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Friday Special…December 27, 2024.
It’s quite obvious that Penn State is going to try to make Maddux Madsen beat them Tuesday in the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions figure that if they can bottle up Ashton Jeanty and prevent his trademark explosive runs, they’ll be able to handle Madsen, spunk and all. He has compensated for his lack of size all season with heady plays and has been sacked only 10 times, but now we’re talking one of the best defenses in the country. Madsen’s decisions are going to have to be quicker than ever. With that said, his receivers are going to have to have the best game of the year. Cam Camper has been able to get separation from coverage regularly, but it’s been spotty elsewhere among the wideouts. A healthy Latrell Caples will help. But getting something big from the taller receivers, Prince Strachan and Austin Bolt, is essential.
ASSUMPTIONS FROM BACK EAST
There are some Penn State keyboard warriors who feel Abdul Carter and the rest of the Nittany Lions defensive front are going to have a field day with the Boise State offensive line. And that they will not only neutralize Jeanty but crush Madsen. So who isn’t anxious to see this Broncos O-line at full strength? It may be that way for the first time this season, as center Mason Randolph was nicked up even before he went out with an injury in the opener at Georgia Southern. Roger Carreon is full-go now, too—he and Randolph join Ben Dooley, Kage Casey and Hall Schmidt, who have been toiling all season. Dooley and Casey are first-team All-Mountain West. And according to Pro Football Focus, Casey was tied with Indiana’s Trey Wedig as the highest-graded offensive lineman in the CFP.
AH, THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
Penn State has to stop the run Tuesday, and the Nittany Lions are pretty good at it. They’re giving up just 100 yards a game on the ground, the seventh-best mark in the country. You know it’ll be a matter of pride to keep Boise State’s Jeanty from getting the 132 yards he needs to break Barry Sanders’ NCAA single-season rushing record. He’s averaging 192 yards per game, exactly the amount he gained at Oregon in Week 2. (Penn State also has a thing about doing better than the Ducks.) The Broncos have to be good versus the run, too, as Penn State features a two-headed colossus at running back in the form of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Singleton rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown in the rout of SMU, while Allen added 70 yards and two TDs.
REST FOR THE WEARY
For Boise State, you can’t put a price tag on not having to play last weekend. Sure, Penn State may be in a rhythm for the Fiesta Bowl after annihilating SMU in the CFP first round. But the Broncos will be perhaps as healthy as they’ve been since the opener at Georgia Southern. Jeanty says he’s “completely healed up” after his October elbow injury. Meanwhile, inquiring minds want to know: what about safety Alexander Teubner and running back Sire Gaines? Coach Spencer Danielson says Teubner, who was injured against Nevada on November 9, should be “available.” Maybe not Gaines, Jeanty’s backup who’s been out since the Portland State game back in September.
ALLAR’S ASCENSION AT PENN STATE
What will Penn State get out of quarterback Drew Allar on Tuesday? David Hale of the The Athletic has this synopsis of the junior: “A year ago, the knock on Allar was a lack of big-play performance. His overall numbers were impressive—25 touchdown passes and only two picks—but after he completed less than half of his passes against Ohio State and Michigan, the enthusiasm was diminished. In the offseason, Penn State brought in new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, and the results have been encouraging. Allar’s yards-per-attempt went from 6.8 in 2023 to 8.7 in 2024, while his completion percentage ballooned from 60 percent last season to better than 68 percent this season.” The Nittany Lions didn’t need him much against SMU—he threw for just 127 yards on 22 attempts.
BRINGING THE HOUSE
Boise State has been a blitzing bunch this season, to the tune of 51 sacks, second in the country behind Ole Miss. Blitzing might be dangerous against an experienced quarterback like Penn State’s Drew Allar and an all-world tight end like the Nittany Lions’ Tyler Warren. But Broncos defensive coordinator Eric Chinander has been good at disguising blitzes, as 17.5 of the team’s sacks have come from the secondary. In fact, safety Seyi Oladipo’s 6.5 sacks is the tops in the nation among defensive backs. Now, can Boise State do the unexpected against the massive Penn State offensive line?
DALMAS PROBABLY NEEDS A WIN
Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas went into this season with 80 career field goals, 17 short of the FBS record. It seemed like a layup, considering Dalmas had booted at least 23 field goals in each of the last three seasons. But he has 13 in 13 games this season, leaving him four short of the record set by North Carolina State’s Christopher Dunn two years ago. Dalmas certainly isn’t going to begrudge Ashton Jeanty for taking away all those opportunities with his one-play touchdown drives. And it’s possible Dalmas could boot four field goals in the Fiesta Bowl. But the path would be easier for the Mountain West’s career scoring leader if the Broncos could beat Penn State and get an extra game in the CFP semifinals in the Orange Bowl.
ALVARO KNOWS THE WAY TO SAN JOSE
It’s an Alvaro Cardenas homecoming on Saturday, as he’s literally the point person for Boise State’s venture into the Silicon Valley. Cardenas, the point guard for San Jose State the past three seasons, will try to beat the Spartans on their home floor in Game 2 of the Mountain West season for the Broncos. He’s currently No. 2 in the conference in assists at 6.42 per game, trailing only New Mexico’s Donovan Dent. As Boise State well knows, SJSU can rise up and bite you in the sleepy Events Center. The Spartans, with Cardenas, almost did it last season, leading by seven points at halftime before the Broncos survived 78-69.
Nevertheless, Boise State is 40-4 all-time against San Jose State and 20-2 under coach Leon Rice. An impending milestone may serve as inspiration for the Broncos. Rice currently sits at 299 career victories. With a win over the Spartans, Rice will become one of just seven active men’s basketball head coaches to amass 300 Division I wins while leading only one program in his career.
THE STEELIES AND OT
The Idaho Steelheads have been giving away a lot of free hockey this season. With two games extending into overtime during the Steelheads’ three-game home sweep of Rapid City last week, the club has now gone to OT in two of its last three games and three of the last five games. Idaho’s six overtime games are already just one short of the franchise’s ECHL-era record of seven set nine years ago. The Steelies finish the calendar year with a three-game road swing. They play tonight and Saturday night at Wichita and will spend New Year’s Eve on the Allen Americans’ home ice in Texas.
ESPN’S UNEXPLAINED BLOOPER
It wouldn’t be humorous if it was your team, but fans across the country were quite amused by ESPN adding an “n” to Bulldogs during Northern Illinois’ 28-20 double-overtime win over Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday. Yes, it was spelled “Bulldongs”—throughout the afternoon. ESPN’s explanation to the flabbergasted Fresno Bee: “We regret the inadvertent error and apologize that it was part of the telecast,” an ESPN spokesperson wrote to The Bee. ESPN claimed there was a technical issue right before the game went on air. “It was a total accident,” the network told the Bee. And Joe Font Operator couldn’t go in and correct it in three-plus hours? (By the way, the 28th edition of the FIPB was a great game.)
This Day In Sports…brought to you by THE JAMES…craft food and cocktails, with heart and soul.
December 27, 1994, 30 years ago today: After bouncing around in the CBA for five seasons, former Boise State star Chris Childs makes his NBA debut with the New Jersey Nets. Childs scored six points and dished out six assists against the team he would eventually sign with a year and a half later, the New York Knicks. He later played for the Toronto Raptors and finished his 10-year NBA career back with the Nets in 2004. Childs, a Boise State Athletic Hall of Famer, starred for the Broncos from 1985-89.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
