GLENDALE, Ariz. — Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes and Penn State bottled up Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty for a 31-14 win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday night, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (13-2) opened their first CFP berth with a blowout win over SMU and appeared headed toward the latest lopsided victory in the new 12-team format by jumping out to a 14-0 lead against Boise State.
But the third-seeded Broncos (12-2) have relished the role of underdog, going back to when their brand went national in the electrifying 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
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The Broncos galloped back from the early hole, closing to 17-14 on Matt Lauter’s 53-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter.
Penn State tripped up Boise State’s latest comeback bid.
Allar threw his second touchdown pass to John Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren, and Nick Singleton burst up the middle for a 58-yard TD run, sending the Nittany Lions to the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl against second-seeded Georgia or seventh-seeded Notre Dame.
Penn State did it by controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball most of the night and shutting down Jeanty’s running lanes. The AP first-team All-America selection finished with a season-low 104 yards on 30 carries, leaving him 27 short of Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA record.
Allar had been criticized all season, called dull and a game manager. He was sharp early, finding Warren in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown, then Omari Evans in stride for a 38-yard score.
The Broncos pushed back by getting pressure on Allar and seemed to turn the momentum when they stripped Penn State’s quarterback two plays after Jeanty lost his third fumble of the season.
Boise State then turned to Tyler Crowe, not Jeanty, and the fullback took several Nittany Lions with him for an 8-yard touchdown that cut Penn State’s lead in half. The comeback seemed to still be in reach with Lauter’s TD, but the Broncos fell apart after that.
Maddux Madsen threw three interceptions and Jonah Dalmas missed his second field goal, leaving the Broncos short of the CFP semifinals.