Aug 31, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive sort out Zane Durant (28) celebrates after a cease in the course of the third quarter towards the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Subject at Milan Puskar Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports activities A lot was product of the improved big-play functionality of No. 8 Penn State on offense final week in its season-opening 34-12 win at West Virginia.
However coach James Franklin famous that the Nittany Lions, who host Bowling Inexperienced on Saturday in State Faculty, Pa., weren’t too shabby on protection.
“Nobody is speaking about our protection and our protection performed very well,” he stated Monday. “Higher in factors per possession, higher in explosive performs. Higher in whole yards allowed, higher in dashing yards allowed. Our protection performed higher, and so they performed higher on the highway.”
Penn State will not have to fret concerning the highway for some time, both. This sport begins a stretch of 4 in a row at house. With a bye week tossed in subsequent week, the Nittany Lions will not should journey once more till an Oct. 12 journey to Southern California.
Their protection allowed solely 246 whole yards at West Virginia, together with simply 85 on the bottom, and compelled three turnovers. Teamed with an offense that rolled up 457 whole yards and created 4 performs of not less than 40 yards, it led to one of many extra spectacular wins of the opening week.
Quarterback Drew Allar was 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns — all within the second quarter. Harrison Wallace caught 5 passes for 117 yards and two scores, together with a 50-yarder on the primary play of the second quarter and an 18-yarder with six seconds remaining within the first half for a 20-6 lead at intermission.
“We have been very intentional on rising that and growing that,” Allar stated of the rise in huge performs. “It is enjoyable to be in a system like that, for certain. We actually ready properly all through the week as an offense.”
It wasn’t all passing, although. Penn State additionally acquired 114 dashing yards from Nick Singleton, together with a 40-yard landing run early within the third quarter after a lightning delay of greater than two hours.
In the meantime, Bowling Inexperienced additionally cruised in its season opener on Aug. 29, drilling FCS opponent Fordham 41-17. Justin Pegues returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a landing and Terion Stewart rushed for 161 yards and three scores, together with a 73-yarder within the fourth quarter.
The Falcons additionally acquired 168 passing yards from Connor Bazelak, who added a dashing landing. Bazelak, who beforehand performed at Missouri and Indiana, has thrown for 9,473 yards in his profession and will likely be beginning his forty second profession sport on Saturday.
Bowling Inexperienced coach Scot Loeffler stated his staff will likely be challenged to speak in entrance of a giant crowd at Beaver Stadium.
“We acquired to be on level,” Loeffler stated. “We acquired to know precisely what to do as a result of it is arduous to listen to. It’s a loud place; the scholar part will likely be rocking and rolling. There’s a variety of problem to it. There will be an unbelievable quantity of individuals if you’re simply warming up.”
The Falcons have misplaced each earlier matchups with the Nittany Lions, with the final assembly coming in 1998, when Penn State cruised to a 48-3 victory.
–Subject Stage Media
