HIGHLIGHTS: Penn State crushes Washington in dominating White Out win

The Nittany Lions bounced back from last week’s crushing loss to Ohio State and then some Saturday night. Penn State football controlled the matchup essentially from whistle to whistle, defeating Washington 35-6 in the annual White Out game.

Nearly flawless first half for Penn State offense

Following a missed Huskies field goal, the Nittany Lions kicked off the scoring with a nine-play, 72-yard drive on their first possession. After only appearing on four plays against the Buckeyes last week, Beau Pribula made the most of his early appearance Saturday. Pribula took a keeper eight yards to give Penn State the 7-0 lead in a fast-paced first quarter.

Keeping its foot on the gas on the next series, Penn State used tempo to march right down the field again. Facing third and goal from the two, Andy Kotelnicki got redemption for last week’s failed goal line conversion, using Tyler Warren to elevate over the line of scrimmage for the score off the direct snap.

© Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lion defense turned up the intensity on the next Husky drive.

The Penn State pass rush sped up Washington quarterback Will Rogers just enough for him to overthrow receiver Jeremiah Hunter right into the waiting hands of safety Jaylen Reed. Reed’s third interception of the season eventually set up another Warren rushing touchdown to cap off a 58-yard drive and extending the lead to 21.

After scoring only six points on offense against Ohio State seven days ago, Penn State responded with touchdowns on all of its first-half possessions against Washington. Julian Fleming caught his first touchdown pass in a Penn State uniform to give the Blue and White a 28-0 lead going into the locker room.

© Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Defense stands strong in lock down second half

After a near mistake-free first half, Penn State football came out and made two substantial issues to start the third quarter.

Nicholas Singleton took the half’s opening kick 97 yards for a touchdown, but was called back for holding.

Two plays later, a rare fumble from Tyler Warren gave the ball to Washington in plus territory. The Huskies were able to capitalize on the blunders, although the Nittany Lions defense did hold them to only a field goal.

© Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

After a missed Ryan Barker field goal, Washington strung together a 7:23 drive that reached the Penn State five-yard line. But again, the Nittany Lion defense held, and the Huskies were forced to settle for three.

Shut out throughout the early portion of the second half, Penn State finally got back on the scoreboard with a methodical 16-play 70-yard scoring drive, capped off by a one-yard touchdown rush by Kaytron Allen.

© Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Although the Nittany Lions wouldn’t find the scoreboard again, they did manage to set off some final fireworks on the last possession of the game.

In his first substantial appearance of the year, true freshman Corey Smith sprung a 78-yard run, nearly breaking it loose for a score. Smith finished 95 yards on the night, second highest on the team.

Final Stats

Penn State:

• Total yards –  486
• Rushing yards – 266
• Passing yards – 220
• Average yards per play – 6.9

Individual leaders:

• Passing – Drew Allar: 20-28, 220 yards, 1 touchdown
• Rushing – Kaytron Allen: 20 rushes, 98 yards, 1 touchdown
• Receiving – Harrison Wallace: 5 receptions, 84 yards
• Tackles – Jaylen Reed: 7 tackles (5 solo), 1 interception

Washington:

• Total yards – 193
• Rushing yards – 74
• Passing yards – 119
• Average yards per play – 3.4

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.