Penn State enjoyed another stress-free Saturday and remains in a favorable position to host a first-round College Football Playoff game in Beaver Stadium.
The Nittany Lions rolled to a 49-10 win in West Lafayette against an overmatched Purdue team to improve to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten.
Here are some initial takeaways.
Tyler Warren is one of the country’s best athletes
Warren might not play defense, but he’s pushing Colorado’s Travis Hunter as the most versatile player in the country. And the’s the MVP of one of the nation’s best teams.
Warren finished the game with eight catches for 127 yards and one receiving touchdown. He ripped off a 48-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter, taking a direct snap on third-and-2, going untouched as Penn State extended the lead to 28-3. Warren ended up with three rushes for 63 yards.
TYLER WARREN ALL BY HIMSELF 😱
He takes this one 48 yards for his second @PennStateFball TD of the day 💨#B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/AfFkqkqGKC
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 16, 2024
Even when everyone on the field knew number 44 was going to get the ball, Purdue — like most teams this season — had few answers for him. After Warren’s rushing touchdown, Purdue’s coaches pounded the table in the booth.
He’s dazzled the entire season, and the coaches find creative ways to get him involved in the game plan.
On one play, Warren lined up under center on third and short, but center Nick Dawkins snapped the ball through Warren’s legs to quarterback Drew Allar. Allar pitched it to running back Nick Singleton, who ran for the first down.
Warren also took a direct snap on fourth-and-short in the first half and turned it into an 8-yard gain. He was on the receiving end of a double-pass from Allar that resulted in a 38-yard gain. Had he been a bit more patient he could’ve scored another touchdown.
THE DOUBLE PASS!! pic.twitter.com/BBqmqArEMN
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 16, 2024
He is tied with Pat Freiermuth for most career TDs (16) by a Penn State tight end and is tied for ninth on the school’s all-time TD receptions list.
Drew Allar stays dialed in
Because of his physique and big arm, Allar has often been compared to Buffalo’s Josh Allen. It’s not to say he’s going to become one of the NFL’s most exciting quarterbacks or that he’s there right now, but the comparison was never more apparent than on a 14-yard scramble in the first half.
Allar’s increased mobility is one of the many areas in which he’s shown drastic improvement from last season.
When the pocket collapsed, he stepped up and managed to squeeze past defenders. He broke past one tackler who came at his ankles and then plowed past another who tried to tackle him high, and he picked up the first down. This is a good example of the kind of play Allar would not have made last season. Instead, he changed his body composition in the offseason, dropped weight to now be listed at 6 feet 5 and 235 pounds, and his escapability has helped him take his play to another level.
What an escape by Drew Allar. pic.twitter.com/wkmjAbwEQZ
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 16, 2024
Allar completed 13 of 14 passes for 166 yards with two touchdowns in the first half. For the game, he completed a career-high 89.5 percent of his passes (17 of 19). He threw for 247 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and capped off his day with a 46-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Harrison Wallace III late in the third quarter.
Allar was replaced by backup Beau Pribula with under three minutes left in the third quarter and Penn State ahead 35-3.
The defensive ends are healthy and heating up
Dani Dennis-Sutton worked in a limited capacity the last two games while playing through an injury sustained at Wisconsin, but on Saturday he looked more like himself and played a much more typical workload. Dennis-Sutton had a sack on Purdue’s opening drive, his third of the season. He finished with three tackles, two tackles for loss and the one sack. This is a significant development for Penn State’s Playoff push. When Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter are on the field together, it gives Penn State arguably the best combination of edge rushers in the country.
Carter’s last three games have been his best of the season and have shown why he should be one of the most coveted prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. Carter was credited with five tackles, including two tackles for loss, and he could’ve had a couple of sacks — one of which led to a holding penalty and another that could have been called as a hold as well. As Carter says week after week, he’s still learning and growing at this position after playing linebacker for his first two seasons.
“Oh man.. that is scary!” 🗣️
Abdul Carter’s track down speed is an offense’s nightmare 👀 @PennStateFball #B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/WDKGp8D1Pj
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 16, 2024
Carter showed his elite speed in the third quarter when, on third-and-28, he rushed the passer and then looped back and darted down the field to make the tackle. In a game that Penn State was leading 28-3, it’s one of those hustle plays that Franklin and NFL talent evaluators have to be thrilled to see.
Youth movement begins and should continue
Penn State traveled 16 freshmen to West Lafayette. Franklin said earlier in the week that the coaches wanted to get many of these younger players involved in the last three games. Freshmen can play up to four regular-season games — and multiple postseason games — without it affecting their redshirt status.
Defensive end Jaylen Harvey took on an extended role in this game and could be one to keep an eye on down the stretch. Wide receiver Tyseer Denmark was on the field with the offense by the third drive of the game.
Special teams turns the corner with Zion Tracy
Franklin has said Penn State’s special teams have done a nice job this season of not giving up the big play. However, he wants to see his team make a big play — and truthfully those are the kinds of big swings that could be the difference in winning or losing a game in the postseason.
Penn State looks closer now than ever before this season at having a legit threat at punt returner with Zion Tracy. Kaden Saunders won the job in the preseason largely because he was the safe, sure-handed option. But he went down with an injury, giving Tracy, a sophomore cornerback, opportunities to show what he can do. Against Purdue, Tracy had three returns for 21 yards, including a long of 13.
Penn State nearly blocked a punt when cornerback Audavion Collins screamed off the edge and just missed getting a hand on the ball.
(Photo by Tyler Warren: Marc Lebryk / Imagn Images)
