Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas returned interceptions for touchdowns and Penn State performed mistake-prone SMU to a 38-10 win Saturday within the opening spherical of the College Football Playoff.
The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (12-2) superior to face fourth-seeded Boise State within the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve by hounding Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings into three turnovers, together with a pair of poorly thrown floaters within the first half DeLuca and Rojas become pick-sixes that despatched the Juventus crowd on the winter Beaver Stadium right into a frenzy and SMU (11-3) right into a funk that by no means began recovered.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen ran for scores for the Nittany Lions. Drew Allar accomplished 13 of twenty-two passes for 127 yards whereas enjoying each important snap after backup Beau Pribula — who sometimes and successfully spelled Allar all year long — entered the switch portal earlier this week.
Jennings, whose electrifying play fueled SMU’s undefeated regular-season dash by way of the ACC, completed 20 of 36 for 195 yards with a late landing and three picks. He began the day by lacking a large open Matthew Hibner on the purpose line to finish the Mustangs’ promising opening possession, and issues solely acquired worse from there.
His throw to Brashard Smith on SMU’s second drive went over the operating again’s head and into the arms of a ready DeLuca, who ran 23 yards to the tip zone to provide Penn State the lead. Early within the second quarter, Jennings scrambled to his proper and ran to his physique in triple protection. Rojas grabbed it and scampered 59 yards to provide the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead that they by no means got here near squandering.
The protection’s preliminary pummeling gave Allar and Penn State time to calm down. Allen completed a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 25-yard landing rush to make it 21-0. Singleton then went over from a yard out late within the first half to make it 28-0.
And in contrast to the ACC title sport in opposition to Clemson — when the Mustangs roared again from a 17-point second-half deficit to tie it earlier than falling on the ultimate snap — there can be no rally this time.
The closing two quarters have been above all a chance for the group of greater than 106,000 who braved temperatures round 20 levels with a reasonably fixed breeze to benefit from the type of big-game victory that did not occur as typically as they’d have preferred throughout James Franklin’s extremely profitable 11-year tenure.
Once you move one check, one other massive one awaits within the desert on the final day of 2024.
Takeaway
SMU: Much like Tenth-seeded Indiana on Friday, the Mustangs did not do a lot to validate the CFP choice committee’s choice to fit them in opposition to blue bloods Alabama and Miami (Fla.). SMU’s historic first season within the ACC after arriving from the American Athletic Conference ended with a disappointing thud.
Penn State: The protection bounced again from a shaky efficiency within the Big Ten title sport in opposition to Oregon, throttling an offense that averaged 38.5 factors and 443 yards per sport.
Next
SMU: Will look to bolster their daring ACC debut subsequent fall, when their convention schedule consists of video games in opposition to Miami, Clemson and Louisville.
Penn State: Will attempt to win its thirteenth sport for the primary time in this system’s 131-year historical past when it heads to the Fiesta Bowl, a sport wherein the Nittany Lions are 7-0 all-time.
Associated Press reporting.
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