Highs & Lows: Penn State produces much-needed big plays in rout
Penn State returned from its rollercoaster, 35-31 win at Purdue last Thursday to the comforts of Beaver Stadium. And Saturday afternoon, it showed.
Steadily topping Ohio in front of the home crowd, the Nittany Lions produced a 46-10 win to improve to 2-0 on the year. With it, a host of younger, highly-anticipated Penn State players demonstrated their long-awaited potential.
Here is a look at the highs and lows to emerge from the performance:
Penn State Highs and Lows
PLAYER OF THE GAME In his first game at Beaver Stadium, Nick Singleton proved to be every bit of the breakout star he was believed to be. On just 10 carries, Singleton ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns. And while the first one might have been the most explosive, scampering 70 yards to put Penn State ahead 14-0 in the first quarter, he proved just how much of a home run threat he can be with four explosive carries.
PLAY OF THE GAME Sooner or later, Singleton was going to break loose for a big one. Saturday, “sooner” arrived late in the first quarter. Taking a pitch toward the Penn State sideline, the former five-star recruit followed a nice Sal Wormley block, made one cut, and raced 70 yards into the end zone to give the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead.
BEST PASS Sean Clifford had a small, rapidly closing window to find his target to Mitchell Tinsley at the end of the first half. For the Penn State sixth-year senior quarterback, it didn’t matter. With Ohio’s defensive backs closing in on Tinsley’s crossing pattern, Clifford wedged home a bullet of a pass to give the hosts a 26-7 lead going into the half.
BEST RUN Singleton’s carry had a little bit of everything Penn State fans had long hoped to see from the running back position. First set up by a nice stretch block from Wormley, Singleton made his man miss on the sideline, then unleashed the blazing speed he’d been renowned for throughout his high school career. Leading 33-7 late in the third quarter, then, he did it again. Taking another pitch to the sideline, Singleton burst free for a 44-yard touchdown, his second of the day.
BEST CATCH Saturday was an afternoon of firsts for Penn State’s offense. Following Singleton’s big first-half touchdown run, quarterback Drew Allar and receiver Omari Evans cashed in with their first touchdowns. After advancing to the Ohio 32-yard line from a roughing the passer penalty, Allar ran play action and laid one out perfectly for Evans to find in open space. Having beaten his man, Evans did just that and completed the touchdown reception to give Penn State a 33-7 lead.
Impressive pass and catch for Allar, Evans
BEST SACK This category might be significant only for the absence of sacks for the Nittany Lions, particularly up front defensively. Before mop-up duty late in the fourth quarter, only corner Johnny Dixon notched a sack against the Bobcats on Saturday.
BEST HIT Safeties aren’t exactly an every-game occurrence, but Penn State picked one up anyway early in the second quarter on Saturday. Set up by a beautiful Barney Amor punt downed at the Ohio 1-yard line, the Nittany Lion defensive line cashed in by stuffing quarterback Kurtis Rourke before he could cross the goal line. The play gave Penn State a 16-0 advantage with 13:04 left to play in the first half. Robbie Dwyer’s fourth-quarter hit on Rourke near the goalline has to get a nod here, too.
BEST EFFORT Kaytron Allen deserves a spot here. The Nittany Lions’ other true freshman running back might not have put up the game-breaking play of Singleton, but he made a mark on Ohio’s defense seemingly every time he touched the ball Saturday. Particularly in the second quarter, his first real action of the game, Allen produced runs of 7 and 11 yards and picked up a big first down with a 22-yard catch-and-run.
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BEST KICK Penn State’s punting following the departure of Jordan Stout was a big concern for head coach James Franklin through the offseason. Through two games, Amor seems to be answering the call. Most notably, he set up Penn State’s second-quarter safety with a booming, perfectly-placed 45-yard punt downed by Malick Meiga at the Ohio 1-yard line.
WORST KICK Jake Pinegar’s inconsistencies reared their heads again Saturday afternoon. First missing wide on a third-quarter field goal from 42 yards, the veteran placekicker then missed a PAT early in the fourth quarter.
BEST RETURN Parker Washington ripped off his longest career punt return Saturday in the first half, going 30 yards on Jonah Wieland’s first attempt of the second quarter. The 42-yard punt was a bullet down to the Penn State 18, but Washington quickly meandered upfield to give the Nittany Lions solid field position at the Penn State 48.
BEST DECISION Give Ohio credit for not holding back, particularly late in the first half while trailing 19-0. Most notably, Rourke’s pass to Sam Wiglusz, then pitch to running back Sieh Bangura, went for 22 yards on a key third down at midfield. The play prevented the Bobcats from having to return possession to Penn State and, more important, set up the visitors’ first points for the game. That, of course, came off a beautiful reverse, then pitch back to Rourke, to take the Bobcats down to the goal line.
WORST DECISION Ohio linebacker Keye Thompson took a flying leap toward Allar midway through the third quarter and, rather than accepting the missed chance at a sack or tipped pass, he made an alternate decision detrimental to his and Allar’s health. Dropping his head toward Allar, Thompson initiated helmet-to-helmet contact, sending Allar backward and drawing a flag and targeting review for the play. He wasn’t tossed, but the decision was still the worst of the day.
MOST TELLING MOMENT Coming out of Ohio’s touchdown late in the first half, Penn State might have considered heading to the locker room. Not unlike its situation at Purdue last Thursday, though, the Nittany Lions kept at it. A 41-yard Parker Washington touchdown was reviewed and called out at the 7, but one more play was enough to get Penn State into the end zone. This time, it was a Clifford missile to Tinsley between two Bobcat defensive backs to reach pay dirt.
