Singleton, Allen lead No. 2 Penn State in opening romp over Nevada
Published
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- — Nicholas Singleton ran for two touchdowns, Penn State forced three turnovers and the No. 2 Nittany Lions pulled away to beat Nevada 46-11 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.
Singleton capped Penn State's opening possession with a 1-yard run then scored on another short plunge early in the third quarter. Kayton Allen cut around the defense for a 13-yard score in the second.
Nevada had already self-destructed by then.
Penn State cornerback AJ Harris recovered Ky Woods' fumble to spoil the Wolf Pack’s opening drive. Their next possession ended when defensive tackle Zane Durant intercepted Chubba Purdy's pass deep in his own end.
Ryan Barker kicked four field goals for the Nittany Lions, who led 27-3 at halftime after Kyron Hudson hauled in a 31-yard touchdown pass from Drew Allar with 23 seconds left in the second quarter.
Hudson caught six passes for 89 yards, and Trebor Peña added seven for 74.
Penn State outgained Nevada 436-203 and held the Wolf Pack to 78 rushing yards. Fifty of Nevada's yards came on its final possession.
Joe McFadden kicked a 28-yard field goal for Nevada, but the offense only managed two more trips into the red zone. Purdy misfired over the middle on fourth down with 14:47 to play, but backup AJ Bianco connected with Marcus Bellon for a 9-yard score with 25 seconds left.
The takeaway
Nevada: The Wolf Pack moved the ball early, they just couldn’t stop giving it back to the Nittany Lions. Nevada’s first three possessions ended with a fumble, an interception and a punt. The offense crossed midfield just twice more.
Penn State: Beating up on a team that has won just seven games combined over the last three seasons likely won’t do much for the Nittany Lions, with No. 3 Ohio State beating top-ranked Texas.
Up next
Nevada: Hosts Sacramento State on Saturday.
Penn State: Hosts Florida International on Saturday.