The Penn State Nittany Lions steamrolled the SMU Mustangs 38-10 on Saturday in a dominant performance to kick off the expanded College Football Playoff. Propelled by a suffocating defense that forced three turnovers, including two pick-sixes, the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions advanced to a New Year’s Eve date with third-seeded Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Nittany Lion Defense Wreaks Havoc
Penn State’s swarming defense set the tone early and never let up against the usually electric SMU offense. Cornerback Dominic DeLuca got things started by jumping a slant route and racing 36 yards to the end zone for a pick-six to put Penn State up 7-0 in the first quarter.
Not to be outdone, safety Tony Rojas snared an overthrown ball from SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings on the very next drive and weaved his way 52 yards for another defensive touchdown. The back-to-back pick sixes sent the white-clad Beaver Stadium crowd into a frenzy and had the Mustangs reeling.
We knew coming in that their quarterback liked to take chances. Our game plan was to bait him into some bad throws and then make him pay. The boys executed to perfection today.
— Penn State defensive coordinator Deion Barnes
Jennings, the catalyst of SMU’s undefeated regular season, never looked comfortable against the relentless Nittany Lion pressure. He finished just 20 of 36 for 195 yards with the two interceptions before throwing a meaningless touchdown in garbage time.
Singleton, Allen Provide 1-2 Punch
While the defense provided the early fireworks, Penn State’s backfield combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen kept the offense humming. Singleton racked up 132 yards on just 18 carries, showcasing his breakaway speed on a 37-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter.
Allen was the thunder to Singleton’s lightning, bruising his way to 86 yards and a score. Quarterback Drew Allar had an efficient, if unspectacular day, completing 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers.
I’m just proud of how the offense kept the foot on the gas even after the defense spotted us that early lead. We knew SMU could score in a hurry so it was important to keep attacking.
— Penn State head coach James Franklin
Looking Ahead to the Fiesta Bowl
With the resounding victory, Penn State punches its ticket to a Fiesta Bowl matchup on December 31st against the Boise State Broncos. It will be a battle of two of the nation’s stingiest defenses, as Boise State ranked 5th in scoring defense compared to Penn State’s 8th.
- Big stage for Allar: The Fiesta Bowl will be the biggest test yet for Penn State’s sophomore quarterback. Can he make enough plays against a tough Broncos secondary?
- Singleton vs Holani: In a showdown of star running backs, Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton will try to outduel Boise State’s George Holani, who ranks 4th nationally in rushing.
The Nittany Lions will need to bring the same intensity and execution they showed against SMU to advance past the Broncos and keep their national title hopes alive. But if the defense can keep forcing turnovers and the ground game stays hot, Penn State will be a tough out for anyone.
