Tag: nicholas singleton

Penn State steamrolls Purdue to move to 9-1, keep home playoff game hopes looking strong

Tyler Warren and Drew Allar lead Penn State to blow out win over lifeless Purdue to keep home playoff game in reach.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] threw three touchdowns and [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] racked up 190 all-purpose yards with two touchdowns scored as Penn State easily took care of Purdue on the road on Saturday afternoon. Penn State’s 49-10 victory over the Boilermakers improved the Nittany Lions to 9-1 with two games remaining in the regular season. The win helps keep Penn State’s Big Ten title hopes alive for now and keeps them in a good position to host a first-round game in the upcoming College Football Playoff.

Penn State’s offense got off to a strong start with two long touchdown drives on their first two offensive series, including the game-opening drive. Allar completed a short touchdown pass to [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] to cap the opening drive of the game with a score and an early lead. On Penn State’s second possession, Allar then completed a pass to Warren for a 15-yard touchdown to go up 14-0. The second touchdown drive of the game covered a span of 93 yards.

[autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] gave Penn State a 21-3 lead in the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run immediately following a big gain through the air by Warren on a well-designed play. Warren took the snap and tossed it back to Allar on the right side of the field. Allar then completed a cross-field pass back to Warren, who took off for a big gain down the left sideline.

Purdue had a great shot to cut the early deficit to 14-7 but De’Nylon Morrissette caught a seemingly wide-open pass just outside of the Purdue endzone. It seemed he was confused by his spot on the field as he stood just outside the end zone’s markings where the sideline was painted the same color. Even if he got back inbounds though, he would have been flagged for stepping out of bounds before touching the football. Purdue settled for a field goal, and it would be the only points they put on the board until midway through the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.

The offense had a terrific game, but so did the defense. Not surprisingly, [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] was the center of attention throughout the game with his pressure and speed leading to some big moments. Carter had five tackles, all solo, including two tackles for loss and a QB hurry. But it was a play he made chasing down a Purdue ball carrier that drew a big response from CBS broadcaster Gary Danielson. Carter shed a blocker as he came across the line of field and chased down C.J. Smith, who caught a short screen pass on the other side of the line. Carter brought him down from behind after blazing past the blocker.

With a 35-3 lead late in the third quarter, Penn State began taking out starters and focused on running the clock as much as possible. Beau Pribula enjoyed the moment with a 49-yard touchdown run and a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass of 24 yards to Luke Reynolds for some extra style points for the College Football Playoff selection committee to soak in.

Penn State will be on the road next week when the Nittany Lions visit Minnesota. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Minnesota had the week off after losing a road game at Rutgers in Week 11. Penn State leads the all-time series with Minnesota 10-6 and won the most recent meeting with the Gophers in 2022, 45-17. But Penn State lost the last time it visited Minnesota in 2019, 31-26.

A win next week in Minnesota and Penn State would wrap up the regular season at home against Maryland knowing it will very likely be playing one more game in Beaver Stadium in December. But a win next week is probably essential to keep that hope going.

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Penn State vs. Purdue injury report: Latest updates, news for Week 12

All the latest updates and news on Penn State’s injury report ahead of a Week 12 game vs. Purdue.

After a big primetime victory in front of a whiteout crowd last weekend, Penn State looks to keep the good vibes rolling this week on the road against Purdue, a team with just one win all season. It would seem this would be a good week for the Nittany Lions to take a foot slightly off the gas pedal and rest some key players, but the Nittany Lions are caught in a position where it needs to continue racking up some style points to secure a potential first-round home game in the College Football Playoff while not risking any serious injuries to key players.

Penn State has some key players that have been banged up this season and in recent weeks, so it will be interesting to see how the team approached this afternoon’s Big Ten contest in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Big Ten teams are required to provide an updated player availability report two hours prior to kickoff. The information below will be updated once those reports go live from the Big Ten office.

