference. Defensive end Jayden Virgin-Morgan has 10 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. In the secondary, cornerback A'marion McCoy has a team-high 14 pass breakups and an interception. SPECIAL TEAMS The Broncos' kicking game is overseen by Stacy Collins, a former special teams coordinator at Penn State. Collins has a reliable kicker in Jonah Dalmas, who has hit 13 of 16 attempts. James Ferguson-Reynolds is averag- ing 43.8 yards per punt. PLAYOFF OUTLOOK Having earned the tourna- ment's third seed following its 21-7 victory over UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game, Boise State awaits the winner of Penn State's first-round clash with SMU. The game will take place in the Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31 in Glendale, Ariz. Boise State is the only playoff qualifier that doesn't hail from a Power Four conference, but don't count it out because of that. Back in September, the Broncos gave future top seed Oregon all it could handle, getting 192 yards and 3 touchdowns from Jeanty in a 37-34 defeat in Eugene. Penn State and SMU rank among the top 10 teams in the FBS against the run, but Jeanty's big-play ability is undeniable. He's had at least one run of 50 or more yards in nine games this season. There's been only one game in which he hasn't had at least one run of 35 yards or more, an October matchup with UNLV in which his longest carry went for 16. In the Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos will keep giving the ball to Jeanty until he pops a long one. And then they'll give it to him some more. Though he'll be facing a stout run defense either way, it wouldn't be surprising to see him break loose on New Year's Eve. Indeed, Boise State is counting on it. NO. 3 SEED BOISE STATE BRONCOS ASHTON JEANTY Leads the na- tion with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 TDs.