Recap: Penn State takes down USC in overtime, 33-30

LOS ANGELES — No. 4 Penn State puts its perfect 5-0 record on the line today at USC (3-2). Welcome to your home for live updates from the historic LA Memorial Coliseum. Blue-White Illustrated will provide pregame updates, in-game analysis, and a postgame recap here in this post. Please note that this page does not update automatically. So, please refresh your browser often for the latest information.

Nittany Lions improve to 6-0

After winning the toss, the defense came up clutch, forcing a 4th and 13 that eventually led to a missed field goal by Michael Lantz. The Nittany Lions managed just three yards of offense on their drive, but Allar was able to put the ball in the middle of the field, giving Ryan Barker the opportunity for a 36-yard field goal to win the game.

Final Score

Penn State: 33
USC: 30

Penn State-USC is going to overtime

It’s tied at 30. Dominic DeLuca calls tails. It is tails. Penn State will go on defense first to start overtime at USC. Penn State forces a three and out. It’s field goal time for USC. Penn State forces a three and out. It’s field goal time for USC. It’s no good. Any point to win it for Penn State.

Jaylen Reed picks off Miller Moss

Interception: Jaylen Reed picks off Miller Moss’ pass. PSU has it at the 49 with five seconds left. The Lions have it at the USC 43 with two seconds left. It’s 30-30. We are going to overtime.

USC takes over at its own 25

There is currently 2:53 to play. Now 2:10 as USC gets a first down and is up to its own 37. Timeout for the two minute warning. First down USC now with 1:39 to go. They’re at midfield. Now under a minute to go. USC at midfield. Timeout Penn State with 14 seconds left. USC has 3rd and 6 at the PSU 45.

Penn State pulls even

Julian Fleming has two fourth down conversion catches. PSU at USC 23. And now it’s inside the 15 after an Allar keeper. Penn State ties it up. Allar hit Singleton who walked in after catching it wide open. It’s 30-30 with 2:53 to play.

USC goes back on top

Touchdown, USC: Moss hits a wide-open Hudson for six. Trojans are back in front of Penn State 29-23 with 5:56 to play. It capped a nine play, 75-yard scoring drive that took nearly five minutes.

Penn State ties it up

Ryan Barker’s 20-yard field goal is good. Penn State 23, USC 23 with 10:50 left in the fourth quarter. The Lions had goal to go but again could not find the end zone once in the red zone.

Three quarters are in the books

USC 23, Penn State 20 after three quarters at LA Memorial Coliseum. Penn State has 2nd and 3 on the PSU 32 when the fourth quarter begins.

Drew Allar throws his second interception, USC retakes the lead

Penn State was riding high but it isn’t anymore. On the first play of the next drive, Allar threw toward backup tight end Khalil Dinkins. It was deflected and intercepted by USC, who takes over at the PSU 24. The Penn State defense gives up two yards on three plays in its second sudden-change moment. USC will try a field goal. Michael Lantz’s 39-yard field goal is good. It’s USC 23, PSU 20 with 28 seconds left in the third quarter.

Penn State forces a punt

Jaylen Reed makes a great open field tackle on Lemon to force USC off the field. Trojans will punt again late in the third quarter. Lions 20, USC 20, with 1:34 to go in the fourth quarter.

Lions pull even with USC

Touchdown, Penn State: Kaytron Allen plows into the end zone from a yard out. The Lions have blitzed USC to start the second half, putting up 14 points so far in the third quarter. The game is now tied 20-20 with 4:42 to go in the third. This scoring drive was set up by big gains through the air with Drew Allar hitting Trey Wallace, Omari Evans, and Tyler Warren for chunk plays. The Lions marched 90 yards to the end zone.

Penn State forces a punt

Marks picks up 13 on 3rd and 26. Penn State forces USC to punt on its first drive of the second half. The USC drive was derailed by a third down hold when Marks mugged Jaylen Reed. Lions take over at their own 10 down 20-13 early in the third quarter.

Lions strike first and fast out of the break

Touchdown, Penn State: Beau Pribula throws back to Drew Allar who goes long to Tyler Warren, who makes a leaping catch over Zion Branch after snapping the ball to start the play for six. Exactly the start the Lions needed. USC 20, PSU 13 with 12:52 to go in the third quarter. It was a 32-yard scoring strike. Warren now has 11 catches for 140 yards.

Double pass TD for @PennStateFball to start the second half! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/54lph5ddUw

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 12, 2024

Penn State-USC second half is underway

Updates to follow.

HALFTIME: USC 20, Penn State 6

Penn State had a touchdown wiped off the board on its first drive due to offensive pass interference on Julian Fleming. It led to one of two first half red zone field goals. USC’s Quinten Joyner scored twice, once on a 75-yard reverse and once on a nine-yard touchdown toss from Miller Moss. USC has a 248-202 yards advantage at the break. The Lions get the ball to start the second half.

“We have to be better on third down,” Penn State coach James Franklin said on the Penn State Sports Network. “We knew going into this game that their strength was third down. That has showed up today. We do get the ball to start the second half. It will be important for us to come out and get a score to start the second half.”

PSU is 3 of 8 on third down. USC is 0 of 4.

USC adds a field goal

The Penn State defense kept USC out of the end zone but not off the scoreboard on its final drive of the first half. Michael Lantz’s 47-yard field goal is good. USC 20, Penn State 6 with seven seconds to go in the half.

Two-minute timeout time

Two-minute timeout: USC 17, Penn State 6. Trojans have a 1st and 10 at their own 37 after the break with 1:58 to go in the first half.