Penn State injury report

OUT

  • Kevin Winston Jr.
  • Kaden Saunders
  • Cam Wallace
  • Keon Wylie
  • Zuriah Fisher
  • Andrew Rappleyea

Purdue injury report

OUT

  • Botros Alisandro
  • Damarjhe Lewis

QUESTIONABLE

  • Jamarius Dinkins
  • Mo Omonode

Nicholas Singleton injury update

Penn State star running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] was taken out of last week’s game in the third quarter and he did not return to action. Singleton suffered what head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] termed a short-term injury, and it is expected Singleton will be available and play Saturday against Purdue. The nature of the injury was undisclosed and Penn State went on to win last week’s game 35-6, so there may have been less of a push to get Singleton back in the game anyway. And even this week, if Singleton is available to go, it would not be shocking if Penn State lightens his workload a bit in a game the Nittany Lions should win handily.

Dani Dennis-Sutton injury update

[autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] left the Wisconsin game three weeks ago with an injury and has been slowly working his way back to full strength. Dennis-Sutton played just five snaps two weeks ago against Ohio State and doubled that to 10 snaps last week against Washignton after being listed as questionable.

Coziah Izzard injury update

[autotag]Coziah Izzard[/autotag] was banged up two weeks ago against Ohio State and was listed as questionable for last week’s game against Washington. Izzard did not play in the game.

Penn State faces Purdue at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. The Nittany Lions are a four-touchdown favorite.

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Penn State bounces back with a commanding 35-6 White Out win over Washington

Penn State channels White Out atmosphere into an impressive win against Washington

After losing to Ohio State last weekend in a game where Penn State had every chance to win, the Nittany Lions needed a White Out-inspired game. They got just that Saturday evening against Washington, as Penn State took down the Huskies, 35-6. It was an impressive showing from a Penn State team that looked ready to put the Ohio State loss behind them.

Penn State’s offense started tremendously, scoring a touchdown on all four first-half drives. The Nittany Lion defense also came out to play, grabbing an interception on Washington’s third drive and making quarterback Will Rogers feel all sorts of pressure.

The Husky offense was limited to just two second-half field goals. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] was a massive factor in disrupting Washington’s offense, recording two sacks and four tackles for a loss.

Two of PSU’s first four drives were scored courtesy of [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag], who lined up in the backfield on both two-yard touchdown runs. Warren was just part of Penn State’s impressive ground attack that broke down the Washington defensive front. [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag], [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Smith[/autotag] all contributed to the running game, rushing for 266 yards as an offense. Smith saw his first extended action in a game this season and broke away for a 78-yard run on Penn State’s final drive.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] was back to his efficient self, hitting on 20 of his 28 pass attempts for 220 yards and a touchdown. Allar was on point, throwing to his receivers over the middle, going through his progressions and being decisive. [autotag]Harrison Wallace[/autotag] was the biggest beneficiary, hauling in five catches for 84 yards.

Penn State ended the half with an impressive two-minute drive down the field, resulting in a two-yard Julian Fleming touchdown grab, the first touchdown by a Penn State wide receiver in Big Ten play. Kaytron Allen would add Penn State’s only second-half score with under five minutes to go in the game to completely ice away the game.

Despite switching quarterbacks in the second half, Washington could never overcome Penn State’s red-hot first half. The Nittany Lions will likely improve their standing within the next College Football Playoff rankings, with a couple of top 5 teams losing this weekend.

Penn State will be on the road next week to take on the Purdue. The Boilermakers were shut out 45-0 against Ohio State this weekend. Penn State and Purdue will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.

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Wisconsin punter out-rushed Penn State star running back in first half of Badgers vs. Nittany Lions

Wisconsin punter out-rushes Penn State star running back in first half

Wisconsin punter Atticus Bertrams had one of the highlights of the first half of the Badgers’ premier matchup with No. 3 Penn State. He took a fake punt on 4th-9 of Wisconsin’s opening drive for a 15-yard gain, continuing a drive that ended in a Nathanial Vakos record-setting field goal.

That opening score was a big moment in a first half that ended with Wisconsin leading 10-7. The Badgers’ defense hung tough with the Nittany Lions’ top-ranked offense — not allowing much consistent offense aside from a 90-yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter.

