UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 2/2 Penn State (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) recorded its third win of the season, beating Villanova (1-1, 0-0 CAA) with a final score of 52-6 in front of 109,516 fans at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions posted 465 yards on offense comprised of 237 passing and 228 rushing yards. Senior quarterback Drew Allar recorded 209 yards, completing 16-of-29 passes with one touchdown. Sophomore tight end Luke Reynolds led the team in receiving yards, posting 73 yards on four receptions, averaging 18.3 yards per catch. Redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer took over for Allar in the fourth quarter, posting 19 yards and one touchdown.
Senior running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen led Penn State’s offensive efforts. Allen paced the team with 86 total yards on 10 attempts and recorded one touchdown. Singleton compiled 84 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt senior+ wide receiver Trebor Peña posted 60 total yards and one touchdown, followed by redshirt senior Kyron Hudson with 30 yards.
Penn State’s defense held Villanova to 179 yards, limiting the Wildcats to 96 total passing yards and 83 total rushing yards.
Junior linebacker Amare Campbell led the defensive charge for the Nittany Lions, posting seven tackles and one sack. Following Campbell was junior linebacker Tony Rojas with two sacks and five tackles, and sophomore safety Dejuan Lane ended the game with five tackles.
Junior cornerback Elliot Washington II recorded the day’s first interception in the third quarter, his first interception of the season. Freshman cornerback Jahmir Joseph recorded the first interception of his collegiate career in the fourth quarter with a 49-yard return to tally a touchdown for the Nittany Lions.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Barker successfully converted all three of his field goal attempts with his longest of the day going for 45 yards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn State made use of its opening possession, scoring on the first drive of the game with 12 plays covering 78 yards. Singleton capped off the sequence with a four-yard rush to the endzone. These would be the only points of the first quarter, with both teams punting on their next offensive possessions.
After a mere 25-yard punt from the Wildcats, the Nittany Lions took over at their 30-yard line as the clock wound down in the opening stanza. Penn State managed to gain five yards before sending the field goal unit on the field. Barker showed off his leg for the first time in the contest with a 45-yard field goal to make the score 10-0 in favor of the Blue & White with 14:22 on the second quarter clock.
Both punt units made appearances before Penn State could widen the margin. Following a 10-play drive for the Nitany Lions , the redshirt sophomore kicker sent a 28-yard kick through the uprights to make for a 10-point deficit.
Villanova entered the redzone for the first time on its next trip down the field, inching up to as far as the Penn State 15-yard line. The Nittany Lions defense forced the visiting field goal unit on the field where they would attempt a 47-yard kick following a 15-yard penalty. The Wildcats could not convert, allowing Penn State to take over on its 30-yard line.
Peña and Allar put on a show to cap off the ensuing Penn State drive that encompassed seven plays over 70 yards. The possession was completed with a 23-yard connection between Allar to Peña in addition to a successful two-point conversion, ballooning the PSU advantage to 21-0 to conclude the first half.
Villanova was forced to punt for a fifth time to open the second half, giving the ball back to the Penn State offense. The Nittany Lions put up three more points following a seven-play, 23-yard drive to the redzone with Barker nailing a 42-yard field goal.
Washington II intercepted a ball in the air on the next Wildcat possession, returning it 12 yards to the Villanova 23-yard line. Despite the defensive effort for the Nittany Lions, the offense came up short, throwing an interception of their own which allowed the Wildcats to take over on their 17-yard line. Once again, the Villanova punt team would be called upon, after the PSU defense forced a three-and-out.
The Nittany Lions continued the pressure, adding another seven points to the board following a nine-play drive covering 59 yards. The possession was highlighted by a fourth down conversion from Singleton and was finished off by a three-yard rushing touchdown from the senior running back as well. Penn State pulled ahead 31-0 with 3:36 on the third quarter clock.
Penn State added back-to-back touchdowns after another Wildcat punt. A seven-play drive covering 84 yards was completed with a 18-yard touchdown run for Allen, making the score 38-0 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the game.
The home team took advantage of another Villanova punt, adding their third consecutive touchdown. Grunkemeyer completed a 19-yard pass to Schlaffer, marking the first touchdown reception of the redshirt sophomore’s career.
The Wildcats only advanced the ball 12 yards before the Nittany Lions defense forced a second turnover. Joseph’s interception return of 49 yards for a touchdown gave Penn State a 52-0 edge.
Villanova stretched its final possession over the final 6:24 of play. After 16 plays, the Wildcats managed to convert their first touchdown of the day as the game clock drew to zero. No extra point was kicked by rule, making the final score 52-6.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and ticket information for the 2025 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.