Tag: Nick Singleton

Penn State’s Big Ten title hopes come up short in 45-37 loss to Oregon

Penn State awaits its College Football Playoff fate after losing to Oregon in the Big Ten championship game.

For as good as Penn State’s defense has been this season, not even they could find a way to stop arguably the most dynamic offense in college football. Penn State’s defense was bewildered by No. 1 Oregon on Saturday night in the Big Ten championship game in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and lost by a final score of 45-37. Penn State was not quite equipped to get into a track meet going up and down the field with Oregon, but they will come away from this one knowing they left some opportunities to waste in this battle against the Ducks.

Penn State’s defense could not stop the Oregon offensive attack in the first quarter. Dillon Gabriel led two masterful drives for touchdowns on each of Oregon’s full offensive series in the first quarter. Each drive was aided by a 15-yard face mask penalty on Penn State, including one on Tony Rojas on what would have been a fourth-down stop on Oregon’s second possession.

Penn State answered each time with two scoring drives on their first two possessions. The first drive ended with a field goal but [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] connected with a streaking [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown to pulled Penn State within 14-10. Penn State was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the ensuing kickoff, though, and Oregon started with the football at the Penn State 40-yard line, and two plays later Tez Johnson took Oregon into Penn State territory. A big catch by Johnson on the first play of the second quarter put Oregon in a 1st and Goal situation and Oregon soon took a 21-10 lead with Gabriel’s third touchdown pass of the game, to tight end Terrance Ferguson.

Penn State’s defense came up with its first stop of the game but the offense was backed up deep in its end after a booming Oregon punt. Allar was then picked off by Dontae Manning at the Penn State 25-yard line and Manning returned the football to the one-yard line, setting Jordan James up for an easy touchdown to push the Oregon lead to 28-10.

Allar bounced back on the next possession to orchestrate a touchdown drive. [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] injected some energy into the offense with his physical running and catching, and Allar locked in on Omari Evans for a 22-yard touchdown to cap a 75-yard drive, cutting Oregon’s lead to 28-17.

Following a strong three-and-out by the defense, Allar and the offense got back to work to inch a little bit closer before halftime. Allar scored on the ground to cut the Oregon leader to 28-14, but the Ducks tacked on field goal just before halftime to take a seven-point lead into the break. The 55 combined points set a new Big Ten record for combined points scored in the championship game. The previous record was 52 by Wisconsin and Nebraska in 2012.

Penn State did make things interesting at the start of the fourth quarter by finishing off a 98-yard touchdown drive, which was ignited with a hands-to-the-face penalty on Oregon at the start of the drive and finished by a Kaytron Allen touchdown run. Rather than kick an extra point though, Penn State opted for a two-point conversion attempt but Tyler Warren was stopped well short of the goal line to keep things at 38-30.

Oregon added to their lead to take a 45-30 lead but Allar and the Nittany Lions roared back for one more score when Allar got away from a defender holding on to his jersey and completed a fourth-down touchdown pass to [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag]. The defense held firm for a big stand and Penn State got the ball back one more time. But out of the two-minute warning, Allar heaved a ball down the right sideline to Wallace and was picked off by Nikko Reed, and the Ducks managed to work the remainder of the clock to celebrate a Big Ten championship in its first season in the conference.

Oregon proved once again why they came into the Big Ten with high hopes and why they are the top-ranked team in the country. Penn State’s defense has been stellar all season but had no answers for what Oregon wanted to do on offense. Despite some good moments, it was not enough against the Ducks, who scored more points on Penn State than any team did this season. Oregon will be the trendy national championship pick going into the playoff after securing the first-round bye as Big Ten champion and locking up the top seed in the playoff. Could a rematch be in the cards for Penn State?

Penn State will now await their College Football Playoff fate on Sunday from the selection committee. The Nittany Lions will still be heading to the playoff, and should still be in line to host a first-round playoff game. The seeding could be in question, especially after Texas lost in the SEC championship game and fell out of position for a first-round bye. Penn State may still be looking to host a first-round College Football Playoff game, but a lot hangs in unchartered territory at the moment.

What’s next for Penn State? We’ll find out Sunday afternoon when the College Football Playoff bracket is officially unveiled.

