No. 10 Penn State Flashes With Record Offensive Performance

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If No. 10 Penn State (3-0) needed to right the ship offensively, they had the right opponent to figure things out. Against Kent State (0-4), the Nittany Lions set school records for total offense (718) and first downs (40) in a 56-0 win at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 21

Game Summary

Speaking with Kent State officials prior to the game, they revealed due to injuries and with the incoming Mid-American Conference school, a quarter of the roster did not travel to Beaver Stadium to play Penn State. The Nittany Lion defense made Kent State wish they did not dress starting quarterback Devin Kargman, who left the game via the cart grabbing his femur. 

According to Kent State officials, there was no further update on Kargman and had to insert freshman backup JD Sherrod. Kent State head coach Kenni Burns also gave junior quarterback Tommy Ulatowski some action. Between both Sherrod and Ulatowski, Kent State was only 2-of-12 passing the football against Penn State with 18 yards passing for the game.

Penn State shook rather quickly an already fragile confidence Kent State had early, struck later in the first quarter to tight end Tyler Warren on a 15-yard touchdown. It would be the first of eight different Nittany Lions who would score touchdowns. 

It seemed for a while, Kent State was able to stave off the Penn State avalanche, but eventually the Nittany Lions would have a 21-point second quarter, scoring 3 touchdowns in the final six minutes of the first half. If Kent State had any pulse remaining entering the second half, it was quickly extinguished on Penn State’s opening possession, where quarterback Drew Allar connected with wide receiver Omari Evans on a 59-yard touchdown reception to put Penn State up 35-0.

Following Evans' touchdown, Penn State began to empty their bench, getting freshman and key backups some reps. Overall, Penn State allowed just 26 yards of total offense to Kent State in the second half.

© Dan Rainville/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Turning Point

Kent State’s coach buses had a hard time entering Beaver Stadium off of Park Avenue. That should have been an omen that things weren’t going to be much better inside Beaver Stadium. If Kent State had any hope, it would have been behind Kargman, who had a pulse against Tennessee (9-of-15, 58 yards), seemingly any hope was extinguished with his injury.

Warren Lauded by Franklin

Warren continues to bolster his claim that he is the best tight end in the nation. After a record-setting performance against Bowling Green, where Warren set the Penn State record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single game, his follow up included a highlight 16-yard carry in the first quarter, a 17-yard touchdown pass that coach James Franklin said during postgame, “one of the ugliest touchdown passes I have ever seen but it went for touchdown and that is all that matter,” and 5 receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. 

After Franklin slighted Warren’s passing abilities, his tune changed to laud Warren as “the best tight end in college football.”

“The tight end position isn’t supposed to be about receiving yards, it's about complete players, blockers, receivers, rushers.” With Warren seen as a complete package, he will be the focal point for the Penn State offense," Franklin said.

Listening to Franklin

One of the areas Penn State has continued to struggle is at the wide receiver position. Following the Bowling Green game, Franklin alluded to the lack of plays to get the passing game going. Against Kent State, Penn State had 81 plays on offense, the highest total so far this season, and the passing game seemed to open up with three different players throwing for touchdowns and completing nearly 80 percent of their passes.

One player that seems to be breaking out in the wide receiver room is junior wide receiver Omari Evans. Evans finished with 116 yards on 4 receptions with a touchdown against Kent State—his fifth consecutive game with a 25 or more yard reception.

Franklin took the opportunity to praise Evans after the win.

“I think sometimes when I talk about guys, you think I'm just like, being super optimistic and things like that. But he's a guy that we always had a ton of respect for the type of athlete he was," he said. "I mean, his running, jumping, strength numbers are freakish. I would also say, when he first got here, he's probably a little bit more of a track guy than a football guy. I guess I'd say to you, just like I say to the players, you’ve got to run your race. Run your race, and I know you guys got to see it. You don't want to just hear it from me, but Omari has shown flashes, really, since we recruited him and he came to camp, but it's about consistency, and he's practicing more consistent. He's competing more consistently. He's gaining confidence.”

For Penn State to make the College Football Playoff, they need someone to be a No. 1 wide receiver and if that is Evans, that only bodes well for Penn State.