Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas returned interceptions for touchdowns and Penn State toyed with mistake-prone SMU in a 38-10 victory on Saturday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (12-2) advanced to face third-seeded Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve by hounding Mustangs quarterback and South Oak Cliff alum Kevin Jennings into three turnovers, including a pair of ill-thrown floaters in the first half DeLuca and Rojas converted into Pick-6s that sent the white-out crowd at wintry Beaver Stadium into a frenzy and SMU (11-3) into a funk from which it never recovered.
Jennings, whose electrifying play fueled , finished 20 of 36 for 195 yards with a late touchdown and three picks. He began the day by missing a wide-open tight end Matthew Hibner at the goal line to end the Mustangs' promising opening possession, and things only got worse from there.
His flip to Brashard Smith on SMU's second drive sailed over the running back's head and into the arms of an awaiting DeLuca, to the end zone to give Penn State the lead. Early in the second quarter, Jennings scrambled to his right and threw against his body into triple coverage. Rojas snagged it and to stake the Nittany Lions to a 14-0 lead they never came close to squandering.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen ran for scores for the Nittany Lions. Drew Allar completed 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards while playing every meaningful snap after backup Beau Pribula 鈥� who occasionally and effectively spelled Allar throughout the year 鈥� earlier this week.
The defense's early strike gave Allar and Penn State's running game time to get settled. Allen finished off a nine-play 75-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown dash to make it 21-0. Singleton then bulled over from a yard out late in the first half to make it 28-0.
And unlike the ACC title game against Clemson 鈥� when the Mustangs roared all the way back from a 17-point second-half deficit to tie it before 鈥� this time there would be no rally.
Just like 10th-seeded Indiana on Friday, the Mustangs didn't do much to validate the CFP selection committee's decision to put them in over bluebloods Alabama and Miami. SMU's historic first season in the ACC after coming over from the American Athletic ended with a disappointing thud.
Now SMU will try to back up their audacious ACC debut next fall, when their conference slate includes games against Miami, Clemson and Louisville.
