Aside from the fact that PSU knew that they would be somewhat vulnerable to the pass and didn't believe that Boise State could beat them that way (they couldn't/didn't), anyone who doesn't recognize that with Carter that's an entirely different game and that they (BS) would have stumbled and looked really bad just isn't being completely honest. Injuries happen and you have to be prepared to play without a player or two at times, but PSU also knew that their linebacker play at times hasn't been great this year and the linebackers have been looking better in the two playoff games. There was nothing terribly noteworthy, shocking or troubling about that game from PSU's perspective. It would be nice if we can expect to see Abdul Carter in the semi-finals and it would be nicer yet if we could get one or two guys healthy who have been injured for much or most of the year though.
The penalties are getting old though, although in fairness, I didn't really see anything over the top from the PSU players last night. Got called for an offensive hold or two that they've likely been guilty of all season and it hasn't been called. They got called for one or two pass interference penalties that were legit and may have been intentional when the PSU defender knew that he was beaten. Finally, Dennis-Sutton got hit with two personal fouls and I thought that both were ticky-tacky. Could #33 have held up and NOT committed those penalties? Probably, but on the replay of the interception, you really couldn't hear the whistle and Dennis-Sutton had his back to the play. It wasn't like he made a dirty hit on a defenseless player 5 seconds after the whistle blew (it was a completely clean hit for what it's worth, albeit after the ball was dead). Same for the roughing the passer call. Madsen literally got rid of the ball when Dennis-Sutton was one step away and he pushed him (albeit pretty hard), it's not as if he lowered his helmet and leveled Madsen after the whistle. I'm not defending penalties because I think PSU has played some undisciplined football for much of the last half of the season, but I didn't think it was too bad last night.
Win and move on and that's what PSU has done.....twice. I've been as critical of Franklin (and some of the other coaches) as much as anyone, but the PSU coaches have done a reasonably good job this season and PSU is in the final four. I'll take that every time.
