Three Fiesta Bowl keys for Penn State and Boise State: Getting Drew Allar in rhythm is one

PHOENIX — For the final time before they take the field Tuesday night, Penn State coach James Franklin and Boise State coach Spencer Danielson exchanged pleasantries and posed in front of the Fiesta Bowl trophy on Monday morning. The pair explained their mutual respect, Danielson in his first full season leading the Broncos and Franklin in his 11th with the Nittany Lions.

The paths to their respective jobs were much different. Although the coaches did not know each other well before getting matched up in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff (7:30 p.m., ESPN), each gave a shout-out to his Division II roots. Franklin was a quarterback for East Stroudsburg and got his coaching start at Kutztown, while Danielson played for and coached at his alma mater, Azusa Pacific.

“When you’re a Division II coach and a Division II player, a lot of the things that maybe our team takes for granted, or the staff takes for granted, we don’t,” Franklin said. “When you’re a Division II guy, you kind of have to do it all. I think there’s a lot of value in that.”

» READ MORE: Fiesta Bowl matchup: Physical Penn State faces a Boise State team that boasts a superstar

Probably the most renowned player in this game, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, has Penn State’s full attention. Aside from the Nittany Lions’ challenge in stopping Jeanty, here are three keys for the New Year’s Eve matchup that will determine who advances to the CFP semifinal in Miami on Jan. 9.

Penn State’s running game has become a force over the last month. In five of the Nittany Lions’ last six games, they have averaged 4.5 yards per carry or more. Boise State’s run defense ranks 23rd nationally, allowing 115.1 yards per game, while the Penn State offense ranked 19th in rushing yards per game (201.2).

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki comes up with exotic formations and plays for Penn State (12-2), but Boise State co-defensive coordinator Erik Chinander says the athleticism of the Lions’ offensive line has been undervalued.

“It’s a big, physical group that’s very athletic,” said Chinander, a former Eagles assistant. “I mean, those guards are big people, and a lot of times they’re just kind of maulers, but these guys can get out and run on mid-zones. They’re a nasty bunch, they’re going to finish their blocks to the whistle, they’re going to do what it takes up front. We talked about it the other day: This time in college football or the NFL, you’ve got to be good up front.”

One of the three things Franklin writes on the whiteboard before each game is to “dominate the line of scrimmage.” Winning the battle up front on both sides of the ball has been a talking point for Penn State players over the last week. It will be key defensively, too, as the Nittany Lions try to slow down Jeanty.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has had peaks and valleys at the start of his last three games. Against Maryland in the regular-season finale, Allar and the offense started slowly as he completed just 4 of 8 passes for 30 yards in the first quarter on Nov. 30. He came out much stronger against Oregon, leading Penn State to a touchdown on the second drive of the Big Ten title game before throwing a costly second-quarter interception. And against Southern Methodist on Dec. 21, he was again inconsistent, completing just 6 of 9 passes for 51 yards in the first quarter.

» READ MORE: North Philly’s Deion Barnes leads Penn State’s elite defensive line with a drive to help his players ‘make it further than I did’

Getting off to a fast start and feeding the ball to tight end Tyler Warren early in the game will be critical for Penn State. Boise State ranks 109th in passing yards allowed per game (246.8), although the Broncos defense has done a nice job defending tight ends this season. The slow starts have been frustrating for Allar, who passed for just 127 yards in the Lions' first-round win.

“For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don’t do that, there’s nobody more frustrated than us,” Allar said. “For me, I just have to execute those [easy] throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm.”

The Nittany Lions defense forced three first-half turnovers against SMU, returning two interceptions for touchdowns to swing the momentum of the game. They’ll face an offense that doesn’t turn the ball over much — Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen has just three interceptions this season while Jeanty has fumbled just twice. The Broncos (12-1) average 0.6 turnovers per game, tied for second fewest in the nation.

Franklin harps on winning the explosive play and turnover battles. Taking care of the football — and conversely, taking it away — will set up either team for success.

» READ MORE: Does Penn State have the ingredients to win a national title? Dominant running game, defense will be key.