Tag: Penn State

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium

Ohio State favored to beat No. 1 Oregon in CFP quarters

Posted on | by Field Level Media

One of Ohio State’s two losses this season came against No. 1 Oregon, but that didn’t dissuade oddsmakers from installing the eighth-seeded Buckeyes as favorites to beat the Ducks in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Shortly after Ohio State finished off it’s 42-17 rout of No. 9 Tennessee on Saturday night, the Buckeyes opened as 1.0-point favorites at DraftKings and 1.5-point favorites at BetRivers to beat Oregon on New Year’s Day.

The teams met earlier this season in one of the most memorable games of the 2024 regular season. The Buckeyes visited Autzen Stadium on Oct. 12 and walked away with a dramatic 32-31 defeat. A rematch in the Big Ten title game appeared likely until Ohio State was upset at home by unranked Michigan to close the regular season.

Oddsmakers are clearly placing more weight on Saturday’s convincing win over Tennessee in the final game of the opening round of the CFP.

Oregon will enter the quarterfinal clash with a perfect 13-0 record, but it will be nearly a month since the Ducks beat Penn State in the Big Ten title game.

Many believe the CFP committee essentially rewarded the Nittany Lions despite that loss. While Oregon faces a potential CFP gauntlet of Ohio State, No. 5 Texas and No. 2 Georgia, Penn State opened with a 38-10 blowout win over No. 11 SMU on Saturday.

Up next is Boise State, which is seeded third but hails from the Mountain West Conference. Penn State opened as a 10.5-point favorite at both sportsbooks. Only Texas, which faces No. 4 Arizona State, is a bigger favorite among the quarterfinal matchups at 13.5 points.

Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame will be the final CFP game on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs opened as 1.5-point favorites at DraftKings, while BetRivers installed Georgia as a 3.0-point favorite.

The road to a national title will require one of the remaining teams to reel off three consecutive victories. For Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State, that will mean winning four playoff games — although each of them won their first-round matchups handily.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS*
Texas (+340)
Ohio State (+380)
Oregon (+400)
Penn State (+475)
Georgia (+550)
Notre Dame (+550)
Boise State (+7000)
Arizona State (+7000)
*DraftKings

–Field Level Media

Dec 21, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) reacts following a sack on Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (not pictured) during the second quarter in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

No. 6 seed Penn State advances in CFP with easy win over SMU

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Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas returned interceptions for touchdowns and No. 6 seed Penn State advanced in the College Football Playoff with an easy 38-10 victory over No. 11 seed SMU on Saturday afternoon at University Park, Pa.

DeLuca also had another interception as the Nittany Lions (12-2) built a 28-point halftime advantage in Happy Valley. Penn State will face No. 3 seed Boise State (12-1) in a quarterfinal game at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on Dec. 31.

Nicholas Singleton rushed for 90 yards and one touchdown and Kaytron Allen had 70 yards and two scores for the Nittany Lions, who thrived in cold weather that was 25 degrees (feels like 12) at kickoff. Drew Allar completed 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards.

Kevin Jennings threw three first-half interceptions for an SMU team that was overmatched from the outset. The Mustangs (11-3) were the final team to earn an at-large bid into the 12-team field, edging Alabama.

Jennings completed 20 of 36 passes for 195 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Roderick Daniels Jr. Brashard Smith had 163 all-purpose yards (77 kickoff, 62 rushing, 24 receiving) for the Mustangs.

Penn State outgained SMU 325-253.

Jennings’ first interception came when DeLuca picked off the throw at the SMU 23-yard line and ran in for the score with 6:08 left in the opening quarter.

His second interception came when Rojas nabbed his pass and meandered 59 yards for a score to give Penn State a 14-0 lead with 13:09 left in the first half.

SMU was threatening to get on the board five minutes later when DeLuca batted a Jennings pass in the air and caught it at the Nittany Lions’ 11 and returned it 14 yards.

Penn State then traveled 75 yards on nine plays to push the lead to 21. Allen capped the drive with a 25-yard run around the left side with five minutes left in the first half.

Singleton scored from the 1 with 1:03 left to give the Nittany Lions a 28-point halftime edge.

SMU got on the board in the third quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Collin Rogers. Penn State got the three points back on Ryan Barker’s 40-yard field goal with 8:13 left in the period.

Allen tacked on a 4-yard run to boost the Nittany Lions’ lead to 38-3 with 12:56 left in the contest.

Jennings hit Daniels from 28 yards out with 7:31 to play.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Andre Turrentine (2) takes a peak into the backfield against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

College Football Playoff notebook: Tennessee’s Andre Turrentine returns to Ohio State

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No. 9 seed Tennessee will make its first visit to No. 8 Ohio State on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), but Volunteers safety Andre Turrentine will be in a familiar setting at Ohio Stadium for the first-round matchup of the College Football Playoff.

He played in four games for the Buckeyes (10-2) as a freshman in 2021 before the Nashville native joined the Vols.

“I know a lot of guys on that team, so just having that brotherhood and camaraderie from being a freshman there is going to be big in this game and big for me personally,” said Turrentine, a redshirt junior.

He has 35 tackles and one interception in starting all 12 games for the Vols (10-2) this season.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles feels prepared for Tennessee’s fast-paced offense, which averages 74.6 plays per game to rank 11th nationally.

“Our defense is built for tempo,” he said.

–No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1) quarterback Riley Leonard loves the idea of playing for a national championship, but as he told Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports, the matchup with the No. 10 Hoosiers (11-1) on Friday in South Bend, Ind., (8 p.m., ABC/ESPN) is also about regional pride.

“It’s huge for the state of Indiana. We’ve been talking about it becoming a football state,” he said. “It’s notorious for basketball, for obvious reasons.”

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti on how the game will play out: “I think we’re plus-15 on turnover ratio, and they’re plus-16. So, ball security for us and them is going to be really important — winning the turnover battle.”

–Even though No. 6 Penn State (11-2) lost to No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Nittany Lions were buoyed by running for 292 yards. Now, they host No. 11 SMU (11-2), which is ranked fourth nationally at 93.4 rushing yards allowed per game.

“Our expectation is that that’s what we’re supposed to do every single game,” Penn State center Nick Dawkins said. “I don’t think it matters the opponent that we played against.”

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee on the perceived advantage Penn State will have with a forecast high of 28 degrees: “They have to play in it just like we do and I don’t think they’ve played a game at home on Dec. 21, either. I don’t think the weather is a big deal.”

–No. 5 Texas coach Steve Sarkisian expects big things from quarterback Quinn Ewers when the Longhorns (11-2) host No. 12 Clemson on Saturday (4 p.m., TNT/MAX).

“We’ve all got to take our game to another level, and he’s no different, right?” Sarkisian said. “He’s got to do it.”

Actor Matthew McConaughey is a Longhorns super fan but that doesn’t mean much to defensive lineman T.J. Parker of Clemson (10-3).

“I don’t know who that is,” the sophomore said on Tuesday. “I may know his face, but not by name. I don’t know him.”

–Field Level Media

Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee leads SMU on to the field before the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 11 SMU shoots for playoff statement at No. 6 Penn State

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SMU was picked to finish seventh in its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a projection that would have meant an invite to a pedestrian bowl game.

Preseason projections are meaningless as the Mustangs wrap preparations for the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

SMU shattered expectations and the 11th-seeded Mustangs (11-2) are trying to continue that trend with a memorable upset of sixth-seeded Penn State on Saturday at chilly University Park, Pa.

The conditions, with forecasts of temperatures in the low-20s, certainly favor the Nittany Lions (11-2) who called for fans to participate via clothing choice in a “whiteout” in Happy Valley.

“Here’s the deal, they’re playing in the same weather we are,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said Tuesday. “They got to play in it just like we do. I don’t think they’ve played a game on December 21 at home before, either. I don’t think the weather’s a big deal. Both teams are playing the same conditions, whether there’s snow or not snow, whether it’s really cold or just kind of cold.”

The winner of Saturday’s game will meet third-seeded Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

While the Nittany Lions were viewed as a playoff team from the outset of the season, the Mustangs took the hard route and edged out traditional power Alabama for the final spot.

SMU went undefeated in ACC play in its first season in the league. Its two losses are by a combined six points — three to BYU and three to Clemson in the ACC title game.

The Mustangs last enjoyed a 12-win season in 1935 and will be counting on the duo of quarterback Kevin Jennings and running back Brashard Smith to help them achieve it.

