The second quarter
The first quarter
SMU 0; Penn State 7
1:29: Following a brief SMU punt, Penn State had a respectable drive. Nick Singleton made a good run off the right end, and Drew Allar connected Tyler Warren for a big gain. However, Penn State attempted a fourth-and-13 from the 29-yard line due to difficult kicking conditions after Allar was sacked on third down in scoring territory. The field goal would have been 46 yards. In order to try to score a penalty, Allar possibly ought to have thrown a deep ball, but he checked down to Kaytron Allen, and it fell unfinished.
Folks, it’s 6:08—Dom DeLuca. With a pick-6, the team captain and erstwhile walk-on gets things underway. Despite being on the defensive and in his own territory, Kevin Jennings airmailed the checkdown straight into DeLuca’s hands. The score came after a 23-yard return. That is DeLuca’s second career pick-6. Last season, he had one versus Delaware.
SMU 0; Penn State 0
11:08 The Mustangs comfortably moved down the field to the Penn State 19 after Penn State’s defense was unable to keep up with SMU’s tempo offense on the first possession. Despite having an easy lane to the first down, quarterback Kevin Jennings chose to throw to the end zone on a rollout when faced with a fourth-and-one. Open tight end Matthew Hibner made a bad throw that was partially intercepted by safety Zakee Wheatley.
13:28-Penn State quickly went three and out on three consecutive passes. Harrison Wallace III gained roughly five yards on second down, but Allar scrambled and was unable to make a decision on third down.
15:00: After winning the first toss, SMU postponed its decision until the second half.
The State CollegeIt’s finally here—the moment Penn State has been waiting for all year.
The Nittany Lions are in the College Football Playoff and vying for a national championship for the first time in the program’s history. Penn State visits No. 10 SMU, the 11th seed, as the sixth seed and the fourth-ranked team in the nation. TNT will start the game at 12:00.
Early on Saturday morning, Beaver Stadium is ready, with tailgate lots opening. With early morning highs in the low 20s and actual lows of 13 degrees, the weather may also surprise the Mustangs.
SMU is in its third season under head coach Rhett Lashlee. Penn State is interested in quarterback Kevin Jennings because of his dual-threat skills. Brashard Smith is a running back who has amassed over 1,200 yards this season. He also has 303 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver. This season, seven SMU receivers have at least 20 receptions.
Linebacker Kobe Wilson leads the Mustangs in defensive tackles with 110. It should be an intriguing test against Penn State’s smash-mouth ethos because they have the fourth-best running defense in the country, giving up 93.4 yards per game.
At Penn State, James Franklin is also vying for his 100th victory.
Throughout the afternoon, in-game updates will be added to this page.
UPDATES FOR PREGAME
The Big Ten availability report has been released, and Penn State has largely positive news. Elliot Washington II, a crucial cornerback, is in doubt. He missed a couple weeks of action before to playing in the Big Ten Championship. We’ll watch him during warm-ups. UPDATE: Washington has participated and is dressed in uniform for the last warmups. He appears to be in fantastic health.
Safety through rotation Tyrece mills, which are frequently employed in heavy forms, are likewise dubious.
Tyseer Denmark, a potential rookie wide receiver, and Kaden Saunders were both ruled out.
Stories by
Max Ralph
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