Penn State getting ready for Boise State’s hard-charging Jeanty in CFP quarterfinals – Orlando Sentinel

-

By TRAVIS JOHNSON

Related Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State gamers have watched Ashton Jeanty make opponents look foolish all season. They don’t need to be the following defenders Boise State’s star posterizes with jukes, spin strikes, stiff arms and heavy shoulders.

However additionally they know that slowing down Jeanty, who completed second in Heisman Trophy voting, shall be their hardest job but when the 2 groups meet within the School Soccer Playoff quarterfinal Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

“In every other yr, I feel the man wins the Heisman,” Penn State coach James Franklin mentioned. “You might make the argument that he ought to have received it this yr. He’s laborious to deal with. He’s compact, 5-10, he has the power to run away from you. He has the power to make you miss.”

Jeanty led the nation with 2,497 speeding yards on 344 carries this season. He scored extra touchdowns (30) than any participant since Najee Harris scored 30 occasions with Alabama in 2020.

Moreover, Jeanty’s yards after contact (1,889) exceed each FBS operating again speeding whole since Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard led the NCAA with 2,094 whole speeding yards in 2019. Jeanty additionally pressured an NCAA-record 143 missed tackles this season.

The junior did all of it behind an offensive line that has been pressured to shuffle its components within the wake of quite a few accidents. Solely left deal with Kage Casey and left guard Ben Dooley have began each sport up entrance for the Broncos this season.

“He’s a beast when it comes to his manufacturing on the sphere, however then additionally his sturdiness,” Franklin mentioned. “There’s not too many individuals which might be capable of get clear pictures on him. All of it’s tremendous spectacular. However I feel the stat that I discussed earlier, essentially the most spectacular stat is the yards after contact.”

This may very well be Jeanty’s largest problem thus far, too.

Though he’s helped Boise State churn out 250 speeding yards per sport, good for fifth amongst FBS applications, the Nittany Lions are properly stocked to defend the run.

Their protection is seventh nationally,  permitting simply 100 speeding yards per sport, and has tightened up down the stretch. In its final six video games, Penn State is permitting simply 2.7 yards per rush and has given up simply three speeding touchdowns, two coming in the Huge Ten championship sport towards No. 1 Oregon.

“They’ve had our backs all through the entire yr,” Penn State quarterback Drew Allar mentioned. “They’ve made me rather a lot higher all year long, simply going towards the most effective protection in America and simply glad I received to go towards them each day in apply and never towards them out on the sphere in a sport setting.”

Within the opening spherical of the CFP, Penn State held SMU to only 58 speeding yards on 36 carries. In the meantime, the Nittany Lions notched 11 of their 50 tackles for loss over the past six video games towards the Mustangs.

Most of these got here from a defensive position that frequently rotates run-stuffing tackles Zane Durant, Dvon J-Thomas and Coziah Izzard between dynamic ends Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Carter alone has 21.5 of his workforce’s 102 stops behind the road of scrimmage this yr.

He’s hoping so as to add a couple of towards Jeanty and keep off the star again’s personal long-running spotlight reel.

“I’m residing in my goals,” Carter mentioned. “I’m having essentially the most enjoyable I ever had enjoying soccer and I’ve been enjoying since I used to be 8 years outdated. I’m very blessed. I’m simply very humbled to have this chance. I simply need to maintain profiting from all of the alternatives that I’ve.”

Share this article

Recent posts

Popular categories

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent comments