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View from the stands as Penn State clinched a spot in Big Ten championship game

Penn State has one of the best atmosphere’s in all of college football, and I experienced it first hand in their regular season finale. Here are some reactions from Penn State vs Maryland

Penn State finished the regular season with a dominant 44-7 victory over Maryland, and I was able to witness it live. I grew up roughly two hours away from the Nittany Lions’ home in State College, but this was my first time seeing them play in person. There are plenty of observations I made while inside Beaver Stadium, but the first one that sticks out is the news about a different game happening in neighboring Ohio.

Ohio State had a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game locked up, assuming they could beat a mediocre Michigan team at home. As I was making my way to the stadium, I saw that the game was tied at halftime 10-10. After finding my seat, I heard a loud cheer in unison coming from down in the concession areas.

I checked my phone to see that Michigan had indeed taken down Ohio State, meaning Penn State just needed a win over Maryland to earn a meeting with Oregon in the Big Ten title game. The energy was incredible from all over the stadium, and it continued into the senior day presentations.

Head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] greeted each of his seniors as they announced their names and majors. It was a cool moment that reminds you that many of these players are students first, even at a blue blood like Penn State. The marching band and dancers were also very fun to see in person, and they were excellent even in the freezing temperatures.

The crowd was very large of course, but it was certainly not at full capacity. The announced attendance was around 104,000, but I would guess it was under 100,000 from my view. The student section was unfortunately pretty lackluster in this game, but the weather and underwhelming matchup likely had a lot to do with it.

The start of the game had some big reactions despite the smaller crowd than usual, with Penn State fumbling on the first drive and Maryland scoring on their first play of the game. The crowd was immediately on edge, especially knowing how important the game was with Ohio State’s loss. Penn State continued to have a slow start for the rest of the quarter, scoring just three points.

The second quarter, however, was electric. The crowd roared to life after [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] punched in a touchdown to take the lead, and that was just the beginning. Every third down from Maryland, the stadium would shake from the force of the crowd’s cheers. Each of Penn State’s four touchdown drives seemed to energize the crowd more and more, especially anytime record-breaking tight end [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] was involved.

The second half started a bit quieter, with neither team doing much offensively in the third quarter. Backups began getting on the field for Penn State in the fourth, and many fans started heading for the exits once it became 38-7 early in the final quarter. Things got interesting late, with Penn State throwing a touchdown on the last play of the game.

The remaining fans loved it, and James Franklin strongly defended the decision in his postgame comments. It was an overall impressive showing by the team and an incredibly fun atmosphere to watch a football game. Outside of my experience in the stadium, seeing Penn State’s top players up close was also very rewarding.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]’s arm talent jumps off the screen at home, but it’s even more impressive live. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]’s explosiveness and agility are jaw-dropping in person as well, and he put it on display with a two-sack day. Tyler Warren looks even bigger and more imposing than he does on film. Overall, this team looks the part of a College Football Playoff contender.

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Best photos from Penn State’s regular season finale victory over Maryland

Check out the best photos from Penn State’s 44-7 victory over Maryland to close out the regular season.

The temperatures were frigid and Beaver Stadium was far from packed, but Penn State managed to close out the regular season in style with a 44-7 victory over Maryland. The win capped an 11-1 regular season and ultimately sends Penn State off to the Big Ten championship game for the second time in program history.

[autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] set a couple of records in the win as he polished off his awards profile for consideration, and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] overcame a fumble on the first play of the game to score two touchdowns and return a long kickoff to spark the offense to the rout of the Terrapins.

Here are some of the best photos from Saturday’s regular-season finale victory over the Terrapins.

Penn State will play for the Big Ten championship next week. The Nittany Lions will face Oregon in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Dec. 7. Kcikoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Penn State smashes Maryland to clinch trip to Big Ten championship game

Penn State’s win, coupled with some help from Michigan, is sending the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten championship game next week!

In a year that has seen so many twists and turns in the college football season amid so many monumental changes to the entire landscape of the game, the Penn State Nittany Lions got a surprising helping hand from Michigan and took advantage of an opportunity to make a trip to the Big Ten championship game. Hours after Michigan handed Ohio State its second conference loss of the season, Penn State cruised its way to a 44-7 victory against Maryland. The win, coupled with Ohio State taking its second conference loss and owning a decisive tiebreaker over Indiana, sends Penn State to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since winning the Big Ten title in 2016.

