Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530530
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M TOP FIVE PLAYERS 1. Tyler Warren | TE | Sr. Warren now owns the Big Ten single-season records for most catches (88) and receiving yards (1,062) by a tight end. Unsurprisingly, he was Penn State's top receiver in the Big Ten Championship Game, totaling 7 catches for 84 yards. Urban Meyer recently called him "one of the best tight ends ever to play college football." Who are we to argue with that assessment? 2. Abdul Carter | DE | Jr. Carter was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year following a regular season in which he to- taled 10 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. He didn't add to those totals in the Big Ten Championship Game, but he'll be back in the spotlight when Penn State welcomes SMU on Dec. 21 for its first- ever College Football Playoff game. 3. Drew Allar | QB | Jr. Allar had a couple of costly interceptions against Oregon but otherwise has been very sharp lately. In Penn State's narrow win at Minnesota, he hit 21 of 28 passes for 244 yards, and he was 17 of 26 for 171 in PSU's romp over Maryland in the regular-season finale. He also had some dazzling moments against the Ducks. Allar passed for 226 yards and rushed for 54. His 4 touchdowns — 3 passing, 1 rushing — kept Penn State competitive with the No. 1 team in the country until the bitter end. 4. Kobe King | LB | R-Jr. Although he has eligibility left, King was intro- duced to the crowd at Senior Day, possibly indicat- ing that he intends to depart after this season. The Lions will miss him if he does. King has had a great season as the leader of the defense, racking up 72 tackles to rank second on the team. He was the Nittany Lions' top tackler in the Big Ten Cham- pionship Game, making 10 stops. 5. Nicholas Singleton | RB | Jr. His health improved after battling an unspeci- fied injury earlier in the year, Singleton averaged 6.7 yards per carry against Maryland and 10.5 against Oregon. He finished with 105 rushing yards versus the Ducks, including a 41-yard burst that set up the Nittany Lions' first score. His recent performances bode well for Penn State heading into the playoff. KEY MOMENT The Nittany Lions' playoff hopes could have suf- fered a major blow at Minnesota on Nov. 23, but a gutsy call by Franklin kept them rolling. The Lions held a precarious one-point lead in the final minutes of the game and were seemingly poised to punt the ball back to the upset-minded Gophers. But on fourth-and-1 from its own 34- yard line, Penn State pulled off a perfect fake, snapping the ball to freshman tight end Luke Reynolds, who then rumbled 32 yards to give the Lions a first down on the Gophers' 34. Penn State went on to convert two more fourth downs on the drive and ran out the clock for a 26-25 victory. BEST HIGHLIGHT Allar made one of his most impressive throws of the season when he found redshirt junior re- ceiver Harrison Wallace III in the end zone to get Penn State within striking distance of the Ducks late in the Big Ten Championship Game. Line- backer Matayo Uiagalelei was tugging on Allar's jersey, trying to get him to the turf on the fourth- and-10 play, but the quarterback managed to stay upright and deliver an on-target throw to Wallace between two Oregon defensive backs. BOLD PREDICTION The Nittany Lions aren't going to win the national championship — the four-game CFP gauntlet is going to prove too tough for a team that is not at full strength after a long 13-game season — but they will reach the tournament's quarterfinal round. The home-field advantage is always sizeable at Beaver Stadium given how much noise 110,000 fans can produce, and that edge is likely to be magnified in December against an opponent that isn't accustomed to central Pennsylvania winters. With any luck, it'll be snow- ing on Dec. 21. — Matt Herb PENN STATE FOOTBALL SUPERLATIVES G A M E 1 1 - G A M E 1 3 Nicholas Singleton rushed for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns in Penn State's 44-7 victory over Maryland on Nov. 30. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS