MORE: Penn State advances to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoffs after dominating SMU
ENDING
SMU 10, Penn State 38
Though they were able to score an offensive goal, SMU was defeated by Penn State in the College Football Playoffs’ opening round.
QUARTER FOUR
SMU 3, Penn State 38
9:01-Ethan Grunkemeyer, a freshman quarterback, made his collegiate debut with a more than comfortable lead. He made one throw that was high and hot for Tre Wallace and gave two handoffs. After Wallace tipped it, Brandon Crossley of SMU grabbed it. The child’s first career intercepted pass is a difficult beginning.
At 12:56, Kaytron Allen completed a clock-chewing drive with his second touchdown of the day. In two quarters, Penn State ran nine plays for 75 yards in 5:26. Every one of the nine plays was a run.
With 174 yards on 5.6 yards per run, Penn State’s ground game has had yet another outstanding day.
The third quarter
SMU 3, Penn State 31
3:22: Collin Rogers missed SMU’s second attempt at a 42-yard field goal. Abdul Carter forced the kick after battling through a possible hold (uncalled) on third down for a massive sack of Kevin Jennings. There is not much time left for SMU to pull off a stunning comeback.
8:08: After SMU’s first score, Penn State didn’t have much offensive answer, but a 15-yard needless roughness on the Mustangs gave Penn State field goal position. A 40-yarder was hit by Ryan Barker.
SMU 3; Penn State 28
10:59-The Mustangs deserve praise for driving on Penn State’s defense during the first possession of the second half. On Saturday, they had well-planned choreographed drives. However, a goal-line drive was ruined by two bad starts, and Rhett Lashlee made the dubious choice to kick a probably pointless shot. He did attempt a surprise onside kick, but Jon Mitchell, a rookie cornerback, recovered it well.
HALF-TIME
SMU 0; Penn State 28
Here are some statistics to enjoy during halftime.
-For the first time in his career, Dom DeLuca records two interceptions, including his second pick-6 (Delaware, 2023).
For the first time since 1998, two Penn State teammates returned an interception for a touchdown in the same game, thanks to Tony Rojas’ pick-6.
This season, Kevin Jennings, the quarterback for SMU, has thrown three interceptions for the third down. In October, he accomplished this in a 28-27 overtime victory over Duke.
-Drew Allar started off a little unsteady, but he has since improved, particularly with a crucial 24 yards on five rushes. So far, he has passed 12 out of 21.
-With 12 carries for 65 yards and two touchdowns, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have both been effective against a stingy SMU run defense.
-Jennings, who is truly running for his life out there, has four hurries and two sacks from Penn State. The two sacks lost a total of 17 yards.
The second quarter
1:03: SMU is being hurt by Penn State. The Mustangs’ sideline appears to be eager to get home. The lead was increased by a seven-play, 38-yard drive following another SMU turnover on downs. Nick Singleton earned a 1-yard touchdown for his hard work during the drive.
SMU 0; Penn State 21
4:30 Kaytron Allen’s huge run increased the lead. Nick Dawkins, Vega Ioane, and Drew Shelton just made an excellent block on the left side. Tyler Warren’s presence on the right side of the formation drew the SMU safety in. Allen was unharmed for twenty-five yards.
Before Liam Clifford could dump it to him out of structure and gain seven yards, Drew Allar made a cunning move on second down.
James Franklin makes a huge risk at 8:44, aiming for a four and a half inches from his own 19. The tush thrust was packed with Drew Allar. However, it made little difference since DeLuca hit with another pick. made a great return to the 25-yard line after tipping a Jennings throw to himself. This defensive…
13:09: Ghosts are being seen by Kevin Jennings. After scurrying on third and long, he lofted a terrible pass into Tony Rojas’ clutches. During a brilliant return, the former high school running back made many would-be tacklers miss as he went 59 yards into the end zone.
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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