It was an inauspicious start for Penn State as [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] fumbled away the football on the first play from scrimmage. Maryland struck right away with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Prather, a player who slipped away in the transfer portal for Penn State and took an early 7-0 lead just 14 seconds in to stun the partially-filled Beaver Stadium Thanksgiving weekend crowd.

But Penn State dug out of the slow start and early hole by scoring the next 38 points before halftime and put the game on cruise control in the second half. Singleton made up for his early fumble with a long kickoff return on the ensuing possession and rushed for 87 yards with two touchdowns. [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] added 34 rushing yards and quarterbacks [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] each recorded short touchdown runs in the first half.

Tight end Tyler Warren was among the stars of the game once again. Warren set a new Penn State single-season touchdown reception record by a tight end and the Big Ten’s single-season receptions by a tight end record.

The win over Maryland all but guarantees Penn State a spot in the College Football Playoff regardless of what happens in the Big Ten championship game. The selection committee is not expected to punish teams that lose in conference title games, although it remains to be seen if the Nittany Lions are going to be locked into a potential home game in the first round should they come up short next week in the Big Ten championship game.

Penn State can clinch a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff with a win next week against Oregon. The Ducks are in their first year in the Big Ten since moving over from the Pac-12 and came into the final week of the regular season as the only undefeated team left standing in the FBS (Oregon was hosts Washington Saturday night).

Penn State will face Oregon in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 7. Kickoff in Indy is set for 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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2025 NFL Draft: Players Vikings fans should watch in CFB Week 12

Here are some players to watch this weekend before the Vikings kickoff while you enjoy some college football.

The Minnesota Vikings bounced back with a good win and the complete Sam Darnold experience which left some folks worried if they could close the game out. Each year around the NFL, rookies step up immediately for their teams and make a difference.

Jordan Addison scored a touchdown in Week 1 last year for Vikings fans. This year, we saw Xavier Worthy score two touchdowns on opening night. Rookies impact the league every year, and the Vikings need to keep hitting on their first-round picks. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had a rough first two rounds in 2022, but 2023 and 2024 have looked good thus far.

Here are some players to watch this weekend before the Vikings kickoff while you enjoy some college football. We will lay out the ultimate viewing guide to maximize the best players this weekend during each time slot.

Player to watch during Noon/11 A.M. Time Slot

  • Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State) vs. Northwestern on Big Ten Network

Player to watch during 4:00 P.M./3:00 P.M. Time Slot

  • Nick Singleton (Penn State) vs. Purdue on CBS

Player to watch during 8:00 P.M./7:00 P.M. Time Slot

  • Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) vs. Wake Forest on ACC Network

Player to watch during Noon/11 A.M. Time Slot

  • Seth McLaughlin (Ohio State) vs. Northwestern on Big Ten Network

Player to watch during 3:30 P.M./2:30 P.M. Time Slot

  • Jake Slaughter (Florida) vs. LSU on ABC

Player to watch during 8:00 P.M./7:00 P.M. Time Slot

  • Luke Kandra (Cincinnati) vs. Iowa State on FOX

Player to watch during Noon/11 A.M. Time Slot

  • Demonte Capehart (Clemson) vs. Pittsburgh on ESPN

Player to watch during 3:30 P.M./2:30 P.M. Time Slot

  • Thor Griffith (Louisville) vs. Stanford on ACC Network

Player to watch during 7:45 P.M./6:45 P.M. Time Slot

  • Shemar Turner (Texas A&M) vs. New Mexico State on SEC Network

Player to watch during Noon/11 A.M. Time Slot

  • Jahdae Barron (Texas) vs. Arkansas on ABC

Player to watch during 3:30 P.M./2:30 P.M. Time Slot

  • Quincy Riley (Louisville) vs. Stanford on ACC Network

Player to watch during 7:30 P.M./6:30 P.M. Time Slot

  • Jabbar Muhammad (Oregon) vs. Wisconsin on NBC

Player to watch during Noon/11 A.M. Time Slot

  • Lathan Ransom (Ohio State) vs. Northwestern on Big Ten Network

Player to watch during 3:30 P.M./2:30 P.M. Time Slot

  • Major Burns (LSU) vs. Florida on ABC

Player to watch during 7:30 P.M./6:30 P.M. Time Slot

  • Hunter Wohler (Wisconsin) vs. Oregon on NBC

Nick Singleton makes incredible one-handed catch for a Penn State touchdown

Penn State needed a spark after a slow start against Wisconsin. Nick Singleton provided it.