Lions kick another red zone field goal

Drew Allar throws across his body to Tyler Warren on third down falls incomplete. Penn State wanted defensive pass interference but no flag flew. Another red zone field goal try for the Lions. Ryan Barker’s 43-yard field goal is good. USC 17, Penn State 6 with 2:46 left in the first half. James Franklin is seeking an explanation for no DPI on the third down incompletion but, regardless, Lions only get three in the red zone again.

Lions defense gets another stop

On 3rd and 7 at its own 21, USC goes empty and Moss hits Lemon but Zakee Wheatley cuts him down before the sticks. Penn State will get it back. Have to give Tom Allen credit. USC has five yards on seven plays over its last two drives. Penn State defense is answering the bell. The offense must do the same. Lions take over at their own 20 with 5:58 to go in the second quarter.

Penn State goes three and out again

Penn State throws it short of the sticks on 3rd and 6 and will punt it away on 4th and 3 at its own 42. After a great first drive, Lions look a bit lost on offense with 7:39 left in the first half. USC takes over at its own 19 leading 17-3.

USC tacks on a field goal

Michael Lantz’s 45-yard field goal is good. Penn State can live with giving up three and not seven after that sequence. Good bounceback series for Tom Allen’s defense. USC now leads the Lions 17-3 with 10:05 to go in the first half.

Drew Allar interception sets USC up again

Drew Allar, with the definition of all day to throw, fires a careless interception on 3rd and 6 near midfield. Tossed it right into Stephens’ hands, who then returned it deep into Penn State territory. Multiple Lions were open. USC takes over at the PSU 26.

Trojans go up two scores

Touchdown, USC: Easy pitch and toss from Moss to Joyner for a nine-yard score. The Lions have no answers on defense at the moment, and this is where waiting until halftime to make adjustments isn’t an option. Trojans lead 14-3 early in the second quarter. It was a seven-play, 89-yard drive in a little more than three minutes to give the home team a two-score lead.

USC leads after one

End of one: USC 7, Penn State 3. Trojans own a 121-11 yards advantage. The home side has 2nd and 10 at its own 42 when play resumes.

Second Lions drive ends with no points

Drew Allar was pressured on 3rd and 3 at the Lions’ 49 and short-armed a pass to Omari Evans. It fell short at his feet. USC 7, PSU 3 with 1:49 left in the first quarter.

USC finds the end zone first

What a massive swing of events. After Penn State settled for a field goal, Quinten Joyner takes a reverse 75 yards to pay dirt. AJ Harris missed a tackle toward the end of the run. What a swing for the Lions, who now finds itself down 7-3 with 4:38 left in the first quarter.

Pretty Penn State drive ends with only a field goal

Penn State marched down the field on USC but only came away with three points. Ryan Barker made a 35-yard field goal after Tyler Warren’s two-yard touchdown catch on fourth down was wiped out by offensive pass interference on Julian Fleming. Andy Kotelnicki pulled a lot of tricks out of his bag on that drive to only net a field goal. Lions lead 3-0 with 4:53 left in the first quarter.

TO THE HOUSE 🏡🔥@JoynerQuinten goes 75 yards for @uscfb ✌️ pic.twitter.com/gIxvx1KIg8

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 12, 2024

Trojans open with a punt

Penn State forces a USC punt as Miller Moss’ third down pass bounced off Kyron Hudson’s hands. They picked up one first down on their opening drive. The Lions are about to get their first possession of the day. Drew Allar and co., will start at their own 11.

Lions lose the toss

Penn State calls tails. It’s heads. USC wants the ball. The Lions will kick off in moments to start this one at the LA Memorial Coliseum. 78 degrees at kickoff. Six MPH win out the south.

What did we learn about the Lions and Trojans during pregame warmups?

Warmups are underway. Looks like McRee and Covington will both be out today for USC. A pair of big losses for them. All looks good on the Penn State side of things with Anthony Donkoh and Nicholas Singleton. Both will start for the Lions today. And, there appear to be no starter changes for Penn State.

“This is one of the games you come to USC for. It’s an incredible matchup. Two great programs,” Lincoln Reilly tells the in-house USC feed. “Everyone’s excited about this one. Our team is as well.”

Penn State, USC release availability reports; what do they tell us?

For Penn State, receiver Kaden Saunders, safety KJ Winston Jr., running back Cam Wallace, linebackers Keon Wylie, Zuriah Fisher, receivers tight end Andrew Rappleyea, are OUT. No Nittany Lions are questionable.

The positive here for Penn State is obvious. After feeling confident that Nick Singleton would be back in the lineup back on Monday, his absence from this report reaffirms that he will be good to go today. And, Anthony Donkioh is in, too.

For USC, star linebacker Eric Gentry is OUT again as expected. Starting cornerback Jacobe Covington is QUESTIONABLE. He was hurt last week. Tight end Lake McRee is, too.

PSU at USC: Game time and details

Penn State is 4-6 all-time against USC. The two sides most recently met in the Rose Bowl to conclude the 2016 season. The Trojans won that game 52-49, of course. Before that, the sides last met during the regular season in Los Angeles all the way back in 1991. USC won that game 21-10. PSU’s last win over the Trojans came in 1996.

Here are the details for this year’s matchup:

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
Location: LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.
Weather: A terrific day appears to be on tap. Here’s the latest forecast: “Partly cloudy skies. High 81F. Winds light and variable.” Humidity nor rain will be a factor.
The line: Penn State is a 5.5-point favorite.
Over/under: 50.5 points