Inside Penn State tight end Tyler Warren's massive day in Lions' 33-30 win over USC
LOS ANGELES — Speaking in the bowels of the LA Memorial Coliseum after one of the best performances by a Penn State tight end in program history, Tyler Warren talked as if he had just walked the dog, cut the grass, or performed some other mundane, nonchalant task. Minutes earlier, his head coach, James Franklin, was a few feet away again, making the case that the Virginia native is not only the best tight end in college football but also one of the sport’s best players. After Saturday, it’s hard to argue either point.
Warren did everything for the Nittany Lions in their 33-30 win over USC. He caught 17 passes, the most the Trojans have ever given up to a tight end, for 224 yards. He set the school receiving mark for a tight end and racked up the second most receiving yards in Penn State history. That’s not all he did, of course. He threw a pass for nine yards. He carried once for four yards. And, his most memorable play started the Lions’ second half comeback. He snapped the ball to quarterback Beau Pribula early in the third quarter, who threw it backwards to Drew Allar, who then launched it 32 yards to Warren, who made a leaping catch over a USC defender for his lone score of the day. He did it all in this win and continue to be the engine that keeps the Penn State (6-0) offense moving. But, he has no interest in tooting his own horn, preferring instead to let his play do the talking.
“I think the game we play, there’s 11 guys on the field at a time. And, you know, one guy usually will make a play, but there’s so many things that go into it. And you know, 10 of the guys that had to do something for that one guy to make a play. So that’s just kind of why I love football. It takes your team, it takes the guys around you, and that’s something I really enjoy about the game.”
Warren’s teammates, coaches, were willing to marvel at his performance
Warren, yet again, was an almost constant security blanket for Allar. USC coach Lincoln Riley praised the tight end while expressing frustration at the number of times his defense left the star wide open for easy gains. He also got himself open plenty too, of course, and made catches in traffic and broke tackles for extra yards.
“Ty Warren had an insane game today, and just super happy for him,” quarterback Drew Allar said. “Obviously, I think we’ve shown that he’s the best tournament in the country.”
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Added offensive lineman head coach James Franklin:
“I’ve been talking about him being the best tight end in college football, but the reality is, he’s now part of a conversation of one of the best players in all of college football.”
Warren does it all for Penn State. But others will have to toot his horn for him. He’s happy to let them do the talking while he continues to do the damage on the field.
“I was so happy with the way the offense responded,”Warren said. “And I think, you know, a guy, Julian Fleming, had a drop earlier, and then on that last drive to tie it up, he had two great catches to keep the drive alive. So I was really, really proud of them. And the RBS and receivers stepped up when they needed to. And Nick and [Kaytron Allen] doing what they did and running past guys. I thought we just did an all-around good job.”
