Three takeaways from Penn State football’s 44-7 win vs. Maryland to clinch B1G title game berth
Penn State throttled Maryland on Saturday in its regular season finale, defeating the Terps 44-7 in Beaver Stadium. The win earned the Nittany Lions a berth in the Dec. 7 Big Ten title game in Indianapolis.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game:
TE Tyler Warren establishes himself as all-time PSU great
Penn State’s best offensive player, and Heisman Trophy candidate, once again put on a show in front of the Beaver Stadium crowd. Tight end Tyler Warren was the best player on the field, racking up 9 passing yards, 32 rushing yards and 68 receiving yards. He’s been one of the most versatile weapons in college football, and this was a chance for him to showcase everything he does against a Terrapin defense that is one of the worst in the Big Ten.
There was little Maryland could do, with PSU offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki taking the chance to show off his tight end’s skills. That ended with Warren hitting several milestones, including breaking both Penn State’s career receiving touchdown record for a tight end (17) and the Big Ten’s single-season receptions record for a tight end (81). It’s difficult to argue that he isn’t one of the best offensive players to ever take the field for Penn State.
Nittany Lion pass rush dominates Maryland
Penn State finished with six sacks in the game, but the Nittany Lions were in the backfield much more frequently than that. Specifically, defensive ends Dani Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter were living behind the line of scrimmage when the Terps threw the ball. Those two are among the best players in the country at their position — with Carter arguably being the best defensive player in college football — and spent the regular season finale showing why.
Both dominated early, often winning off the edge untouched with their speed. But even when Maryland got its hands on them, it didn’t matter. Neither Maryland starting tackle was able to stifle Dennis-Sutton or Carter, allowing them to put on a show in what could be their final home games in Beaver Stadium — if Penn State wins the Big Ten title and they leave for the draft.
Penn State setting itself up for playoff run
Against all odds, the Nittany Lions will be playing the Oregon Ducks for the Big Ten title Dec. 7. To get there, they needed a dominant Ohio State team to lose to a middling Michigan team in Columbus. And the Buckeyes did, by barely scoring and proving incapable of stopping the Wolverines late.
That will lead Penn State to Indianapolis for the conference title game and potential No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. Even losing the game likely puts PSU as the No. 5 seed in the playoff bracket, with a first-round home game against the No. 12 seed. Penn State is not only primed to make the playoff for the first time, but make a legitimate run when it gets there.
This story was originally published November 30, 2024 at 6:48 PM.
