Penn State’s run to College Football Playoff filled with standout performances
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There is work left to do for James Franklin’s Penn State program.
A deep run in the college playoff is possible for the Nittany Lions (11-2), who face SMU (11-2) on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
But let’s not forget about what PSU’s players and coaches did in the team’s first 13 games. The Lions went 11-1 during the regular season and pushed unbeaten Oregon to the limit in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis.
Here are the Penn State performances that stood out.
Winston, Reed vs. WVU
Talk about a tone-setting effort. Penn State’s two top safeties, Kevin Winston Jr. and Jaylen Reed, overwhelmed the West Virginia offense in the Lions’ season-opening 34-12 win.
Winston and Reed hounded the Mountaineers on every snap, finishing with a combined 21 tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss.
Winston’s season would be over after two games, but Reed has blossomed this season. He leads the team in tackles and also can be a factor in pass coverage.
Pribula vs. Wisconsin
Beau Pribula, the Lions’ dual-threat backup quarterback, took over for an injured Drew Allar in the second half at Camp Randall with PSU trailing 10-7.
Pribula led a pair of scoring drives, throwing for 98 yards and a touchdown and adding 24 yards on six carries. For Pribula to perform like that in an intimidating environment was impressive.
Carter vs. Illinois
Pick a performance by Abdul Carter, any performance. He made a big impact, regardless of what the stats may show.
The Lions’ third-year edge rusher was a near-impossible matchup for any one player on the other team. Carter required constant double-teams and, yes, opponents got away with some questionable tactics at times. It’s Carter’s athleticism combined with his effort that separates him from the rest of disruptive players in college football.
Despite all of the attention, Carter still collected 191⁄2 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, seven quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.
Those are legit Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year numbers, first-team All-America numbers and eventual NFL first-round pick numbers.
Carter had four tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry against Washington in the Lions’ 35-6 White Out win, but his impact in PSU’s 21-7 victory over rugged Big Ten foe Illinois was something special.
Illini coach Bret Bielema has dealt with elite defenders before, but Illinois could not handle Carter. His line: seven stops, 31⁄2 tackles for loss, 11⁄2 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
Penn State’s offensive line vs. Oregon
This was perhaps the best “group effort” of the season for Penn State. The Ducks defensive front seven, led by Matayo Uiagalelei and Jordan Burch, is highly regarded. Oregon remains a top defense when it comes to fewest yards allowed per game, checking in at No. 11 in FBS (301.8).
But the Ducks defense had its nose bloodied by Penn State’s offensive line and its running backs. The Lions finished with 518 total yards, 292 of them on the ground. PSU runners Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton and quarterback Drew Allar combined for 283 of the team’s 292 rushing yards and two scores as the Lions’ averaged an amazing 8.3 yards per attempt.
The credit goes to the Allen, Singleton, Allar, PSU’s tight ends as blockers and an offensive line featuring guards Vega Ioane and Sal Wormley, center Nick Dawkins and tackles Drew Shelton and Nolan Rucci. Allar also attempted 39 passes and was sacked only once. It was a long day for Oregon’s defense and a great day for the PSU O-line.
Warren vs. USC
You know Penn State’s do-it-all tight end had an extraordinary season when Warren’s eight-catch, 146-yard showing in the Lions’ narrow 34-27 victory over Bowling Green wasn’t his top game. Warren caught all of his targets in that one.
No, it’s the USC game.
Warren caught 17 passes for 224 yards, snapped the ball on the play that resulted in his 32-yard reception in the third quarter, blocked his rear end off, rushed 4 yards for a first down on a third-and-1 play and completed a 9-yard pass to Allen for a first down on PSU’s second possession. Just another day at the office.