Penn State cruises to 41-12 victory over Auburn Tigers on the road behind dominant defense
Penn State went into SEC country and came out with a victory Saturday evening. The Nittany Lions defeated the Auburn Tigers, 41-12, on the road in Jordan-Hare Stadium and moved to 3-0 on the season.
The Nittany Lion defense did its job early in the game, limiting Auburn to a field goal after a failed fourth down by Penn State’s offense gave the Tigers the ball. The offense moved the ball on that initial drive and built off it with a long nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with the game’s first touchdown. Redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford took the ball straight up the middle for a seven-yard score to give the Nittany Lions a 7-3 lead.
The defense traded blows from there, with Zakee Wheatley hauling in an interception after Jaylen Reed hit Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley as he threw. The Tigers responded with a quick stop and began their own march down the field.
The Nittany Lion defense held again, however, limiting the Tigers to a second field goal by Anders Carlson.
Penn State answered with another long drive, marching down the field and eating up most of the first half clock in the process. Kaytron Allen closed out the drive with a three-yard touchdown with only 1:46 left in the first half.
The defense wasn’t done yet in the half, either, with Abdul Carter punching the ball out to get it back for the Penn State offense with 1:07 left in the first half. The scoring for the first half ceased from there, with the Nittany Lions taking a 14-6 lead into the game’s final 30 minutes.
The Nittany Lions kept up the defensive pressure early in the second half. Adisa Isaac earned his first sack of the season — and first since he tore his Achilles prior to the 2021 season — helping get the ball back to Penn State’s offense.
Freshman running back Nick Singleton carried the team’s next drive on his own, running the ball three times for 58 yards and a touchdown to continue building his team’s lead to 21-6.
Another forced fumble, this time by safety Ji’Ayir Brown, gave the Nittany Lions the ball back. The offense struggled to move it however, and kicker Jake Pinegar hit a 49-yard field goal to make it a 24-6 game.
Allen scored another for the Nittany Lions before the third quarter was over and gave Penn State a four-score lead at 31-6.
The Nittany Lions closed out the game from there, earning the 41-12 victory over the Tigers.
Player of the game
Penn State DE Chop Robinson
Robinson was exactly what he has been all season for the Nittany Lions Saturday afternoon — their best pass rusher. The sophomore defensive end is one of the most disruptive players on the roster and put that on display against Auburn. He earned the first sack of the season for the team’s defensive ends when he stripped Finley to end the first half. He continued pushing the pocket from there, opening up the opposite side for Adisa Isaac who also earned his first sack of the season later in the game. The attention Robinson drew allowed the rest of the group to flourish and make life difficult for Finley.
What the win means
The Nittany Lions have passed their biggest test so far this season. Auburn is not the highest end SEC opponent, but the Tigers were still a good bar for Penn State to clear as a good but not great opponent from a great conference. This win may not elevate Penn State into the highest group of Big Ten contenders, but it puts the program in consideration with the likes of Michigan and Michigan State at the very least. It also sets up for a potential enormous undefeated matchup with the Wolverines if the Nittany Lions can take care of business against Northwestern and Central Michigan.
This story was originally published September 17, 2022 at 7:07 PM.