Jennings has passed for 3,050 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Smith has rushed for 1,270 yards and 14 scores. He also has 1,814 all-purpose yards, just 29 shy of the school record set by Arthur Whittington in 1976.

SMU averages 38.5 points per game while Penn State isn’t far off that mark with a 33.6 scoring average.

Nittany Lions center Nick Dawkins sees the game developing into a full-scale brawl.

“They’re a good team — prepared to go the distance with these guys,” Dawkins said. “They’re definitely going to bring it. College football, it’s do or die, win or go home. It’s going to be very important to be ready to play four quarters.”

Penn State’s two setbacks were in showdowns against Ohio State and Oregon. The Nittany Lions lost by seven to the Buckeyes and eight to the Ducks earlier this month in the Big Ten title game.

Quarterback Drew Allar has thrown for 2,894 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He said Monday he was returning to Penn State for the 2025 season.

“For me personally, it was a football decision,” Allar said. “That’s always how I’ve been operating. Me and my family had extensive talks about it, weighed everything. I came to the conclusion that I felt like it was best for my future.”

Star tight end Tyler Warren has 88 catches for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns while running backs Nicholas Singleton (838 yards) and Kaytron Allen (822) form a solid backfield duo.

Defensively, defensive end Abdul Carter is the star attraction with 19.5 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks. Carter was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

“There’s a reason he’s a top-five, top -10 pick in the upcoming draft,” Lashlee said of Carter. “There’s a lot of things in his favor that he doesn’t need on top of the fact that he’s just probably as talented of a pass rusher as there is. But that’s not all he is.

“He’s an all-around player. And what really stands out to me is how his motor, he plays the game the right way.”

This is the third all-time meeting between the schools. The schools played to a 13-13 tie in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1948 and the Nittany Lions notched a 26-21 home win during the 1978 season.

–Field Level Media

Penn State's two freshman quarterbacks, Drew Allar (left) and Beau Pribula, throw during warmups before the start of the 2022 Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in State College. Hes Dr 042322 Bluewhite

Penn State, Indiana sideswiped by CFB realities amid playoff prep

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With early Signing Day behind him and the portal open, Penn State coach James Franklin met with his current quarterbacks last week to talk about SMU, the Nittany Lions’ first-round playoff opponent coming to town Saturday.

A rapid reality set in when Franklin realized backup quarterback Beau Pribula was pulled into the transfer portal a week before the team’s first College Football Playoff appearance. That hit was offset by news from starter Drew Allar that he was returning to Penn State, resisting the pull of playing in the NFL for one more year.

“He’s a man’s man. Like, came into my office, had multiple conversations with me about this process. We talked last week, had no intentions of leaving,” Franklin said Monday. “But we’ve got problems in college football. And I can give you my word — Beau Pribula did not want to leave our program and he did not want to leave our program until the end of the season.”

Pribula, who will not participate in bowl practices or preparation this week, told Franklin he felt like he was put in a “no-win situation” because of the timing of the playoff preparation and the potential opportunities awaiting in the transfer portal.

“I agree with him,” Franklin said, “most importantly, for Beau Pribula. I don’t think it’s in the best interests of the student-athlete. I don’t think it’s in the best interests of college football. But I think that’s our challenge right now, right? Who is really running college football and making the best decisions for the student-athletes and for our sport as a whole?”

“Beau should not be put in this position. … To have a transfer portal/free agency going on right in the middle of the playoffs, there’s just a lot of things that don’t really make sense.”

Franklin said he considered making concessions to the blanket portal policy at Penn State that makes entry into the transfer portal a formal goodbye to the team. But he said Pribula realized he wouldn’t be able to prepare for the game “like the starter” as he has all season while also arranging and taking visits elsewhere.

Indiana, the No. 10 seed, is also in the playoff with a visit to Notre Dame on Friday in the first game of the 12-team bracket. But because of the makeup of the college football calendar with early Signing Day and the transfer portal opening hours after bowl announcements and the playoff bracket reveal, the Hoosiers needed a week to realize they were still going.

“I’m glad that week is behind us,” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said, outlining his long nights followed by early arrivals — 4:30 a.m. ET — “because you’re dealing with portal evaluations, official visits, and still opponent prep to some degree. Then you’re dealing with your staff and your player retention as well.”

