Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Singleton is off to a blazing start with 26 carries for 233 yards and 2 touch- downs. At 8.96 yards per carry, he was sixth nationally among all players in the category through the first two weeks of the season. Allen, meanwhile, followed his 10-carry, 20-yard performance at West Virginia with 101 yards on the ground on 14 carries against Bowling Green. Also important to the Nittany Lions' long-term goals, both have been active as receivers. Allen turned a dump-off red zone pass into a 20-yard touchdown reception in Morgantown, and Single- ton reeled in a beautifully threaded 14-yard touchdown pass from Allar to take Penn State's first lead of the game against Bowling Green midway through the third quarter. Together, Singleton and Allen have accounted for 10 of the Nittany Lions' 30 explosive plays through two games, scoring touchdowns on four of them. Wide Receiver The news has been mixed for Penn State at this position group. Two of the five players who are expected to be heavy contributors this season — red- shirt sophomore Kaden Saunders and redshirt junior Liam Clifford — were dealing with " bumps and bruises" to begin the campaign. On the positive side, redshirt junior Harrison Wallace III started strong. His 50-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against West Virginia opened the Nittany Lions' scoring for the season, and he wasn't done. By the end of the first half, he'd also added a spectacular sideline catch in the end zone to give Penn State a 20-6 lead go- ing into the extended halftime break. On the day, he finished with 5 recep- tions for 117 yards to go along with his 2 touchdowns. Joining him in the effort, junior Omari Evans made a spectacular (if questionably legal) 55-yard grab late in the first half to set up Wallace's second score. And he followed it with a 29-yard touchdown against Bowling Green. On a more worrisome note, Wallace was a no-show on the stat page against the Falcons, while Evans was flagged for offensive pass interference on a deep reception. Also, there's been a dearth of contri- butions from the other receivers. Within a group that has included game reps for eight of its members, only Wallace, Ev- ans and senior Julian Fleming garnered any receptions in the first two games. In fact, no others had even been targeted. That's partly because Penn State's third-down conversion rate of 35 per- cent through two games was 93rd in the FBS. The Lions simply haven't run a lot of plays so far this season. Tight End Chuck Losey spent the summer de- scribing Tyler Warren as having the op- portunity to "go down as one of the best" that Penn State has ever had at tight end. In Losey's tenure as a strength coach at PSU, that group has included current pros Mike Gesicki, Pat Freiermuth, Bren- ton Strange and Theo Johnson. In that context, the commendation carries even more weight. Warren's earliest weeks of the 2024 season have backed it up. At West Virginia, he finished second on the team in receptions with 3 for 30 yards and a touchdown. Against Bowling Green the next week, he produced a career day with 8 catches for 146 yards, bringing in all 8 targets and racking up an eye-open- ing 62 yards after the catch. Penn State's outlook at this posi- tion isn't all roses, though. Redshirt ju- nior Khalil Dinkins, Warren's expected backup, spent the first week watching from the sideline while still recovering from a preseason injury. In addition, red- shirt freshman Andrew Rappleyea was spotted standing on the sideline at Beaver Stadium on crutches and in street clothes in Week 2, raising questions about his availability this year. Part of Warren's narrative arc this past offseason was his place as the Nittany Lions' undeniable No. 1 at the position and his heightened role in the offense as a whole. With the unit's depth having quickly been called into question, War- ren's health and continued productivity have become matters of critical necessity. Offensive Line For a position group that doesn't have many direct statistics to reflect perfor- mance, the initial output for the Nittany Lions' retooled offensive front has been mostly good. Penn State has allowed just 2 sacks so far and is averaging 228 yards per game on the ground, with the latter figure ranking 25th nationally through two weeks. A deeper dive into Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking analytics reveals a slightly more complicated picture, with 10 pass rushes allowed by the group over two games. Penn State had been expected to face challenges after losing both starting tack- les and a center this offseason. In their place, the trio of junior left tackle Drew Shelton, redshirt freshman right tackle Anthony Donkoh and redshirt senior center Nick Dawkins has been more good than bad. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Olaivavega Ioane and super senior Sal Wormley have been predictably reliable and strong at the guard spots. ■ Receiver Harrison Wallace III got his season off to an impressive start by catching 5 passes for 117 yards in Penn State's victory at West Virginia. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL