Since its victory in the Mountain West championship game, Boise State has enjoyed three weeks of rest leading into its College Football Playoff debut against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. Broncos Running back Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up ...

For starters, there’s a Heisman Trophy runner-up (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty), the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (Penn State’s Abdul Carter) and the Mackey Award winner (Penn State’s Tyler Warren) in the game.

The Boise State defense gave up nearly 30 points a game in their first five games, but in their final eight games they have only allowed 17 points per game as the defense improved through out the year.

In the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, the No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions (12-2) will play the No. 8 Boise State Broncos (12-1) in the Fiesta Bowl, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET in

Penn State has enlisted Tyler Holzworth, a junior, to mimic Jeanty on the scout team. It’s an impossible ask, but the 6-0, 219-pound Nittany Lions back can help present some of the same looks that Boise State gives with Jeanty.

Following its 38-10 win over SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Penn State ascended to No. 7 in ESPN's SP+ defensive rankings. Even with the nation's best running back in Ashton Jeanty, Boise State's offense ranks 13th.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) pushes away from the arms of UNLV defensive lineman Tatuo Martinson (98) on a run in the first half of the Mountain West championship football game Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise. (AP Photo/Steve Conner) AP

Bowling Green punter John Henderson isn't just good at special teams. Apparently, he's got a rocket of an arm, too. During Thursday night's 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, the Falcons attempted a fake punt against Arkansas State on fourth and