Penn State can’t match pace of Ducks offense, falls to Oregon in Big Ten title game

Penn State football put up its fourth-highest point total of the season, but it wasn’t enough as the Nittany Lions fell to top-ranked Oregon 45-37 in the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game. The Nittany Lions out-gained the Ducks 518 to 466 but could not match pace with Oregon’s high-powered offense and ultimately was unable to dig out of an 18-point deficit.

Fast-paced Ducks offense leaves Lions digging out of early hole

Oregon didn’t waste any time proving why it has been the No. 1 team in the country for nearly half the season. The Ducks took an early 7-0 lead with a nine-play, 84-yard drive to open the game. The four-minute drive was capped with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Dillon Gabriel to Kenyon Sadiq.

© Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions responded with points of their own; however, they were only able to put three up on the scoreboard. A 41-yard rush from Nicholas Singleton helped set up a 33-yard field goal from Ryan Barker to finish off an eight-play, 58-yard drive.

The Ducks were again able to march down the field with ease, taking a 14-3 lead with off a second Gabriel-to-Sadiq touchdown, this time coming at the end of a 10-play, 75-yard possession.

Penn State was able to find its offensive rhythm by its second series, driving 75 yards in seven plays for a touchdown. After being backed up by a penalty, Drew Allar went 4-6 for 79 yards on the possession, finding Nicholas Singleton for a 22-yard touchdown.

Penn State answers back! pic.twitter.com/1pueIw8NnW

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 8, 2024

While the offense found its spark, across the line of scrimmage, the Nittany Lions defense continued to struggle to stop the high-powered Oregon offense. Going 3-4 for 59 yards on the drive, Dillion Gabriel connected with Terrance Ferguson for his third touchdown of the night to make it a 21-10 game.

Tom Allen’s unit was finally able to force its first three-and-out of the night, but Penn State football could not capitalize on the opportunity to get back in the game. A misfired Allar pass on second down led to an Oregon interception, which was returned 24 yards to the Nittany Lion one-yard line. The Ducks’ Jordan James punched it in on the following play, digging the hole even further for James Franklin and his squad.

State shakes off slow start, mounts second-quarter comeback

Shaking off the turnover, Allar led the Nittany Lions 75-yards down the field to pull within 11 points with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter. The junior quarterback capped the series with his second passing touchdown of the evening, a 22-yard strike to Omari Evans.

© Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Stalling Oregon for a second time, Penn State football used the ground game to pull itself back within a single score. Nicholas Singleton rushed for 24 yards on the 10-play possession, with Allar finding the end zone with his legs to make it a 28-24 game just under the two-minute warning.

© Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

But just like it started the game, the Ducks were able to find points to close out the first half. Oregon drove 61 yards on 10 plays before being stood up by the Nittany Lion defense at the Penn State 14-yard line. An Atticus Sappington field goal brought the highest-scoring first half in Big Ten Championship history to a close, with Penn State trailing by seven heading into the locker room.

Penn State comeback falls short

With its first chance to tie the game since its opening possession, Penn State football couldn’t rise to the moment. Stalling on the Oregon 23 on the opening drive of the third quarter, the Nittany Lions turned to Ryan Barker to make it a four-point game once again. However, the redshirt freshman missed wide right – his third miss of the year – and the score remained 31-24 Ducks.

© Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Oregon opened the second half much like it did the first: with a fast-paced scoring drive. Gabriel found Tez Johnson for his fourth passing touchdown of the night, a 48-yard gashing shot down the middle to put the Ducks up by two possessions once again.

With its back against its own goal line, the Nittany Lions turned to the legs of Kaytron Allen to respond. Responsible for 64 of the offense’s 97 yards on the series, Allen led the Lions down the field, eventually punching to across the goal line. James Franklin decided to keep the offense on the field for a two-point attempt, a decision that ultimately failed. With 14 minutes to play, Penn State trailed 38-30.

Kaytron Allen is on the move! pic.twitter.com/GF2tcOWUH9

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 8, 2024

With an opportunity to get off the field, the Penn State defense was once again outmatched by the Ducks offense. Dillon Gabriel connected Terrance Ferguson on 4th and 2 from the Nittany Lion 35 to extend the drive, and Jordan James cashed in the possession two plays later to put Oregon up by 15 with 7:28 to play.

Refusing to go away, Penn State football fought back with another scoring drive. Allar led the Lions with 81 combined yards on the drive, fighting off defenders to find Harrison Wallace III on 4th and 10 for a 22-yard touchdown to make it 45-37 with under four minutes remaining.

WHILE THEY WERE HOLDING ONTO ALLAR'S JERSEY HE THROWS A TOUCHDOWN! pic.twitter.com/zPO3GAVmy1

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 8, 2024

After forcing an Oregon three-and-out, the Nittany Lions took possession with at their own 37-yard line with 2:11 remaining. But on second down, Allar threw his second interception of the night attempting to find Wallace downfield. The turnover sealed the game, and gave the Ducks their first Big Ten title.

Final Stats

Penn State:

• Total yards – 518
• Rushing yards – 292
• Passing yards – 226
• Average yards per play – 7

Individual leaders:

• Passing – Drew Allar: 20-39, 226 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
• Rushing – Kaytron Allen: 14 carries, 124 yards, 1 touchdown
• Receiving – Tyler Warren: 7 receptions, 84 yards
• Tackles – Kobe King: 10 tackles (6 solo), 1 tackle for loss

Oregon:

• Total yards – 466
• Rushing yards – 183
• Passing yards – 283
• Average yards per play – 6.2

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