BOISE, Idaho — On Monday, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson addressed the media before taking a few days off for the holidays.
But, before enjoying some well-deserved time with his family, Coach Danielson discussed the key aspects of the upcoming game against Penn State.
“We're in a good place. We've got to keep growing and earn our right to play our best on the 31st - and that's exactly what Penn State is going to work to do as well," said BSU Head Coach Spencer Danielson.
Coach Danielson expressed high regard for Penn State, acknowledging that next Tuesday's game will be one of the toughest challenges the Boise State football program has ever faced.
“I think the world of their team; I don't know coach Franklin, but I think very highly of him. I have a ton of respect for him, what he's done over the years, whatever he's done this season. They're a touchdown away from being the BIG 10 champs and probably being the #1 seed in the playoffs,” said Danielson.
Coach Danielson says that the Nittany Lions are hitting their stride and playing some of the best football in the country on all three sides of the ball.
OFFENSE
“Offensively they put you in a lot of conflict. We're going to defend two of the best running backs we’ve seen all year, and I don’t even know if it’s close,” said Danielson. "These two backs are elite, not only do they have top-end speed, but they can break almost any arm tackle you come at them with. And they've got one of the best tight ends in the entire country, going to be a first-day draft pick, and it's deserved.”
DEFENSE
“Defensively, it was on full display what they did this weekend against SMU. They've got a bunch of players on defense that are absolutely relentless, they're extremely talented and they play really well together. It's really hard to get them misaligned on shifts and motions and different things,” said Danielson. "One of the top defenses in the country regarding points scored against them. So, we’ve got our work cut out for us on that end.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
“Special Teams-wise, they've done a really good job. They've got elite returners, punt returns, and kickoff returns, and they're obviously going to be aggressive. They’re going to be on the attack special teams-wise and they're extremely physical on special teams too,” said Danielson. "Number 0, one of their defensive players does a phenomenal job in all three units. We’ve got to know where he's at all times and they play their best players on special teams."
With so much talent on both sides, Coach Danielson says this game will come down to two key statistics.
“The turnover margin is going to be huge in this game, the explosive battle is going to be huge in this game. Those two stats are really going to correlate to who's winning,” said Danielson. "This is a really good football team we're playing and it's going to be a heavyweight fight. We can't beat ourselves; we’ve got to stay in it, punch after punch and we're going to earn our right to play our best.”
Idaho News Six will continue to cover Boise State football as we approach the Fiesta Bowl — our team will be in Phoenix to capture the excitement of both the players and fans as the Broncos strive for another Fiesta Bowl trophy.
