Boise State Broncos assistant head coach Stacy Collins spent two seasons with the Penn State Nittany Lions. "Coach Collins was my guy," Penn State's Dom DeLuca said.

For starters, there’s a Heisman Trophy runner-up (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty), the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (Penn State’s Abdul Carter) and the Mackey Award winner (Penn State’s Tyler Warren) in the game.

In the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, the No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions (12-2) will play the No. 8 Boise State Broncos (12-1) in the Fiesta Bowl, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET in

Penn State has enlisted Tyler Holzworth, a junior, to mimic Jeanty on the scout team. It’s an impossible ask, but the 6-0, 219-pound Nittany Lions back can help present some of the same looks that Boise State gives with Jeanty.

Following its 38-10 win over SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Penn State ascended to No. 7 in ESPN's SP+ defensive rankings. Even with the nation's best running back in Ashton Jeanty, Boise State's offense ranks 13th.

The Boise State defense gave up nearly 30 points a game in their first five games, but in their final eight games they have only allowed 17 points per game as the defense improved through out the year.

When Ioane, a native of the Seattle area, de-committed from the University of Washington, Collins suggested he speak to Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. Ioane wound up committing to the Lions in February 2022.

The Nittany Lions' offensive stars discuss the buzz, and the grind, of readying for the Broncos and their 15th game of the season.

Register for free and ask a question of the Centre Daily Times’ Jon Sauber, and the Idaho Statesman’s Shaun Goodwin who will discuss both teams’ chances to win the Fiesta Bowl.

Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy runner-up, spoke about the challenge of facing Penn State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.