Penn State made a decisive early move against SMU last week, leaving its offense on the field for a pivotal 4th-and-1 attempt from its own 19-yard line. The conversion fell short, primarily because of a misplayed snap, and the Mustangs took over down 14-0 in prime position to reframe the game.

This ever-improving combination figures to be a deciding point in Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl playoff game against the Boise State Broncos. While the Group of 5 Broncos own one of the top pass-rushing defenses in the nation (51 sacks in 13 games) they haven't faced anything like the Penn State run game − at least since a September loss to Oregon.