“Nittany Lions are ahead and make the Big Ten title game”

STATE UNIVERSITY | No. 4 Penn State took the field for its regular-season finale against Maryland with a new mission. And despite a shaky start, the Nittany Lions are just a comfortable half away from facing Oregon in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Penn State led Maryland 31-7 at halftime and scored 31 unanswered points and touchdowns on four consecutive drives after trailing 7-0 in the first 14 seconds of the game. The Nittany Lions’ defense destroyed Maryland after the Terps’ first score and got their offense going right behind tight end Tyler Warren. Penn State started the game with a new goal thanks to Michigan.

The Wolverines changed the entire tenor of the Big Ten title race on Saturday, defeating Ohio State 13-10 in Columbus. The Wolverines kicked a field goal with 45 seconds left and then stopped Ohio State on fourth down to win their fourth straight game in the series. Michigan hasn’t eliminated Ohio State from contention for the Big Ten championship, although the Buckeyes would need wins from Maryland over Penn State and Purdue over Indiana to get back into the title game.

Meanwhile, Penn State (10-1) can advance to its second Big Ten title game and first since 2016 with a win over the Terps. According to DraftKings, the Nittany Lions began the game as a 26.5-point favorite over Maryland. The Terps (4-7) brought a four-game losing streak into Beaver Stadium in their final game of the season.

This week, Penn State coach James Franklin downplayed the possibility of playing for the Big Ten title, saying the chance would only come if the Nittany Lions beat Maryland.

“To be honest, I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Franklin said before the game. “I’m literally completely focused on the Terps and the University of Maryland, and after this game, I think there’s a lot of other things that need to happen. If that includes a conference championship game this year, we would be very, very excited about that opportunity.”

“But again, we just have to focus on playing Maryland this week, and if we don’t focus on that, a lot of these other things that everyone else wants to talk about become questionable. These things become challenging. These things will be different.

Tyler Warren completes the sizzling role and sets a record

Penn State tight end Tyler Warren improvised another breathtaking moment in the second quarter, leaping over a Maryland defender for another vintage moment. Warren jumps over a Maryland defender on an impromptu pitch play by Drew Allar. This is a vintage Warren with a 29 yard gain.

Warren had a phenomenal first half, capping it off with a 7-yard touchdown catch from Allar, breaking Penn State’s single-season record for tight ends with 17. He also completed a pass to Nicholas Singleton and drew a pass interference penalty near the goal line that led to Penn State’s first touchdown. Warren caught five passes for 60 yards in the first half. He needs 13 yards to set the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end in the Big Ten and one catch to set the school record for receptions by a tight end.

A tough start for Penn State’s offense

The Nittany Lions didn’t come out of the locker room well against Maryland. Singleton fumbled on the first snap and Maryland scored on the first play after losing the ball. MJ Morris hit receiver Kaden Prather for a 25-yard touchdown, giving the Terps a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.

Penn State converted a first down late in the first quarter, which it finished with 12 rushing yards. The running backs fumbled twice, but Kaytron Allen recovered and Allar completed only two of his first five passes. That would change.

Penn State’s defense resets

After giving up the touchdown on the first play, Penn State’s defense came hard against the Terps, including a game-winning play. Maryland went for a 4th-and-short from its own 30-yard line, which the Nittany Lions completely swamped. Defensive lineman Abdul Carter, who suffered a sack in the first quarter, made first contact and combined with safety Tyrece Mills for a scoreless stop. The Nittany Lions scored three plays later on a quarterback sneak by Allar from the 1-yard line.

After his touchdown pass, Maryland had 9 more yards of total offense in the first quarter. The Terps punted four times, were intercepted twice and turned the ball over on downs after the touchdown.

Penn State converted two more fourth-and-1 plays

The Nittany Lions beat Minnesota last week by converting three 4th-and-1 throws, including one on a fake punt. Penn State added two more in the first half against the Terps, making it five straight. Allar generated first downs with two sneaks that led to a 2-yard touchdown run by Singleton.

Remarkable

Kicker Ryan Barker hit a career-high 49-yard field goal in the first quarter to put Penn State on the scoreboard. But Maryland blocked its 53-yard attempt just before halftime, marking the second blocked kick against Penn State in two weeks. Minnesota blocked an extra point last week.

Injury update

A few scary moments for Penn State’s offense as left guard Vega Ioane was injured on the first touchdown series and Allar was shaken on Warren’s 29-yard gain. Both returned, with Allar hitting Warren for the touchdown pass. Receiver Trey Wallace, listed as questionable on the Big Ten availability report, did not play in the first half.

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