No. 6/5 Penn State Defeats UMass in 103rd Homecoming Game, 63-0

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 6/5 Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) dominated on both sides of the ball and secured a shutout victory over the UMass Minutemen by a 63-0 final score Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. Penn State held UMass to just 26 yards in the first half and 109 total, compared to the Nittany Lions' 210-yard first half and 408 total.
 
Penn State's defensive unit put on a formidable performance, registering seven sacks to secure PSU's 11th-straight game with at least three, tied for the nation's longest streak. The Nittany Lions' relentless pressure kept UMass on its back foot throughout the game. In the second half, the PSU defense limited the Minutemen to zero points and dominated the field position battle, clinching the shutout victory and providing multiple scoring opportunities for the other side of the ball.
 
Twenty-eight Nittany Lions recorded tackles in the game, with Curtis Jacobs and Dvon Ellies picking up a team-high five. Adisa Isaac led the squad with three and a half tackles-for-loss, including two and a half of Penn State's seven sacks. Cam Miller, Chop Robinson and Dani Dennis-Sutton all contributed to Penn State's sack total.
 
The offensive highlights included Drew Allar delivering another impressive performance with no interceptions, adding to his career interception-free streak. He connected on 16 of his 23 passes, gaining 162 yards and securing a touchdown. Beau Pribula made an impact on the rushing front later in the game, recording 59 rushing yards and a touchdown.
 
Theo Johnson emerged as a key player with 66 receiving yards on four receptions for two touchdowns, while KeAndre Lambert-Smith tallied 30 receiving yards on six receptions. On the rushing front, Nicholas Singleton took charge with 79 rushing yards followed by Kaytron Allen with 68. Daequan Hardy additionally made a significant impact offensively by becoming the first player in Penn State history to score two punt return touchdowns in a single game.
 
The Nittany Lions continued their impressive streak of scoring 30-or-more points in a game, recording their nation's-best 13th consecutive 30-plus point outing.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Penn State received the ball first and gained 39 yards before a fumble gave UMass their first possession at their own 32-yard line. The Nittany Lions pushed UMass back eight yards and forced a punt on the drive.
 
On UMass' next possession, the Nittany Lions only allowed the Minutemen to advance three yards before forcing a punt. On the punt, Hardy fielded the ball at the Penn State 44-yard line and scampered 56 yards for the touchdown. The score was the first of the game for either team and put the Nittany Lions up 7-0 with 4:17 to play in the first quarter.
 
Penn State's following offensive possession resulted in a one-yard touchdown run by Allar, giving the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead with 12:35 remaining in the half. Allar punched in the score in to cap off an eight-play, 71-yard drive.
 
The Nittany Lions scored their second rushing touchdown of the day at the end of their next possession. Allen crossed the goal line on a nine-yard score at the end of a seven-play, 80-yard drive. Penn State went up 21-0 at the 6:20 mark of the second quarter.
 
Penn State scored on its third consecutive offensive possession, this time on a seven-yard touchdown reception by Warren. The Nittany Lions covered 35 yards in seven plays, going up 28-0 with just over a minute left to play in the first half. Penn State would take the lead into the locker room at the break.
 
The Nittany Lions finished with six sacks in the first half, limiting UMass to just 26 total yards of offense, including a single rushing yard.
 
In the third quarter, the Nittany Lions tacked on their fourth-straight offensive touchdown of the day, a 30-yard dart from Allar to Johnson. Penn State scored once again on the Allar-Johnson connection. With 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, Allar tossed an 18-yard touchdown to Johnson to cap off an eight-play, 54-yard scoring drive. It marked Penn State's fifth-consecutive offensive touchdown and gave the Nittany Lions a 42-0 lead.
 
Following the ensuing UMass drive, Hardy set a Penn State record by scoring his second punt return touchdown of the game. Hardy broke multiple tackles on his way to the 68-yard score, giving Penn State a 49-0 advantage at the 3:57 mark of the third quarter.
 
A Keaton Ellis interception led to Penn State's sixth-straight offensive touchdown, and its eighth overall, to put them up 56-0 with 13:37 left in the game. Pribula entered the game at quarterback and led a four-play, 49-yard scoring drive that was highlighted by a two-yard rushing score by Potts.
 
Penn State tacked on one last touchdown in the fourth quarter, a 31-yard dash into the end zone by Pribula that put the Nittany Lions up 63-0. The squad held the lead through the final buzzer, securing its second shutout of the season.
 
The 2023 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.