Home College Football No. 3 Penn State Squeaks Pass USC 33-30 In OT At The...

No. 3 Penn State Squeaks Pass USC 33-30 In OT At The Rose Bowl

274
0
Photo Credit: Chris Harris

Los Angeles-CA—-Penn State traveled nearly 2,500 miles for their first Big Ten road game and faced a tough challenge against USC on Saturday. Despite trailing for most of the game, a series of clutch performances, including a historic game by tight end Tyler Warren, helped the Nittany Lions preserve their unbeaten record with a 33-30 overtime victory.

Warren made 17 catches, tying the FBS record for receptions by a tight end in a single game, while Ryan Barker kicked the game-winning 36-yard field goal in overtime. Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half, staying alive in their national championship pursuit.

Quarterback Drew Allar threw for a career-high 391 yards and two touchdowns, despite also tossing three interceptions. The Nittany Lions fought back three times to tie the game in the final 20 minutes of regulation, with the last tie coming on Nicholas Singleton’s 14-yard touchdown catch with under three minutes to play.

In overtime, USC was pushed backward on their first three plays, and Michael Lantz missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. Penn State moved the ball to USC’s 19-yard line, where Barker drilled the game-winner, sparking celebrations among the Nittany Lions.

Head coach James Franklin praised his team’s resilience but emphasized the need to improve. “I’d prefer to be a four-quarter team, a start-fast team,” he said.

USC (3-3, 1-3) has now dropped three of their last four games. Despite leading most of the game, they couldn’t hold on and have yet to defeat a top-five team since the 2017 Rose Bowl.

Photo Credit: Chris Harris

Warren, who had 224 receiving yards and a touchdown, was the focal point of Penn State’s offense. Though he was mostly shut down after the third quarter, his performance set a USC opponent record for most receptions in the program’s 137-year history.

Allar praised Warren’s play, saying, “Ty Warren had an insane game today… he’s the best tight end in the country right now.”

Penn State’s slow start gave USC a 20-6 lead at halftime. Trojans running back Quentin Joyner had a huge first half, scoring twice, including a 75-yard touchdown run. In the second half, though, Penn State found its rhythm, with Allar connecting with Warren for a touchdown on a trick play, and later leading a 90-yard drive to tie the game.

USC regained the lead with a touchdown pass from Miller Moss to Kyron Hudson with 5:56 left, but Allar’s two fourth-down conversions on the next drive helped Penn State tie it again.

In the final seconds of regulation, USC reached midfield but curiously did not use any timeouts. Jaylen Reed intercepted Moss with five seconds left, and USC’s coach Lincoln Riley explained that he didn’t want to leave time for a potential Penn State drive.

Riley acknowledged the difficulty of their schedule but said, “We’ve had a chance to win all six games that’s hard to do.” Moss finished the game with 220 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Joyner added 75 yards on the ground.

Next up for Penn State is a bye week, while USC will travel to Maryland on October 19.