Penn State has looked a bit out of sorts to start its matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers. Special teams blunders and some untimely mistakes on offense kept them off the scoreboard in the first quarter.

Despite the issues, they finally made some plays to finish the first quarter. [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] ended the quarter with a big reception for 27 yards, but the play he made to finish the drive had jaws dropping around the country.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] dropped back and lofted a pass to the back corner of the endzone, where Singleton skyed for an incredible one-handed catch for a touchdown over All-Big Ten safety Hunter Wohler.

You can check out the play here.

Singleton has been excellent as a receiving threat in his junior season, with 113 yards and three touchdowns on the season before this game. It looks like he is just getting started as a receiving threat, which will be huge for offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and the success of the offense.

He has not been as successful as a runner in his return from injury, and the team as a whole has really struggled over the past two games. If the run game is going to keep disappointing, maybe his ability in the receiving game will be enough to keep the offense running smoothly.

Multiple flip candidates were on campus for Penn State’s win over UCLA

Will Penn State’s win over UCLA lead to any of these commits to flipping to PSU?

Penn State remained undefeated by beating UCLA on Saturday, but the sleepy performance didn’t exactly put up a dominating difference on the scoreboard.

Not having [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] available like they expected prior to the game certainly changed some things, and with the massive USC matchup coming up next, it was understandable why they might have just tried to get out of this one by not showing too much on both sides of the ball.

Ultimately, the Nittany Lions accomplished that goal, never really having to break a sweat against the Bruins that now allows them to put their full attention on a Trojans team who is coming off an upset against Minnesota.

Perhaps the most interesting thing for Penn State this past weekend occurred off the field regarding many of their flip targets in the class of 2025 who were on campus.

Per Tyler Calvaruso of 247Sports, South Carolina wide receiver commit [autotag]Lex Cyrus[/autotag], elite Oregon cornerback commit [autotag]Brandon Finney[/autotag], Duke linebacker commit [autotag]Bradley Gompers[/autotag], and surprise Louisville cornerback commit [autotag]Josh Johnson[/autotag] all made their way to Happy Valley to take in this game (subscription required).

These four prospects represent who [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his coaching staff are going to heavily pursue to close out the 2025 cycle.

Cyrus has long been a target of the Nittany Lions, and his decision to commit to South Carolina was shocking to many inside the program and inside his own family. They are not going to give up on him until he officially signs with the Gamecocks.

Similarly, Johnson was seen as someone who was going to commit to Penn State before his recruitment took a turn out of nowhere and gave his verbal to Louisville.

Finney is someone the Nittany Lions would love to add to this class, and when he committed to Oregon that was a real kick to the stomach since he’s from the McDonogh School that’s been a borderline feeder program to Penn State. However, getting him on campus for the first time since his June official visit could be a good sign his options are still open considering he’s been traveling around to other schools as well.

Gompers has picked up a ton of internal steam, offering him a scholarship last month and getting him on campus for the first time. There’s a real possibility that he could flip in Penn State’s direction.

If Franklin and his staff can pull off even one of these flips, that would be a huge win. Anything more than that would be an incredible turn of events for this 2025 class that has some holes in it and could be bolstered by landing multiple prospects who just visited this past Saturday.

Chiefs scouting report: Penn State Nittany Lions RB Nick Singleton

The Kansas City #Chiefs could target Penn State Nittany Lions RB Nick Singleton in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. That decision didn’t work out for Kansas City and serves as a warning to other teams considering first-round running backs. Fortunately, the 2025 NFL Draft features plenty of depth at the position.

An injury to Isiah Pacheco exposed Kansas City’s lack of depth at running back. The Chiefs have more than enough draft picks this coming cycle to add another talented player to their backfield.

Penn State running back Nick Singleton is a freakish athlete. According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, he hit 23.6 mph on a GPS and ran a 4.35 40-yard dash this past summer. Singleton is unofficially listed at 6’0″, 226 lbs. but possesses home run speed.

Singleton uses his quick, controlled footwork to navigate through narrow gaps before exploding past first and second-level defenders. He often erases the safety’s pursuit angle by surprising the defender with his top speed. Singleton’s muscular frame helps him break tackle attempts, and he churns his legs through contact to pick up extra yardage.