One stat accurately portrays Wisconsin’s performance through one half and the game’s tight margin. Bertrams (one carry, 15 rushing yards) out-rushed Penn State star running back Nicholas Singleton (five carries, nine rushing yards).

Singleton also tallied three receptions, 37 receiving yards and Penn State’s lone touchdown — so it’s not as if Bertrams bested his overall production.

But the Badgers have performed well against Singleton and Penn State’s lethal rushing attack through one half. I’m sure defensive coordinator Mike Tressel is pleased with the stat sheet listing Wisconsin’s punter ahead of Penn State’s star running back on the rushing yard leaderboard.

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Trio of Penn State’s finest named mid-season All-Americans by Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl highlighted these three Penn State standouts as midseason All-Americans.

Three of Penn State’s top players are spending their off week receiving some national attention for their performances on the field. The Reese’s Senior Bowl announced its midseason All-Americans this week, and it included three Penn State football players; tight end [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag], running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag].

Singleton has rushed for a team-high 434 yards and has scored three rushing touchdowns this season. He has also added 113 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns to his stat sheet so far this season. He also pulled off those numbers in five games after missing the home game against UCLA two weeks ago. Singleton is second on the team in total yards from scrimmage with 547 yards and leads the team with six all-purpose touchdowns.

The only player with more yards from scrimmage this season for Penn State has been Warren, who has 551 total yards from scrimmage. Warren leads the Nittany Lions with 513 receiving yards after a massive day catching the football in an overtime win at USC last weekend. Warren accounted for 224 receiving yards against the Trojans, which is the second-most in a single game in program history, and he tied the FBS record for most receptions in a single game by a tight end (17).

Reed is Penn State’s leading tackler so far this season with 39 total tackles, with 20 solo tackles, and 19 assists. Reed also has 1.5 sacks and one interception. Reed has also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble this season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBKj_6yubWY/

Penn State is off this week but will return to action in Week 9 with a road game at Wisconsin. That game has been designated for a primetime matchup on NBC.

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Penn State rallies for thrilling overtime victory at USC!

Ryan Barker’s game-winning field goal keeps Penn State undefeated after overtime thriller in Los Angeles.

The last time Penn State traveled to California for a football game, it came up on the losing end of a Rose Bowl classic when USC kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. On Saturday, the Nittany Lions were in another classic ending against USC, but this time it was the Nittany Lions celebrating a game-winning field goal. [autotag]Ryan Barker[/autotag]’s 36-yard field goal in overtime lift Penn State over USC, 33-30, to improve to 6-0.

Behind a record day from tight end [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag], Penn State battled all afternoon and dug out of a double-digit deficit in the first half to find a way out of the Los Angeles Coliseum with a memorable win. Warren set a FBS record for the most receptions ina. game by a tight end with 17, and he ended the day with the second-most receiving yards

Penn State trailed the Trojans 20-6 at halftime but asserted some control after halftime. Penn State scored two touchdowns in the second quarter to tie the game at 20-20 thanks in large part to the effort by Warren, but Penn State trailed by three heading into the fourth quarter after USC managed to regain the lead shortly after Allar’s second interception of the day, this one off a tipped pass. Despite great field position, USC may have left points on the board after a solid defensive stand by Penn State to limit the damage as best it could.

Penn State put together a 72-yard drive to start the fourth quarter but had to settle for a Ryan Barker field goal from the three-yard line. That was when USC came up with a potentially backbreaking drive.

USC marched right down the field on the Penn State defense with big runs from Woody Marks, and Miller Moss completed a pass over the middle to Kyron Hudson for a five-yard touchdown pass to put the Trojans up 30-23 with just under six minutes to play. But that was more than enough time for Penn State to come up with an answer.

Drew Allar led one of the best drives of his career by driving Penn State down the field without a pass completion to Warren. Instead to was [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] coming up with big catches in the clutch as Penn State converted two fourth-down plays to keep the chains moving, one for a 16-yard gain and another for a 17-yard gain. Allar capped the drive with a touchdown pass to [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag], who returned to the field after missing last week’s game against UCLA.

Jaylen Reed picked off a pass from USC quarterback Miller Moss in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to prevent USC from setting up for a potentially game-winning field goal attempt, and Penn State was left with a few seconds to try and manufacture a deep shot to the end zone before overtime. Allar’s deep pass was picked off on the final play of regulation for his third interception of the game, which doubled his career total for interceptions.

After winning the coin toss and electing to go on defense, Penn State’s defense forced USC to try a field goal on the opening possession. USC missed a 45-yard attempt after the defense held strong, and got away with a couple of questionable missed interference calls in pass defense. Knowing a field goal would win it, Penn State didn’t try to do too much on its possession and just focused on putting the ball in a good spot for Barker, who connected on the game-winning field goal from 36 yards out.

Penn State will be off next week. The Nittany Lions will be back on the road in Big Ten play in two weeks when it visits Wisconsin. The Badgers routed Rutgers in New Jersey earlier on Saturday.

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James Franklin expects key player to be available when Penn State visits USC

James Franklin provides key update on star offensive player ahead of USC road game.

Penn State was without one of its top players last weekend in a home win against UCLA, but head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] says that is not expected to be the case this week against USC. Franklin provided an update on the status of star running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] during his Monday press conference, and he shared some encouraging news.

“As long as we don’t have any setbacks this week, I would anticipate him going,” Franklin said when speaking about Singleton, according to Lions247. Franklin went on to say he expects Singleton to be available for practices this week leading up a road trip to USC this weekend.

“We’re very confident,” Franklin said. “I think Nick is very confident, talking to him on Sunday, that he’ll be ready to go.”

Singleton missed some practices last week and was limited in a late-week practice leading up to Penn State’s home game against UCLA. Singleton was listed as questionable on Penn State’s player availability report hours before kicking off and was then ruled out by the team’s staff just before kickoff. [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] carried the bulk of the rushing responsibilities in Penn State’s home win against the Bruins.

Having Singleton back for this week’s game at USC would be big for the offense, as Singleton is one of the team’s best players and he has the ability to break loose for a long run at any given moment.

USC will be coming into this weekend’s matchup with the Nittany Lions with the Big Ten’s 17th-ranked rushing defense. The Trojans are allowing an average of 158.6 rushing yards per game this season. Michigan rushed for 290 yards on the Trojans a few weeks back and Minnesota just racked up 193 rushing yards on the Trojans this past weekend in USC;’s road loss to the Gophers. USC has allowed eight rushing touchdowns this season, all in their three most recent games.

Singleton is averaging 7.70 rushing yards per attempt and is one of five running backs in the Big Ten averaging over 100 rushing yards per game so far this season.

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Penn State wins first football game against UCLA since 1968

Penn State’s defense helped ensure UCLA would not be heading home with a souvenir victory on Saturday afternoon.

Penn State won its first game against UCLA since 1968 thanks to a 27-11 victory on Saturday afternoon in front of a striped-out Beaver Stadium crowd. In the first meeting between the Nittany Lions and Bruins as Big Ten opponents, Penn State got off to a slow start on offense before putting the Bruins to sleep behind a strong defensive effort.

UCLA started Justyn Martin at quarterback with Ethan Garbers listed as questionable prior to the game, and Martin seemed to give Penn State’s defense a few problems early on. But the Nittany Lions defense, led by leading tacklers linebacker [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag], held the Bruins out of the end zone until the final 20 seconds of the game. UCLA had gone nearly 150 minutes of game time without scoring an offensive touchdown.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] completed 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown, including a 57-yard pass over the middle to [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag], who led all players with 107 yards. [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] came within a yard of his first touchdown with Penn State, and [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] added three catches for 29 yards with a touchdown.

Star running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] did not appear in the game after being listed as questionable on Penn State’s pregame player availability report. So [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] took the lead on the ground with 21 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Despite only managing three points, UCLA’s offense did give Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen a few things to work on heading into Penn State’s remaining schedule, starting with a top-25 matchup on the road next week.

Penn State will be on the road for its first Big Ten road game of the season next week when they visit another Big Ten newcomer, USC. Penn State will play its first game at USC since 1991.

UCLA will look to rebound and snap a three-game losing skid in Big Ten play with a home game against Minnesota next week.

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Nicholas Singleton questionable for Penn State vs. UCLA

Penn State’s top offensive player listed as questionable vs. UCLA.

Penn State running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] is off to a solid start to the 2024 season, but how much he is used on Saturday afternoon as Penn State hosts UCLA remains to be determined.  Singleton was officially listed as questionable on the Penn State player availability report, which was released a couple of hours prior to kickoff.

Big Ten teams are required to release a player availability report for their respective games no less than two hours before game time. Penn State and UCLA had some extensive reports to share leading up to their noon Eastern kickoff. Singleton being listed as questionable was the biggest headline for Penn State, although the latest report confirms safety [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag] remains out.

UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers is listed as questionable, which is notable for the Bruins. UCLA’s quarterback has thrown twice as many interceptions as he has touchdowns this season, and he has been roughed up a bit in the past couple of weeks against Oregon and Indiana. If things go sour, could a quarterback change be in the works for the Bruins, potentially mixing things up against Penn State’s defense?

Here is a look at the updated player availability reports for Penn State and UCLA ahead of today’s afternoon game.

OUT – PENN STATE

  • Kevin Winston Jr.
  • Kaden Saunders
  • Jaxon Smolik
  • Cam Wallace
  • Kari Jackson
  • Keon Wylie
  • Zuriah Fisher
  • Mason Robinson
  • Jaylen Harvey
  • Donte Nastasi
  • Ethan Black
  • Peter Gonzalez
  • Andrew Rappleyea
  • Sam Siafa
  • Liam Andrews
  • T.A. Cunningham

QUESTIONABLE – PENN STATE

  • Nicholas Singleton

And here is a look at the UCLA player availability report for this afternoon.

OUT – UCLA

  • Donavan Pellot
  • Kanye Clark
  • Titus Atimalala
  • Dermaricus Davis
  • Braden Pagen
  • D.J. Justice
  • Jonathan Vaughns
  • Deshun Murrell
  • Troy Leigber
  • Tre Edwards
  • Joquarri Price
  • Jordan Abarca
  • Gary Smith
  • Oluwafunto Akinshilo
  • Reuben Unije
  • MarquiseThorpe-Taylor
  • Hudson Habermehl
  • Keanu Williams

QUESTIONABLE – UCLA

  • Rick Flores
  • Ale Kaho
  • Ethan Garbers
  • Croix Stewart
  • Travis Drosos
  • Jack Clarke
  • Jaylan Jeffers
  • Sam Summa
  • Jacob Busic

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Nicholas Singleton’s pancake block recieves national recognition

Watch ESPN’s Get Up crew discuss Nicholas Singleton’s highlight two block play against Illinois

Most sports fans are familiar with ESPN’s morning TV program “Get Up” hosted by Mike Greenberg every weekday. On Wednesday, the show highlights the best pancake blocks from the past weekend in football. Typically, they will focus on the NFL, but they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to showcase Penn State running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag].

Singleton put together a spectacular play against Illinois this past weekend. In one passing play, he flattened the edge defender in pass protection before catching the ball in the flat and immediately turned upfield to truck another defender to get the first down. This play shows Singleton’s strength as a pass blocker, which NFL teams love to see from their running backs coming out of college. It was a play of grit and toughness from one of Penn State’s stars.

Here is the clip from Wednesday morning’s show, which featured former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday and former NFL cornerback Domonique Foxworth giving some love to Singleton and slapping some tasty-looking pancakes.

Singleton is known as a willing blocker who always seems to fight for extra yardage, whether he is in between the tackles or in space, like in the play above. The junior running back is Penn State’s leading rusher through four games, piling up 408 yards on 53 carries for an impressive average of 7.7 yards per carry.

Penn State welcomes the UCLA Bruins this Saturday for Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff. The Nittany Lions will aim to improve to 5-0 and grab their second Big Ten win.

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