Three takeaways from Penn State football’s thrilling 33-30 OT win against USC
Penn State went on the road for the first time in over a month Saturday, taking on the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Nittany Lions won the game in overtime, 33-30, after stopping the Trojans on defense and kicking a game-winning 36-yard field goal.
Here are three takeaways from the matchup:
PSU’s Tyler Warren is the best tight end in the country
Penn State head coach James Franklin has said several times this season that Tyler Warren is the best all-around tight end in the country, and at this point it’s hard to disagree. He lit up the Trojans for a school-record 17 catches to go along with 224 receiving yards, in addition to also being used out of the backfield as a runner and a passer — and on the line as the center. (Those 17 catches also tied the FBS record for most receptions by a tight end in a single game.)
Warren continues to make play after play for the Penn State offense, with a touchdown to start the second half being the biggest. He snapped the ball, then ran down the seam on a deep route, where he fought back toward the ball and made the catch despite being pushed by a USC defender and being out of position. There is little argument who the best player on this offense is, and there shouldn’t be much about who the best tight end in the country is.
Poor defensive half hinders Nittany Lions
The first defensive drive went about as well as it could have for Penn State, when USC punted after five plays, but everything after that was an unmitigated disaster. The group proceeded to give up chunk play after chunk play to let the Trojans get out to a big lead prior to halftime, where PSU trailed 20-6. Some of the issues had more to do with the offensive genius of Lincoln Riley, but others were more about the Nittany Lions allowing small gains to turn into big ones because they were out of position or didn’t tackle.
Defensive coordinator Tom Allen has largely had success in his first season with the program, but the first 30 minutes of Saturday’s game were a massive issue — and it makes it far less likely the Nittany Lions have any success when they play Ohio State later this season.
PSU playoff chances are solidifying
It was not pretty for extended stretches, but the Nittany Lions are now firmly in position to make the College Football Playoff for the first time. The Trojans were one of the more difficult games left on the schedule — arguably the second-hardest behind the home game against Ohio State.
Now that the Nittany Lions earned a win over them, they have a significantly larger margin for error. The matchup with Wisconsin in two weeks could present a potential roadblock, as could the one with Minnesota in November, but winning at least one of those two should almost guarantee Penn State earns a spot in the 12-team postseason field. Knock off Ohio State — a tall task — and suddenly a chance at the Big Ten title is also within reach.
This story was originally published October 12, 2024 at 7:19 PM.
