SCOTTSDALE, AZ (December 21, 2024) – With a 38-10 win within the School Soccer Playoff First Spherical, No. 6 Penn State punched its ticket to the School Soccer Playoff Quarterfinal on the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. No. 3 seed Boise State awaits Penn State within the 5:30 p.m. kickoff within the 54th installment of the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
The primary-ever School Soccer Playoff Quarterfinal will probably be broadcast reside on ESPN and its digital platforms. Tickets and premium seating choices can be found by visiting fiestabowl.org/tickets or emailing tickets@fiestabowl.org. Followers can have two pregame choices together with the free Fan Fest Pregame Get together for all ages or the premium Membership ’71 pregame social gathering with each pregame events opening at 12:30 p.m.
“Within the historic first-ever CFP Quarterfinal, it’s becoming that we’ve two colleges in Boise State and Penn State which have wealthy histories and have by no means misplaced within the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl,” stated Fiesta Sports activities Basis Government Director & CEO Erik Moses. “We’re excited to host and kick off the subsequent step on this 12 months’s playoff journey with two groups which might be liable for a number of the most memorable video games in school soccer historical past on the Fiesta Bowl. These are full soccer groups with passionate fan bases. School soccer followers are in for a New Yr’s Eve deal with within the subsequent step on the highway to the CFP Nationwide Championship that includes two extremely motivated, powerful groups competing for a spot within the School Soccer Playoff Semifinals.”
The Nittany Lions (12-2), making their eighth all-time look within the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, superior within the School Soccer Playoff by advantage of a First Spherical residence win towards No. 11 SMU. Penn State stifled SMU, permitting 253 offensive yards and recording three interceptions, two of which had been returned for touchdowns. Dominic DeLuca was liable for two of the Nittany Lions’ three interceptions, together with the primary pick-6 that put Penn State on the board first.
Penn State pulled away early and held a 28-0 halftime lead. Complementing a robust defensive effort, Penn State was efficient on the bottom with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combining for 160 yards dashing and all three of Penn State’s offensive touchdowns.
The New Yr’s Eve showdown pits two of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl’s most storied colleges, each deeply rooted within the Bowl’s historical past. Penn State (7-0) and Boise State (3-0) are two of three colleges with unblemished Fiesta Bowl data with a minimal of three appearances.
Penn State’s seven Fiesta Bowl victories are essentially the most of any faculty and the Nittany Lions return to the Valley of the Solar for the primary time since a 35-28 victory over Washington in 2017. Penn State notably defeated Miami, 14-10, within the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, which doubled because the nationwide championship recreation.
Boise State claimed all three of its earlier Fiesta Bowl wins in a nine-season span beginning with the dramatic 43-42 extra time win over Oklahoma in 2007 – one of the vital memorable video games in school soccer historical past. Boise State then defeated TCU in 2010 and Arizona in 2014.
The CFP Quarterfinal on the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matches one of many nation’s high offenses towards one of many nation’s stiffest defenses. Boise State (12-1) is fourth in scoring offense (39.1), fifth in dashing offense (250.5) and sixth in complete offense (470.2). In the meantime throughout the road of scrimmage, Penn State will fight energy with energy, rating within the high 10 in scoring protection (15.9), rush protection (100.4) and complete protection (280.0).
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, the Doak Walker Award and Maxwell Award winner, leads the Broncos into Arizona. The Heisman Trophy runner-up and the Broncos’ first unanimous All-American is No. 1 within the nation with 2,613 all-purpose yards and 30 complete touchdowns. His 2,497 yards dashing is the fourth-most in FBS single-season historical past and he wants 132 yards to interrupt Barry Sanders’ all-time file (2,628) set in 1988.
Abdul Carter, a unanimous All-American in his personal proper, headlines Penn State’s protection as certainly one of school soccer’s premier go rushers. Carter’s 11 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss are high 10 within the nation with the latter inserting him second. Carter was the Massive Ten Defensive Participant of the Yr and finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award.
“The vitality and enthusiasm in Beaver Stadium is electrical! We skilled the Penn State passionate fan base who present as much as assist the Nittany Lions,” stated Judy Bernas, Board Chair of the Fiesta Sports activities Basis. “Boise State’s fanbase has been buying and planning for the journey to Arizona for 2 weeks to provide us an thrilling ambiance. On behalf of the Board of Administrators, our devoted Yellow Jacket Committee members and the numerous Fiesta Sports activities Basis volunteers and workers, we’re excited to host the student-athletes, coaches, households and followers from each universities. We will not look ahead to the CFP Quarterfinal on the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.”
Boise State and Penn State superior to the School Soccer Playoff Quarterfinal behind expertise on either side of the ball.
The Broncos, the Mountain West Convention champions, rank second within the nation with 51 sacks with all-conference performers Jayden Virgin-Morgan and Ahmed Hassanein combining for 18.5 sacks between them. The Nittany Lions boast a high 20 dashing offense and have the Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren. Warren paces Penn State with 92 receptions and 1,095 yards, the latter a Massive Ten single-season file by a good finish.
The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl won’t solely be the positioning of the first-ever CFP Quarterfinal, but additionally will function the primary all-time assembly between Boise State and Penn State.
Boise State is led by Head Coach Spencer Danielson, the Mountain West Coach of the Yr, in his first full season on the helm. James Franklin, recent off his a centesimal win as Penn State Head Coach towards SMU, is wrapping up his eleventh season in Completely satisfied Valley.
ABOUT THE FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION
Since 1971, the Fiesta Sports activities Basis is a world-class neighborhood group that executes revolutionary experiences, drives financial development and champions charitable causes, inspiring pleasure in all Arizonans throughout and outdoors of school soccer bowl season. As a nonprofit group, it’s pushed by its imaginative and prescient for the significance of neighborhood outreach and repair. By means of the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Price Bowl and its year-round occasions, such because the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade offered by Lerner & Rowe, company partnerships and quite a few neighborhood occasions all year long, the group supplies charitable giving to reinforce Arizona nonprofit organizations that serve communities by means of youth, sports activities and schooling.