Highs & Lows: Penn State blasts Maryland for 11th win

By Nate Bauer

By the time Penn State retreated to the locker room after its pregame warmups at Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the opportunity had arrived. No. 2 Ohio State had fallen to Michigan at the Horseshoe, and with that result, the Nittany Lions had a dramatically new reality.

With a win over Maryland in the ensuing few hours, Penn State would reach the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis next weekend. The Lions had a chance to take on No. 1 Oregon with the conference crown at stake, and the Terrapins represented a final hurdle.

In spite of a halting start, PSU cleared it handily.

Unloading a four-touchdown second quarter, Penn State earned a 44-7 win over Maryland in front of a loyal-but-shivering crowd at Beaver Stadium. Here’s how the Nittany Lions did it:

Highs & Lows: Penn State blasts Maryland, reaches B1G title game

PLAYER OF THE GAME Really, it should have been a three-touchdown afternoon for Nick Singleton. More on that later. In any case, the Nittany Lion running back regrouped after a first-play fumble to take 13 carries for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His final carry of the day was his longest, good for 18 yards and a score to open the fourth quarter. Singleton also added three receptions for 17 yards to his tally. Throw in a 66-yard kickoff return, and the performance was one of his best of the season.

PLAY OF THE GAME Tight end Tyler Warren wasn’t in the game on the first-down play, a short option pitch from Beau Pribula to Kaytron Allen in the red zone. Likely recognizing the dwindling opportunity to deliver a record-breaking play, Penn State coordinator Andy Kotelnicki rectified the personnel grouping for the next snap.

On second-and-6 from the Maryland 7, Drew Allar let Warren slip uncovered into the end zone, promptly firing an easy pitch-and-catch to the Nittany Lions’ Heisman Trophy hopeful. The receiving touchdown was Warren’s 17th for his career, breaking Pat Freiermuth’s mark for the position at Penn State. Along the way, it gave the hosts a 31-7 advantage going into halftime. 

Offensive superlatives

BEST PASS Allar’s pass to Warren in the final seconds of the first half was to a spot. It was also perfectly thrown. The toe-tapping 19-yard gain was the Nittany Lions’ most precise passing play of the night. 

Absolute dot by @AllarDrew!#QBX🎯💪🌪 pic.twitter.com/kgkohNYkvv

— Brad Maendler (@BradMaendler) November 30, 2024

BEST RUN Wrangling a backyard football pitch from Allar on a broken play midway through the second quarter, Warren delivered a stiff-arm, hurdled over a would-be tackler, and tip-toed 29 yards up the Nittany Lions’ sideline for a showstopping first down. Just two plays later, Penn State took a 24-7 lead on a Beau Pribula touchdown run.

WORST DROP Penn State couldn’t have drawn up more favorable circumstances to start its game against the Terrapins, but the excitement stemming from Ohio State’s stunning loss in Columbus was lost on the first handoff of the game to Singleton. Stood up at the line of scrimmage, the running back lost control of the football on his way to the ground. Maryland seized the opportunity, scoring a touchdown on the next play.

Defensive superlatives

BEST SACK Penn State defensive ends Abdul Carter and Amin Vanover bailed out Penn State after its difficult start. On second-and-4 for the Terrapins midway through the first quarter, Carter found the blind side of MJ Morris for an 11-yard loss. Not to be outdone, Vanover and Zane Durant joined forces to bring him down the next play, this time for a 5-yard loss, resulting in a punt.

BEST CATCH Cornerback Audavion Collins stepped in front of a poorly-thrown pass from Morris at the 46-yard line. It was Collins’ first interception of the season, and it set up the offense for another touchdown before the end of the half. 

BEST HIT Zion Tracy delivered another blow on Morris when he brought the quarterback down for a 12-yard loss to the Maryland 16-yard line to force a punt.

Special teams superlatives

BEST EFFORT Technically, Singleton had a touchdown thanks to his extra effort midway through the second quarter. An erroneous call on the field called him just short, leading to a Beau Pribula touchdown on the next play. 

BEST RETURN In the immediate aftermath of his first-play fumble, Singleton made good. Taking the ensuing kickoff from Maryland at his 2-yard line, he burst 66 yards toward the Penn State sideline, finding a crease and jetting to the Maryland 32. The return sparked the Nittany Lions’ first scoring opportunity of the afternoon.

BEST KICK Penn State stalled out offensively after Singleton’s electric kickoff return, but Ryan Barker made good on the field position anyway.  Lining up from the Terrapins’ 39, the walk-on kicker sent home a 49-yard attempt to get his Nittany Lions on the scoreboard.

WORST KICK With the Penn State scoring avalanche already in progress, Maryland punter Bryce McFerson was called upon to stop the bleeding midway through the second quarter. He couldn’t. Punting from his 28-yard line, he launched an attempt that traveled just 32 yards to give the Nittany Lions prime field position at their 40.

Wrapping up

BEST DECISION Barker had already proven he could make from 49, but, when faced with a fourth-and-1 at the Maryland 31, James Franklin decided against another field goal try. Instead, the Nittany Lions’ jumbo package produced a first down, extending the possession. Faced with the same predicament three plays later, Franklin turned to the same play to plod ahead. Penn State’s offense finally found the end zone when Singleton plunged across the goal line from the Maryland 2 to take a 10-7 lead with 12:53 to play in the second quarter.

WORST DECISION Penn State’s defense made its stand early in the second quarter. With the Terps opting to go for fourth-and-a-foot at their 30-yard line, the Nittany Lions stuffed the QB sneak for a turnover on downs. Three plays later, they were in for a touchdown on an Allar keeper to take a 17-7 lead. 

MOST TELLING MOMENT Maryland head coach Mike Locksley has previously acknowledged the “quirky” relationship he has with Franklin. Saturday night, that took the form of Locksley letting Franklin know his displeasure at midfield over a last-second touchdown thrown from Pribula to Tyseer Denmark to end the game.

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