MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - No. 8/9 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) defeated West Virginia (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 34-12 in its 2024 season opener on Saturday afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Penn State’s outstanding second quarter gave it the separation it needed to control the rest of the game against the Mountaineers. The Nittany Lions outscored West Virginia 20-6 in the frame as quarterback Drew Allar’s three touchdown passes gave Penn State a double-digit lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
Allar completed 11 of 17 passes for 216 yards and the three touchdowns in game one. Wide receiver Harrison Wallace III secured his first career 100-plus yard game thanks to a monster first half. The redshirt junior finished his career day with five grabs for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Wideout Omari Evans also had a big day, securing a career-long 55-yard reception late in the second quarter to set up Allar’s third, second quarter touchdown. Tight end Tyler Warren also got in on the action, snagging his 12th career receiving touchdown on a pass from Beau Pribula in the fourth quarter.
On the ground, Nicholas Singleton rushed for 114 yards on 13 carries, including two 40-yard runs, one of which he toted into the end zone for a score. Kaytron Allen ran for 20 yards and also made his presence felt in the passing game, hauling in a 20-yard touchdown toss from Allar in the second quarter. Allar also contributed to the rushing effort, running for 44 yards on six carries.
The Nittany Lion defense allowed just one touchdown and 12 points in an outstanding showing in Morgantown. The unit recorded three takeaways, forced two turnovers on downs, and recorded six tackles for loss in game one of the 2024 season. Kevin Winston Jr. posted a career-best 12 tackles and forced a fumble, while fellow safety Jaylen Reed made nine stops, and broke up two passes. Tony Rojas and Zane Durant each recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, Durant and Smith Vilbert each recorded a sack and Elliot Washington II brought in his first career interception as the defensive group stuffed the stat sheet in a stifling performance against West Virginia.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Nittany Lions began the 2024 season on defense, forcing a West Virginia punt on its opening possession. It was a defensive battle throughout the first quarter, as neither team was able to score. Penn State’s defense stood tall inside the red zone, forcing a West Virginia turnover on downs and giving its offense possession of the football at its own 16-yard line at the 1:35 mark of the first quarter. Three plays moved the ball out to the 50-yard line as the opening quarter wrapped up.
The first play of the second quarter was a 50-yard touchdown strike from Allar to Wallace to put Penn State on the board, 6-0, with 14:53 to play in the first half. Wallace’s grab capped off a four-play, 84-yard scoring drive.
A three-and-out for the Mountaineers gave Penn State the ball back. On a fourth-and-four play from the West Virginia 27-yard line, Allar completed a pass to Warren to extend the drive. On the very next play, Allar found Allen for a 20-yard catch-and-run score. Allar’s second passing touchdown of the day was the culmination of a 10-play, 71-yard scoring drive that put the Nittany Lions up 13-0 with 9:46 to go in the second quarter.
West Virginia connected on a pair of field goals in the next nine minutes of first-half play. In the final 32 seconds of the second quarter, Allar and the Nittany Lions put together a three-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that included a 55-yard bomb to Evans that set up an 18-yard score to Wallace. Penn State took a 20-6 advantage into the locker room thanks to the well-executed drive.
Penn State received the second half kickoff following a two-plus-hour rain delay and promptly constructed a nine-play, 78-yard touchdown drive to go up 27-6 early in the third quarter. The drive was capped off by a 40-yard scamper by Singleton.
The Nittany Lion defense stifled the Mountaineers through the entire third quarter, allowing the first West Virginia touchdown of the game two minutes into the fourth frame. The Mountaineers took 10 plays to go 70 yards to cut into the Penn State lead. CJ Donaldson Jr.’s one-yard touchdown trimmed the Penn State lead to 27-12 with 12:49 left to play.
Singleton ripped off another 40-yard run on the ensuing drive, as Penn State answered West Virginia’s touchdown with one of its own. The six-play, 70-yard drive ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Pribula to Warren, putting the Nittany Lions up 34-12 with nine minutes remaining on the clock.
Penn State forced two consecutive West Virginia turnovers as time continued to tick. A Smith Vilbert strip sack and a Washington pick turned out to be the final two Mountaineer possessions of the day, helping the Nittany Lions preserve their 34-12 win.
The 2024 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.