Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ter. Pribula flipped it backward to ju- nior quarterback Drew Allar, who then launched a pass 32 yards downfield to Warren. The tight end had snuck away amid the confusion and made a leaping catch over a USC defender for a touch- down that got Penn State's second-half comeback started. "It's going to sound funny, but we practice that all the time," Warren said afterward. "It's just doing another job on a play. Drew gave me a chance to go up and make a play. It was a good ball, and coming down with it was big. That was a really big drive for us on offense coming out in the second half." Warren did it all in the Nittany Lions' victory and continues to be the engine that keeps their offense moving. He has no interest in self-promotion, though, preferring instead to let his play do the talking. "There are 11 guys on the field at a time, and one guy usually will make a play," he said. "There are so many things that go into it. And you know, 10 of the guys had to do something for that one guy to make a play. That's why I love football. It takes your team, it takes the guys around you [to succeed], and that's something I really enjoy about the game." Earning The Spotlight Warren has continually found ways to get open even though opponents know he's Allar's No. 1 target. USC coach Lin- coln Riley praised the tight end while expressing frustration at the number of times his defense left Warren wide open for drive-extending gains. Even when the Trojans seemingly had him covered, Warren was able to make catches in traffic and break free for extra yards. Of his 224 total yards, 136 came after the catch. "He's a great player," Riley said. "We knew he was going to be a challenge coming in. But we had a couple coverage busts on him, and I think that's the thing we'll look back on [with regret]. When you play a really good player like that, you just want to make him earn it." Warren has certainly earned the spot- light that's now shining on him. He had been a quarterback at Atlee High in Me- Warren repeatedly gashed the USC defense in Penn State's 33-30 overtime victory on Oct. 12. Of his 224 receiving yards, 136 came after the catch. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL