STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Tyler Warren took the direct snap and went airborne. The Penn State tight end reached for the goal line and with his 2-yard rushing touchdown helped ease any concerns that might’ve lingered from a week ago.
How No. 6 Penn State responded after last week’s gut punch of a loss to the Buckeyes was critical. Would one loss lead to two? Would an offense that failed to score a touchdown one week ago and a defense that couldn’t get off the field late be ready to rebound?
There was no hangover from the Ohio State game, no real concern as Penn State (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) passed this test with ease, dispatching Washington 35-6. Many of the 110,233 who piled into Beaver Stadium headed for the exits at the start of the fourth quarter as the Huskies (5-5, 3-4) were still searching for their first touchdown of the game.
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Here are some takeaways from Penn State’s win:
1. Andy Kotelnicki’s offense learned from Ohio State loss
This was as strong of a response as Penn State could’ve hoped for after the offense failed to score a touchdown against Ohio State. There were cheers when backup quarterback Beau Pribula entered the game during the opening drive. Pribula darted to his left for an 8-yard touchdown run, fittingly doing so by scoring in the same area where Penn State couldn’t punch the ball in from the 3-yard line against Ohio State. Pribula never had a touch last week in that situation.
When Warren went airborne for the first of two 2-yard rushing touchdowns in the first half it was as if Kotelnicki was sending a message that he heard all the complaints from a week ago and was determined not to run the ball up the gut three times in a row again. With all these reminders of what could’ve been in the fourth quarter against Ohio State where Warren, one of Penn State’s best players, didn’t touch the ball around the goal line, this staff at least wasn’t willing to make the same mistake again.
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Players, not plays, was the lesson Kotelnicki, James Franklin and the rest of the coaching staff sat with all week. Penn State can’t undo the failures of this offense against a much better Ohio State defense, but turning four red-zone trips in the first half into 28 points and going 7-of-7 on third-down conversions in that opening half was quite the response. Penn State posted 486 total yards of offense, with 220 coming through the air and 266 on the ground.
Drew Allar completed 20 of his 28 passes with one touchdown and no interceptions. Allar connected with wide receiver Julian Fleming twice, one of which resulted in his first touchdown as a Nittany Lion.
Washington moved the ball on the opening drive while a pair of Penn State penalties kept up an uncomfortable theme from one week ago. Would these missed opportunities be fodder for where a season started to come unglued? Remember, for all the heat the offense faced, Tom Allen’s defense was taken to task as Ohio State plowed past it for the final 5:13 last week.
Instead, those shaky moments early meant very little. Washington’s opening drive ultimately led to a doinked 45-yard field goal attempt thanks in large part to Abdul Carter. The defensive end burst off the edge on third-and-4 at the Penn State 22-yard line and dragged down running back Jonah Coleman for a loss of 6 yards. The added distance on the field goal that hit off the right upright helped keep points off the board. Carter followed with a strip sack on the next series to put Washington in a third-and-12 situation. Will Rogers’ deep shot on third down wasn’t close to being completed.
Penn State’s playmakers on defense stepped up and helped put this game away, holding Washington to scores on just two field goals in the second half. Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, who entered the weekend with nine receiving touchdowns, the most in the Big Ten, caught just two passes for 35 yards.
Reed, like he’s been all season, has been a ball magnet. His interception in the second quarter was his third of the season and it once again came at a critical moment. Reed’s interception at USC forced overtime. His pick-six at Wisconsin gave an offense operating with a backup quarterback a lift. This one, on a Rogers pass that looked like Reed was more of a centerfielder, helped open the floodgates.
The crowd bopped up and down to Zombie Nation’s “Kernkraft 400” as Reed returned it 9 yards to the Penn State 42. His pick paved the way for Penn State’s third touchdown.
While many expected Carter would be the defense’s MVP this season — and he has been playing his best football these last two weeks — Reed’s importance to this defense can’t be underestimated. He’s become a leader for this team and while the Nittany Lions have played most of the season without injured safety KJ Winston, Reed has been a handful for offenses since the opening game when he showcased his position versatility working out of the Lion position at West Virginia.
3. Penn State’s strong statement comes at a good time
The AP Poll release on Sunday and the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night will be worth keeping an eye on. With No. 2 Georgia (7-2) and No. 4 Miami (9-1) both losing on Saturday, Penn State should be poised to move back into the top five.
Penn State’s path to the Big Ten title game remains congested after both No. 3 Ohio State and No. 8 Indiana won. No. 1 Oregon remains undefeated after beating Maryland 39-18.
Still, Penn State remains in an ideal position in the College Football Playoff hunt with three games remaining. Those three teams — Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland — all lost on Saturday. The three are a combined 11-17 with next week’s opponent, Purdue checking in at 1-8. Yes, it’ll be tempting to sleepwalk through a 3:30 p.m. kick in West Lafayette, Indiana, but an 11-1 season remains a strong possibility for Penn State.
(Photo: Matthew O’Haren / Imagn Images)
