Highs & Lows: Penn State overcomes bad weather, Mountaineers

By Nate Bauer

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Penn State withstood a shaky start and an hours-long halftime weather delay en route to a season-opening win at West Virginia on Saturday. Led by explosive playmaking on offense and a swarming defensive effort, the Nittany Lions comfortably completed the 34-12 win.

And they did it while breaking for a two-hour, 19-minute weather delay at the half.

These are the highs and lows from the game:

Game superlatives

PLAYER OF THE GAME Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was hoped to be a game-changer for the Nittany Lions after a stagnant performance from the unit in 2023. Saturday, he was, boosted substantially by another performance the program missed dearly during its prior campaign. Trey Wallace, absent through much of last season battling injury, collected five catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns, helping to break open a lead for the visitors and bolstering it heading into the half. More than half of his yards from last season, and doubling his touchdown output, the effort sets up lofty expectations for Wallace moving forward.

PLAY OF THE GAME Leading West Virginia at the half, 20-6, an extended, two-hour, 19-minute weather delay meant an opportunity for Penn State to start the game anew in the second half. Propelled by a 40-yard Nick Singleton touchdown run, the Nittany Lions did exactly that. Taking advantage of starting with the ball to open the second half, the Nittany Lion tailback split the heart of the Mountaineers’ defense, launching into the third level and never looking back. The score gave Penn State a 27-6 advantage with 10:16 left to play in the third quarter.

Penn State offensive superlatives

BEST PASS Locked in a stalemate through the first quarter, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar opened the second by ending it. Confidently delivering an in-stride bullet to a streaking Trey Wallace across the middle of the field, the connection went for 50 yards and the Nittany Lions’ first points of the season. 

BEST RUN Singleton had trouble getting going in the first half. Then, he needed to wait another two-plus hours to change that trajectory. He did, and made the most of the break. Getting the ball out of the extended break, the Nittany Lions plodded down the field, setting up Singleton’s 40-yard touchdown run through the heart of the Mountaineer offense.

BEST CATCH The throw location didn’t make Wallace’s job any easier, but a first-and-10 missile to the right sideline gave the Nittany Lion receiver his first catch of the game. And it was spectacular. Contorting himself back in to the field, Wallace’s reception delivered Penn State a first down and an 18-yard pickup. He wasn’t finished, either. At the end of the first half, Wallace’s sideline grab for a touchdown was pinpoint execution by both the receiver and his quarterback.

WORST DROP The reason for Allar’s fumble on the Nittany Lions’ first possession of the game was hotly contested. Apparently claiming West Virginia simulated the snap by clapping before the snap, the officiating crew didn’t see or buy it in giving the Mountaineers prime field position in Penn State territory. 

Penn State defensive superlatives

BEST SACK Abdul Carter set ‘em up, Zane Durant knocked ‘em down. Riding a wave of momentum after Singleton’s touchdown run, Penn State’s defense returned to the field and quickly swallowed up the Mountaineers. Two quick stops prompted a third-and-7, and Carter and Durant tag-teamed a submission out of West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene. The 9-yard loss forced a punt and return of possession to the Nittany Lions.

BEST HIT On a second snap-to-quarterback disconnect in a row for West Virginia, Penn State safety Jaylen Reed screamed his way to a scrambling Greene for an 11-yard loss. 

BEST TACKLE A swing pass to the sideline from Greene to Treylan Davis was stopped immediately when Penn State cornerback Cam Miller cleanly and quickly took out the tight end’s legs. The 3-yard pickup for the Mountaineers forced a fourth-and-8 punt from their 25 yard line.

BEST EFFORT In the immediate aftermath of Penn State’s ill-fated fumble early in the first quarter, the Nittany Lion defense responded quickly. Taking advantage of a bad snap and fumble, the extra effort of Carter to lay out Greene, who nearly fell on top of the ball to recover it, allowed Reed the opportunity to secure the recovery. 

Wrapping up

BEST DECISION Penn State running straight into the heart of West Virginia’s defense with 32 seconds remaining in the first half appeared unwise. It wasn’t. Hurrying out of the stop, Allar aligned the Nittany Lion offense and lofted a 55-yard bomb deep down the field to Omari Evans, who made the catch and advanced to the West Virginia 18. Calling timeout with 10 seconds before the half, the offense drew up a well-placed touchdown from Allar to Wallace in the corner of the end zone to go ahead 20-6 going into the locker room.

WORST DECISION West Virginia going for fourth-and-1, trailing 13-3 late in the first half, wasn’t a bad choice. The officials who first granted a generous spot, then upheld it after a review, was. Though naked eyes in the stadium and all television replay angles appeared to show Mountaineer running back C.J. Donaldson stopped in the backfield, coming up well short of the yard to go, the hosts were granted the first down anyway. A converted 39-yard field goal came four plays later.

MOST TELLING MOMENT After a lengthy halftime delay due to inclement weather, and a difficult start to the second half for the hosts, the biggest in-stadium cheer of the third quarter went to the flyover pilots. A pair of F-55 fighter jets soared overhead Mountaineer Field during the National Anthem.

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