Penn State kicked off a season of high expectations with a 46-11 tune-up win against overmatched Nevada in the opener on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium.
The Nittany Lion defense forced turnovers on Nevada’s first two possessions and three on the day, while nine of Penn State’s 10 drives ended with a score — five touchdowns and four field goals.
Quarterback Drew Allar was sharp in three quarters of work, completing 22 of 26 passes for 217 yards and a TD. Two of Penn State’s transfer receivers made their presence known, with Kyron Hudson hauling in six receptions for 89 yards and a score and Trebor Peña catching seven for 74.
Kaytron Allen led the rushing attack with eight carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. Nick Singleton rushed eight times for 19 yards and two scores, while adding four receptions for 37 yards.
On defense, Dani Dennis-Sutton was a terror, forcing two fumbles and recording a sack, a QB hurry, a pass breakup and 2.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker Amare Campbell led the team with six tackles, and defensive tackle Zane Durant pulled in his first career interception.
Penn State outgained Nevada 438 to 203 and kept the Wolf Pack out of the end zone until a garbage time score with less than 30 seconds remaining.
The Nittany Lions remain at home next Saturday for a noon kickoff against Florida International.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter
Nevada converted two third downs as it moved into Penn State territory on the game’s opening drive. On first down at the Nittany Lion 41, however, the Penn State defense came up with its first turnover of the year as end Dani Dennis-Sutton knocked the ball loose from running back Ky Woods and cornerback AJ Harris recovered it at the PSU 31.
The Nittany Lion offense took advantage. Quarterback Drew Allar led a balanced 13-play, 69-yard drive capped off by running back Nick Singleton’s 1-yard push into the end zone as Penn State took a 7-0 lead with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Penn State’s defensive line came up big again on the first play of the Wolf Pack’s ensuing drive. Defensive tackle Zane Durant picked off a Chubba Purdy pass for his first career interception and returned it to the Nevada 6.
After a Kaytron Allen carry set up third and goal from the 1, a botched snap was recovered by Allar at the 11. The Nittany Lions settled for a 28-yard Ryan Barker field goal to take a 10-0 lead with 1:41 to go in the opening quarter.
2nd Quarter
Following a Nevada punt to open the second, the Penn State offense went on another methodical scoring drive. Allar connected with receiver Trebor Peña on passes of 14 and 12 yards and hit Kyron Hudson for an 18-yard gain before Allen burst through with a bruising 12-yard touchdown run. The eight-play 72-yard drive gave the Nittany Lions a 17-0 lead with 10:02 left in the half.
The Wolf Pack finally put together some offensive momentum on their next possession. A Purdy keeper for 18 yards and a 28-yard pass to Jordan Brown quickly had Nevada in Penn State territory, and another Purdy carry on third down got the Wolf Pack inside the 10. But consecutive 1-yard losses derailed the drive and Joe McFadden came on for a 28-yard field goal to cut the Nittany Lion lead to 17-3 with 4:52 to go in the second.
King Mack —the safety who returned to Penn State after transferring to Alabama last season — took the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to the Nevada 18. But a Nick Singleton carry and reception both went backwards, and an 11-yard Allar rush on third down wasn’t enough to convert. Another 28-yard Barker field goal pushed the Nittany Lions’ lead to 20-3 with 2:22 remaining in the first half.
A Nevada three-and-out gave the Nittany Lion offense another shot before the half ended, and Allar delivered a well-executed scoring drive in 1:15. The QB completed six of eight passes, finishing off the drive with a 31-yard throw to Hudson in the end zone with 23 seconds remaining. The Nittany Lions took a 27-3 lead into the locker room.
Penn State outgained Nevada 203 to 95 in the first half, as Allar completed 14 of 17 passes for 133 yards. The Nittany Lions’ trio of transfer receivers — Hudson, Peña and Devonte Ross — each hauled in at least one pass, led by Hudson’s five catches for 75 yards.
3rd Quarter
Penn State moved quickly into Nevada territory on the opening drive of the second half, keyed by a 9-yard Allen run and passes of 18 and 13 yards to Peña. A 14-yard pass to Hudson had the Nittany Lions in the red zone, but the drive stalled out there. Another Barker field goal, this time from 32 yards, stretched Penn State’s lead to 30-3 at the 9:23 mark of the third.
The Nittany Lion offense was soon back on the field after the Penn State defense forced its third turnover of the game. Dennis-Sutton forced his second fumble of the day as he took down Turner and safety Zakee Wheatley recovered at the Wolf Pack 16.
Allar immediately found Peña for 15 yards to the 1, and Singleton ran it in for his second score of the day. After failed two-point attempt, Penn State had a 36-3 lead with 7:15 left in the third.
Sacks by Dejuan Lane and Dennis-Sutton forced a Nevada punt and Penn State moved to the Wolf Pack 23 on a 22-yard catch-and-run by Singleton. The Nittany Lions couldn’t get much more, and Barker’s fourth field goal of the day was good from 39 yards to extend Penn State’s lead to 39-3 with 3:21 remaining in the third.
Purdy scrambled for 22 yards to start Nevada’s next drive, then hit Bellon for passes of 20 and 10 to have the Wolf Pack knocking on the door from the 6 as the third ended.
4th Quarter
The Nittany Lion defense stiffened to open the final frame, forcing three straight Purdy incompletions to turn the Wolf Pack away empty-handed from inside the 10.
With Drew Allar getting the rest of the afternoon off, backup QB Ethan Grunkemeyer took the reins of the offense and made the most of the opportunity. The redshirt freshman went 4-6 passing for 73 yards on the 94-yard drive, including chunk plays by running back Cam Wallace and tight ends Khalil Dinkins and Andrew Rappleyea that saw each make nifty moves to pick up extra yardage. Grunkemeyer finished things off with a 6-yard keeper as Penn State went up 46-3 with 7:37 left in the game.
Nevada got in the end zone late with a garbage time score against the Nittany Lion reserves. Backup QB AJ Bianco connected with Bellon for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds remaining in the game and hit Jett Carpenter for a two-point conversion to round out the scoring at 46-11.
