Sadly, the magic evaporated against a Penn State Nittany Lions squad who kept their own perfect Fiesta Bowl record intact.
A final score of 31-14 in favor of Penn State was a much wider margin than it truly looks like. By all means, a simple glance at the score indicates a Nittany Lion rout. While ultimately the result is what matters, the Broncos were a play or two from this game coming down to the wire.
Uncharacteristic Boise State Broncos
Football, in close wins and losses, often boils down to a game of inches. Sure, the Broncos failed to bring the game close in the final minutes, but the inches piled up throughout. This started with the first drive of the game and expanded from there. Frustrating is knowing that this game might have had a different outcome if for better execution and discipline.
Two aspects Boise State usually accomplishes to near-perfection.
All told, a mishmash of uncharacteristic mistakes and play calls happened by Boise State. Items a team can usually get away with in Mountain West play and still will a game. On a big stage like the playoffs? No chance, in most cases, especially when the margin of error is razon-thin.
Did it start on that very first drive, with head coach Spencer Danielson choosing not to go for it on 4th-and-short in Penn State territory? The offense moved the ball and the Broncos are fantastic with short passes. But I also get settling for the field goal attempt, which was a bit long but with Jonah Dalmas, why not get the early points?
Of course, we saw what happened, in what was the first of two missed field by the usually stellar Dalmas. It happens. The second field goal did indeed miss by inches to the right. It was a kick, that if successful, would have cut the deficit to seven early in the fourth quarter.
Before that, the Broncos had a touchdown (on a great effort by Prince Strachan) called back because of a penalty, one of 13 penalties by Boise State. This touchdown and subsequent penalty was late in the third quarter and finally might have given the Broncos all the momentum in pulling within three.
An interception on 3rd-and-long later ended that drive, one of three interceptions thrown by Maddux Madsen (and one of four Boise State turnovers). The fourth was a fumble lost by Ashton Jeanty, one of two uncharacteristic mistakes by Jeanty.
Jeanty, however, gave every ounce of effort he had, possibly contributing to the fumbles. Boxed in all night, where a super-talented Penn State defense lived in the backfield all game, Jeanty had 30 carries for 104 yards.
Still, the Broncos battled, and a matter of inches could have turned the tide at various points in this Fiesta Bowl.
Positives for Broncos
Bad vibes swirled early and often for Boise State. A missed field goal. A sudden 14-0 hole. An ominous feeling crept in for Boise State fans.
But then the Broncos settled in. The defense hit back, the offense found life in the passing game, and the score was only 17-14 after that initial spurt.
Despite the three interceptions, a huge reason the Broncos were even in this game was the play of Madsen. With Jeanty bottled up, the passing game found a nice rhythm. Madsen found eight different receivers, including a wide-open Matt Lauter for a 53-yard touchdown pass that made the score 17-14.
Madsen finished 23 of 35 for 304 yards.
The defense found its swagger after early struggles, especially in the second half. They did get carved up by Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (17 carries, 134 yards) but held Nicholas Singleton in check until a late 58-yard touchdown run. Prior to that score, Singleton had 11 carries for 29 yards.
The Broncos amped up the pressure in the passing game, collecting four sacks. Ahmed Hassanein wrapped up his Boise State career with six tackles, including one sack and three tackles-for-loss. Ty Benefield with nine tackles, Alexander Teubner (eight tackles), and Seyi Oladipo (five tackles and a fumble recovery) were among the other standouts.
Reflecting, the easy thing to say is that the Broncos did not belong in that spot. But Boise State did belong. Despite the miscues, the team left everything out on the field. The team earned their chance with a near-perfect regular season, taking care of business to reach the point they did, deserving to be where they were.
Sometimes, the magic dries up, leaving one to ponder what the future holds. For Boise State, the future holds plenty to be optimistic about, with a good eight months to dwell on what might have been, before setting foot again on the turf and begin their pursuit of magic yet again.
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