Timing of the recruiting calendar and transfer portal open and close dates are subject to change, but Cignetti admitted he doesn’t have the right answer.

“When you look at it from a player’s perspective, everybody starts school in January, so guys that are switching schools need to have the opportunity to visit prospective schools in December, but yet seasons end at the end of November, championship games the first week of December, and there’s always going to be bowl games, and now there’s the expanded playoff,” Cignetti said. “I don’t really know the answer to that. I don’t think it’s a simple situation, and if it was, it would be remedied by now.”

Franklin said college football could start by electing a commissioner.

“I think it’s pretty obvious we need that. We need somebody running college football,” he said. “We need somebody that is not biased based on a conference and that is out of the financial impacts of it as well.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches quarterback Drew Allar (15) throw against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

QB Drew Allar: ‘More work to do,’ will return to Penn St.

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Drew Allar informed coaches he plans to play at Penn State in 2025, ending speculation the junior quarterback would jump to the NFL.

Allar was graded as a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has a 21-5 record as Penn State’s starter.

“This season has been the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life playing football and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished as a team,” Allar said in a social media post Monday. “I know there’s still more work to do which is why I look forward to making more memories with my teammates this year and beyond.”

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Allar has 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2024 and had 25 touchdowns with two interceptions in 2023.

The Nittany Lions are in the College Football Playoff for the first time and host No. 11 SMU in the first round on Saturday.

The strongest indication before Monday that Allar would return came when backup quarterback Beau Pribula said Sunday night he is leaving the team and entering the NCAA transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Kevin Winston Jr. (21) tackles Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray (0) after McCray caught a short pass during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr. declares for draft

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Penn State captain and All-Big Ten safety Kevin Winston Jr. declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday.

Winston’s 2024 junior season ended in early September due to an undisclosed injury.

ESPN reported Thursday that Winston sustained a partially torn ACL in practice. His surgery was performed by Dallas Cowboys team physician Dr. Dan Cooper and he is on pace to be cleared for on-field drills by March 1, per the report.

“After much thought and prayer, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft,” he posted on social media. “This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I’m ready to embrace this next challenge with the same dedication and heart that got me to this point.”

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Winston recorded 12 tackles and a forced fumble in Penn State’s season-opening 34-12 win at West Virginia on Aug. 31.

Over three seasons with the Nittany Lions, he tallied 90 tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries in 28 games. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2023.

–Field Level Media

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar rolls to his right before completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Warren during a White Out football game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions shut out the Hawkeyes, 31-0.

Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 6 Penn State

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6. Penn State Nittany Lions
11-2 (8-1 Big Ten regular season)

What’s next: vs. No. 11 SMU at State College, Pa., Dec. 21, noon ET

Head coach: James Franklin (11th season, 99-41 overall at Penn State, 123-56 overall as head coach)

About Franklin: Penn State gets pounded for a poor record against quality competition. Franklin is 1-13 against teams ranked in the top 10 after the Big Ten Championship game loss to Oregon and 1-16 overall as a head coach at the FBS level.

Resume
If a game can be counted as a quality loss, there was ample optimism from the Penn State side after taking Oregon into the final minute of a 45-37 loss on Saturday night. But the Nittany Lions are 1-2 this season against teams in the Top 25 despite being 5-0 on the road and their two losses are to playoff teams in the Ducks and Ohio State.

Road to Atlanta
To reach the national title game, Penn State has to contend with No. 11 SMU in the first home postseason game in program history. Boise State (12-1) has a first-round bye and awaits the winner.

Postseason history
Franklin is 6-6 in bowl games in his career, which also counts going 2-1 at Vanderbilt, and he’s never piloted Penn State to consecutive postseason wins. His next victory would be his all-time best 12th in a season. The Nittany Lions are first-time participants in the College Football Playoff. They won national championships under Joe Paterno in 1982 and 1986.

Names to know
TE Tyler Warren
Warren projects as a first-round draft pick in the NFL if he bolts Penn State after a breakout season with 88 receptions for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns, plus four rushing touchdowns.

QB Drew Allar
Allar accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and 280 yards (226 passing, 54 rushing) against Oregon, but his decisions and delivery in critical moments have heaped criticism on the 6-foot-5 junior. He threw a pick to end Penn State’s final drive on Saturday, and the Ohio State loss, 20-13, was due in part to a pair of drives that didn’t yield points despite first-and-goal situations.

