HIGHLIGHTS: Warren shines, Penn State football steamrolls Boilermakers

Penn State football took one step closer to the College Football Playoff Saturday afternoon, rolling over the Purdue Boilermakers 49-10 in West Lafayette to move to 9-1. The Nittany Lions put up points in bunches and dominated both lines of scrimmage, advancing to the penultimate week of the season with a comfortable win.

Warren leads first half aerial assault

Unsurprisingly, Tyler Warren led the way for the Nittany Lions offense. It started on the opening series, hauling in three catches for 59 yards as Penn State marched right down the field. Drew Allar threw his 14th touchdown pass of the season to Kaytron Allen as Penn State jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead.

© Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

It was more of the same on the next possession, with Warren adding three more receptions, including a 15-yard back shoulder touchdown grab, to his early stat line.

After 15 minutes of play, the Nittany Lions had already run up 178 total yards on the Boilermakers, 124 of which came through the air. Drew Allar started the game with ten straight completions, with only a Kaytron Allen drop breaking the streak.

© Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Purdue finally gained some offensive momentum, and yards, to start the second quarter, driving 71 yards down to the Nittany Lion five. The Penn State defense rotated in many of its younger defensive backs, partly by choice and partly by necessity, after safety Jaylen Reed exited the drive with a brief injury.

The inexperience almost cost the Nittany Lions, but it was saved by Purdue’s miscues in a possession that ultimately resulted in a field goal.

Purdue's season in a nutshell.pic.twitter.com/aMyqFRUIZb

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) November 16, 2024

Penn State responded with who else but Tyler Warren.

Using the versatile tight end to convert on a fourth down, Andy Kotelnicki then drew up a double pass that Warren took 38 yards down the sideline.

Nicholas Singleton found the end zone on a 10-yard run the next play. It was Singleton’s first rushing touchdown since September 28 after battling injuries throughout October.

THE DOUBLE PASS!! pic.twitter.com/BBqmqArEMN

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 16, 2024

With a little over a minute left on the clock, the Boilermakers were able to position themselves into field goal range. But the 49-yard attempt went wide right, and Penn State football took a 21-3 lead into halftime.

Penn State finds explosive scores after halftime

© Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

In the third quarter, the Tyler Warren show picked up right where it left off. Facing third-and-one on the Boilermakers’ 48 yard line, the star tight end took a direct snap to the house for a score.

The Nittany Lions flashed the deep ball the next time out, with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Drew Allar to Harrison Wallace III capping a six-play, 77-yard drive.

Starters now done, Beau Pribula was next to make his mark with an explosive play. Pribula put up the sixth touchdown of the day with a 49-yard run on a quarterback keeper.

Surpassing Warren’s run from two drives earlier as the longest touchdown rush of the season for Penn State football, Pribula’s keeper is now the second-longest play on the ground for the Nittany Lions this year.

Beau Pribula all by himself 😤

49 yards for a @PennStateFball TD! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ddWMNd9fvM

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 16, 2024

The Boilermakers found the end zone at the ten-minute mark in the fourth quarter. With many younger Nittany Lion defenders on the field, Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne found tight end Max Klare for a 20-yard score to make it a 42-10 game.

Only impacting the final score, the Penn State defense delivered another lights-out performance. The Nittany Lions allowed 302 yards on the afternoon, including just 85 yards on the ground. It was the seventh time this season Penn State football held its opponent under 100 rushing yards.

The Nittany Lions would finish off the game with one final score, a 24 yard touchdown pass from Pribula to Luke Reynolds. A former five-star recruit, the score was Reynolds’ first as a Nittany Lion.

Final Stats

Penn State:

• Total yards – 539
• Rushing yards – 234
• Passing yards – 305
• Average yards per play – 8.8

Individual leaders:

• Passing – Drew Allar: 17-19, 247 yards, 3 touchdowns 
• Rushing – Tyler Warren: 3 rushes, 63 yards, 1 touchdown
• Receiving – Tyler Warren: 8 receptions, 127 yards, 1 touchdown
• Tackles – Abdul Carter: 5 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss

Purdue:

• Total yards – 302
• Rushing yards – 85
• Passing yards – 217
• Average yards per play – 5.1

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned, community-operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.