Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter sacks SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings during the second half in … [+]
Three of the top four and five of the nation’s top 10 defenses will be on display in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal that gets underway New Year’s Eve. That should be a good thing for the 10-plus million who are sure to tune in to each of the four games on a New Year’s menu that kicks off Tuesday evening. After all, the first round left a lot to be desired with each game decided by double digits and an average of 19 points. Against that backdrop, here is a look at storylines from each of the four quarterfinal matchups highlighted by the defensive side of scrimmage.
Fiesta Bowl
No. 6 seed Penn State vs. No. 3 seed Boise State | Dec. 31, 7:30 ET | ESPN
The Broncos’ Ashton Jeanty heads into this matchup as the nation’s leading rusher with 2,497 yards and 192 per game. The Heisman runner-up needs 132 yards to pass Barry Sanders for the most rushing yards in a single season in FBS annals. He will face a Penn State defense that ranks fifth overall and is allowing 100 yards per game on the ground to rank seventh. The most rushing yards the Nittany Lions have allowed in a game this season was 189 at USC, three yards shy of Jeanty’s average. Coordinator Tom Allen’s unit allowed only one running back to reach the century mark. That was the Trojans’ Woody Marks with 111.
In Week 2 at Oregon, which ranks 35th versus the run, Jeanty ran for his season average of 192 yards as well as three TDs on 25 carries in a tight game. He went against UNLV, with has the No. 22 rush defense, twice and was held to less than four yards per carry (33-128-1) in the regular season meeting and broke loose for 32-209-1 in the MWC championship game. Eight of the other nine FBS opponents Jeanty has faced this season have run defenses currently ranked No. 92 to No. 127.
The above breakdown is not to take anything away from Jeanty by any means. He has had a remarkable season, which also includes 29 rushing TDs. Rather, should the 5-foot-9 and 215-pound senior have another big game, he will have certainly deserved every yard because Penn State represents quite a challenge.
On the flip side, Boise State is 61st in total defense. While that is middle of the pack, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and his offensive line will be up against a defense that has 51 sacks in 13 games for an average of 3.9 per game that is second nationally. Redshirt sophomore edge Jayden Virgin-Morgan (10.0) and senior end Ahmed Hassanein (8.5) are the leaders of the sack pack. The latter had 12.5 last season.
Peach Bowl
No. 5 seed Texas vs. No. 4 seed Arizona State | Jan. 1, 1:00 ET | ESPN
Like Ashton Jeanty in the Fiesta Bowl against Penn State, the running game could be the focal point in this matchup. The Longhorns, who are third nationally in total defense (261 yards) and 11th against the run (104 yards), will have their hands full with the Sun Devils’ Cam Skattebo, the nation’s fifth-leading rusher at 131 yards per game. Skattebo is also effective in the passing game having caught 37 passes for another 506 yards. With receiver Jordyn Tyson (upper body) missing a second straight game, quarterback Sam Leavitt is sure to utilize Skattebo, who had 33-yard touchdown reception in a Big 12 championship game victory over Iowa State. Speaking of Leavitt, he will be facing a UT defense that has picked off 20 passes.
Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has a unit that is tied with Penn State for 12th in yielding 3.11 yards per rush attempt, which includes sacks. The Longhorns’ consistency in this department is notable. The 4.8 yards per attempt Florida averaged in November – the ‘Horns won by 32 — is the only time in 14 games UT allowed as many four yards per rush. On eight occasions, the defense has allowed between 3.0 and 3.8 yards per rush, a mark buoyed by a unit tied with, you guessed it, Penn State, for 13th in tackles for loss per game with 7.3.
Rose Bowl
No. 1 seed Oregon vs. No. 8 seed Ohio State | Jan. 1, 5:00 ET | ESPN
The top defense in the land belongs to coordinator Jim Knowles and the Buckeyes, who are allowing all of 242 yards per game. The Ducks are not too shabby themselves, checking in at No. 10 and 302 yards. There was little sign of such stout defense during a mid-October encounter in Eugene where the teams combined for 963 yards in Oregon’s 32-31 win. The Ducks piled up 496 yards in a turnover-free effort. In their other 12 games, the Buckeyes allowed a scant 204 yards per game.
Oregon’s two worst games defensively were the 467 yards against the Buckeyes and 518 against Penn State in the Big Ten championship game. Of course, the Ducks won both games. Otherwise, coordinator Tosh Lupoi’s unit allowed more as many as 310 years only once, and that was 369 to Boise State.
Both quarterbacks, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Ohio State’ Will Howard, had nearly identical numbers in their first get-together. The former, a Heisman finalist, completed 23 of 34 passes for 341 yards and two TDs. Four of his completions went for more than 30 yards. Howard, who had his best game in a first-round matchup with Tennessee, was 28-of-35 for 326 yards and two scores. Neither turned the ball over. The running of Oregon’s Jordan James (23-115-1), the Big Ten’s third-leading rusher, against what is the eighth-best defense against the run, kept the chains moving for the Ducks. TreVeyon Henderson had 87 yards on only 10 carries, though 53 yards were on one gallop.
Sugar Bowl
No. 7 seed Notre Dame vs. No. 2 seed Georgia | Jan. 1, 8:45 ET | ESPN
The Bulldogs will not have injured (elbow) quarterback Carson Beck, who declared for the NFL draft Saturday, and their running game is averaging 129 yards per game to rank 100th. It is a combination that hardly seems like it would have much of a chance going up against a Fighting Irish defense, piloted by coordinator Al Golden, that ranks eighth nationally in allowing 295 yards. Of course, Kirby Smart’s team may not need much offense in order to keep their season alive. After all, the Bulldogs’ defense is pretty darn good as well. UGA, you might recall, won a low-scoring (22-19) overtime affair against Texas in the SEC title tilt and picked off Quinn Ewers twice and sacked him six times.
Gunner Stockton, three years in the system and with a ton of respect from teammates and staff, did a commendable job in taking over for Beck in the aforementioned SEC championship game against the ‘Horns. The Georgia native has also had three weeks to prepare for the quarterfinal. True, the Notre Dame defense represents a very tall order. It is a unit that boasts DB Xavier Watts (6 INTs), leads the nation in pass efficiency defense and turnovers forced (29) while tied for lead with six defensive touchdowns.
Georgia is 35th nationally in total defense allowing 337 yards per game. It is not exactly the top 10 of the each of the past four full seasons, but Glenn Schumann’s group is a strong one. It will be tasked with containing the nation’s No. 11 run game, which boasts Jeremiyah Love (1,057 yards, 7.4, 16 TDs), quarterback Riley Leonard (751, 5.6, 15) and Jadarian Price (683, 6.8, 7).
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