STATE COLLEGE | Penn State linebacker Dom DeLuca intercepted two first-half passes, returning one for a touchdown, to kickstart the Nittany Lions’ 38-10 win over SMU on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff. With its first playoff win in school history, Penn State advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will face Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Penn State (12-2) has won 12 games for the first time since its last undefeated season in 1994 and introduced Beaver Stadium to playoff football with a lively day of defense. Next up: the Nittany Lions take on Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runnerup, and the Boise State Broncos in the College Football Playoff quarterfials on New Year’s Eve.
Perhaps the most suprising element of Penn State’s dominant win, which also was James Franklin’s 100th as Penn State’s head coach: The team got freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer into the game with nearly 11 minutes left in the first quarter. Alas, Grunkemeyer’s first college pass was tipped for an interception. Still, good experience. The breakdown from Beaver Stadium.
Big-play DeLuca
Penn State linebacker Dom DeLuca has been a bright-lights player since high school, when he threw two touchdown passes in Wyoming Area’s first state-championship victory. DeLuca made a huge interception at Minnesota in November and lit up the scoreboard Saturday…