James Franklin made a clear request entering the final three-game stretch of the regular season. He wanted to see whether his Penn State team was capable of playing complete and dominant football over four quarters. In a 49-10 win at Purdue on Saturday, Franklin’s wish came true.
It was a game that saw efficiency from quarterback Drew Allar, multi-faceted star power from tight end Tyler Warren, touchdowns from running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen and a thunderous pass rush from Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton. Everything good about this year’s Nittany Lions was put on display on Saturday.
“I thought that was the best game we played overall in terms of four quarters,” Franklin said. “Offense, defense, special teams, complementary football. We were able to play 68 players in the game, which is great.”
Penn State came out swinging in the first half and only accelerated after the break. Midway through the third quarter, the cushion was durable enough for Franklin to take out his starters for a combination of bench players and true freshmen. The Nittany Lions have now combined for a staggering 49 first-half points over their last two games.
“Our goal every week is to start fast,” Allar said. “I know early in the year, we weren’t really doing that on a consistent basis, but I think it’s huge when we start fast and get points up on the board right away because that also allows our defense to get more aggressive and play to their strengths.”
What are some other final thoughts from the Nittany Lions’ blowout win over the Boilermakers?
WARREN FOR HEISMAN?
It’s well past time to recognize that Warren isn’t just having a good season. He’s now easily defined himself as one of the best offensive players in college football. It should say something that his performance at Purdue, in which he led the team with 127 receiving yards, 63 rushing yards and two touchdowns, wasn’t even his best this season.
Warren can run, catch, throw, block. And while Franklin had anticipated him to do all of those things this year, he’d be the first to admit he never would have predicted his star tight end having this “level of success.” Warren now leads Penn State with 965 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns.
“I think Tyler Warren should be a part of all the conversations that deal with the best football players in college football,” Franklin said. “I don’t think it’s a question. And that’s all those types of awards, including the Heisman.”
CARTER PLAYING LIKE A PRO
There were personnel from six different NFL teams in West Lafayette. It’s likely that each of them arrived with the No. 11 circled in their notes. Carter did not disappoint. He made pro-level hustle plays, led the Nittany Lions with five tackles and tallied two tackles for loss, all while being held, though uncalled, on various snaps.
Opposite Carter, Dennis-Sutton returned to full health after two “super frustrating” weeks of playing through injuries. Franklin said Dennis-Sutton, who tallied his first sack since Sept. 28 against Illinois, is now “close to 100%.” Dennis-Sutton and Carter seemingly complemented each other when both were playing at a high level on Saturday.
“I love competition,” Carter said. “I want to be out there competing with Dani, whoever gets to the quarterback first ever, whoever gets to the backfield first, so I love having him back.”
SINGLETON RETURNS TO END ZONE
Singleton and Allen told each other pregame that they’d both score against the Boilermakers. It took about a quarter and a half for that to happen. Allen struck first with his team-high fifth rushing score of the year and Singleton followed with his first touchdown on the ground since the win over the Fighting Illini.
“It definitely felt good,” Singleton said. “…When we came out, we told each other, ‘We’re gonna score a touchdown, man, and help this team win.’ We both agreed on it.”
WARREN’S OBVIOUS SUCCESSOR
Quick scores and consistent defensive stops paved the way for 12 true freshmen to play meaningful snaps by the third quarter. While a number of players flashed their potential, no freshman shined more than former five-star tight end Luke Reynolds, who caught three receptions for 53 yards and scored his first-career touchdown.
Reynolds appears to be second in command after the impending departure of Warren, who said the freshman is “one of, if not the best” tight ends he’s seen and played with over his five-year college career. That’s saying something considering Warren has played with NFL tight ends such as Pat Freiermuth, Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson.
“I think he’s got a really, really bright future, and we think he’s playing really well. I mean, there’s a lot of guys like that,” Franklin said. “The ball hasn’t come his way a whole lot. And with what Tyler’s doing, I don’t know if it will. When he gets an opportunity like that, or some of the receivers, it’s really cool to see him capitalize on it.”
Here are the other 11 freshmen who played: offensive lineman Cooper Cousins, safety Dejuan Lane, wide receiver Tyseer Denmark, cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, defensive end Jaylen Harvey, cornerback Jon Mitchell, offensive lineman Eagan Boyer, running back Corey Smith, defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, cornerback Kenny Woseley Jr. and linebacker Anthony Speca.