DL Abdul Carter
A 10-sack season only reveals part of Carter’s value. He’s one of the best all-around defensive players in the Big Ten because of his motor, leadership and athleticism. He was in on 60 tackles this season, a lofty number for a down lineman.

LB Kobe King
The Big Ten’s talent at linebacker is traditionally noteworthy and King fits the mold of LBU. A fourth-year junior asked to wear many hats, King has 72 tackles and three sacks.

–Field Level Media

The Oregon Duck is lifted up by cheerleaders on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, after the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions, 45-37.

Oregon, Georgia sit atop final Top 25 poll before CFP announcement

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Oregon and Georgia, which won their conference championships on Saturday, finished 1-2 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll of the regular season.

The poll was released just hours before the College Football Playoff selection committee was set to announce the field of 12 teams that will meet in the first-ever expanded playoff.

Oregon, at 13-0 and the only undefeated team in the poll, garnered all 62 first-place votes after its 45-37 win over Penn State in the Big Ten title game. Georgia (11-2) rose three places in the poll after defeating Texas 22-19 in overtime in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Notre Dame (11-1) jumped one spot to No. 3, followed by No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Penn State – both 11-2 – which dropped two places with their losses.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Ohio State (10-2), Tennessee (10-2), Boise State (12-1), Indiana (11-1) and Arizona State (11-2).

Arizona State had not been in the Top 10 since reaching No. 7 in 2014. Before this season, Boise State last reached the Top 10 in 2011.

Each of those Top 10 teams likely will be in the final CFP field, as will Clemson. The Tigers (10-3) defeated SMU (11-2) in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Saturday to lock up an assured berth – giving the selection committee a tough choice for the at least one remaining spot.

In the Top 25, Alabama (9-3) held on to its No. 11 spot, followed by SMU, Clemson, South Carolina (9-3) and No. 15 Miami (10-2). SMU plunged four spots while Clemson rose five.

The remaining Top 25 teams:

16: Ole Miss (9-3)
17: BYU (10-2)
18: Iowa State (10-3)
19: Army (11-1)
20. Colorado (9-3)
21. Illinois (9-3)
22. Syracuse (9-3)
23. Missouri (9-3)
24. UNLV (10-3)
25. Memphis (10-2)

–Field Level Media

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) runs for a gain against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Dillon Gabriel leads No. 1 Oregon past No. 3 Penn State in Big Ten championship

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Dillon Gabriel threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns Saturday night and No. 1 Oregon likely clinched the top seed for the College Football Playoff by beating No. 3 Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis.

Gabriel completed 22 of 32 passes for the 13-0 Ducks, connecting with Tez Johnson 11 times for 181 yards and a touchdown. Oregon is expected to earn a bye into the CFP quarterfinals on either Dec. 31 or Jan. 1 when the 12-team field is announced on Sunday.

The Ducks never trailed and answered every challenge from the Nittany Lions. When Penn State pulled within 38-30 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Kaytron Allen 43 seconds into the fourth quarter, Oregon responded with a nearly seven-minute drive, which was capped by Jordan James’ 3-yard run at the 7:28 mark.

Drew Allar completed 20 of 39 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Nittany Lions (11-2). Allen rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts in the loss. Nicholas Singleton added 105 rushing yards on 10 carries for Penn State, which will probably play a CFP first-round game at home on Dec. 20 or 21.

Allar brought Penn State within eight points on a 14-yard strike to Harrison Wallace III with 3:41 remaining. The Nittany Lions forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their 37, but Nikko Reed intercepted Allar’s deep throw at the Ducks’ 16 with 1:54 left to seal the outcome.

The teams combined for 55 points in a first half dominated by offense. Gabriel found Kenyon Sadiq for touchdown passes of 28 and 2 yards on the Ducks’ first two possessions, while the Nittany Lions got a 33-yard field goal from Ryan Barker and a 22-yard scoring strike from Allar to Singleton.

Oregon made it 28-10 with two touchdowns in 2:59 early in the second quarter, but Allar threw for a score and ran for another as Penn State closed within 31-24 at the break.

–Field Level Media