Singleton is an every-down back capable of producing as a pass catcher at the short to intermediate levels and providing protection as a blocker. Singleton is too quick for most linebackers to cover, and the Nittany Lions use him on routes that stretch beyond the sticks. He quickly identifies and squares up with blitzing defenders in pass protection.

The Nittany Lions start their Big Ten conference schedule when Illinois visits Happy Valley on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Penn State breaks 98 year-old record in blowout win against Kent State

The Penn State Nittany Lions had themselves a day on offense against Kent State, breaking a school record for offensive yards.

Penn State came away with one of the most dominant wins in program history against Kent State in Happy Valley, winning 56-0. It was a banner day for the offense in particular, with all of Penn State’s stars shining bright.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] had perhaps his best career game with over 300 yards and four total touchdowns. [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] continued to show why they are among the best running back tandems in college football with 147 combined yards on the ground. Tight end Tyler Warren did a little bit of everything even throwing a touchdown.

Even the backups had an impressive day, with players like Liam Clifford, Beau Pribula, and Quinton Martin Jr. pouring it on late in the game. The collective showing on offense wasn’t just prolific, it was historic.

That’s right, Penn State broke its total offensive yards record of 711 yards in this game, finishing with 718 yards on the night. The record was last set in a game against Susquehanna University back in 1926. It’s always great to see a team break a record, but one this old must be extra special for players.

It certainly didn’t seem like it would be a record-breaking performance for the first 20 minutes of the game, as Penn State had just seven points when they got the ball with 8:24 left to go in the second quarter.

It was off to the races from there, however, scoring 49 points and breaking the aforementioned yardage record with a dominant finish to the game. Penn State looks to carry that momentum into conference play as they prepare for Illinois next week.

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Penn State cruises by Kent State 56-0 in dominant fashion

The Penn State Nittany Lions obliterated Kent State 56-0 in Happy Valley, ending their non-conference schedule with a bang.

Penn State started off slow against Kent State, scoring just once on their first three possessions. A botched screen pass by Beau Pribula and a missed third down kept things close deep into the second quarter. [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] engineered an impressive touchdown drive to take the lead in between those failed drives, but Kent State was holding strong.

Eventually, however, the floodgates opened for Penn State. They scored on three consecutive drives of 75 yards or more, moving down the field with ease on the ground and through the air. Kent State meanwhile could get nothing going on offense, especially after seeing two of their quarterbacks go down with injuries.

It was 28-0 at halftime, and things never got better for the Golden Flashes. Penn State kicked off the second half with a bang on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Drew Allar to [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag].

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1837606650795987387

Allars’ day was over after that drive, finishing with 309 yards and three touchdowns through the air on just 21 attempts. He added another score on the ground for good measure to close the first half. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula would engineer three touchdown drives of his own, hitting Khalil Dinkins for a score, handing off to Cam Wallace for his first career touchdown, and taking one in himself on the ground to finish the scoring.

Penn State’s defense was dominant throughout the game, never allowing Kent State to come anywhere close to the endzone. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] finally had a big day, getting his first sack of the season and spending plenty of time in the Kent State backfield.

Dani Dennis-Sutton had a sack-fumble on the second play from scrimmage, with Kent State starting QB Devin Kargman leaving the game with an injury following the hit. The backup QBs couldn’t get the passing game going, with Penn State allowing just 18 yards passing on 13 attempts.

Kent State tried to establish the run game, but they ran into brick wall after brick wall, gaining just 49 yards on 30 carries. It was as thorough a beating as you will see in college football this season as Penn State won 56-0.

Penn State’s stars shined in this game, with seemingly everybody getting involved on offense and defense. [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and Kaytron Allen combined for 147 yards on 22 carries, Omari Evans racked up 116 yards and a score, and [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] scored twice including a passing touchdown to Nick Singleton.

https://Twitter.com/B1Gfootball/status/1837593662261182851

It felt like Penn State could do now wrong. They even broke their record for offensive yards that had stood since a 1926 game against Susquehanna University, finishing with 718 total yards. It was exactly the kind of day they needed after a disappointing showing against Bowling Green in Week 2.

Even with the lower level of competition, this game showed how much better the offense could potentially be this season under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. The offensive line was as dominant as they should have been against a small front seven, and all the playmakers had their moments.

The defense looked much better as well, swarming to the ball and harassing the Kent State QBs every chance they had. Only time will tell if it will carry over into conference play, but James Franklin and the rest of the coaching staff have to be happy with how the team performed this week.

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