Penn State shows off smothering defense, precision passing in win over UCLA

Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

What began as a relatively packed crowd at Beaver Stadium on Saturday was thinned to a sparse gathering of contented friends long before the final buzzer. More than 110,000 strong had flooded to Penn State’s campus for a highly anticipated showcase between the seventh-ranked Nittany Lions and UCLA, the stylishly outfitted newcomers to the Big Ten who’d traveled thousands of miles for what proved to be a rather rude awakening against a team poised to contend for the College Football Playoff.

Penn State improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference with an emphatic 27-11 win over the Bruins in which they never trailed. The combination of a smothering defensive effort that limited UCLA to just 260 yards of total offense and the surgical accuracy of quarterback Drew Allar, who completed 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, was more than enough to fend off the shorthanded Bruins, who were without their starting quarterback, starting center and best wide receiver. The absence of Penn State tailback Nicholas Singleton, who was sidelined for precautionary reasons, hardly mattered on an afternoon when fellow running back Kaytron Allen carried 21 times for 78 yards and a score.

The Nittany Lions will now travel to No. 11 USC next weekend for a marquee conference battle.

Here are some quick takeaways from the game:

Early difference

There were pockets of restlessness amid the striped-out crowd at Beaver Stadium on Saturday when a Nittany Lion offense that labored at times during last week’s 21-7 win over then-No. 19 Illinois only gained 21 yards on its first two possessions against UCLA, both of which ended in punts. The Penn State faithful knew their team was favored by more than four touchdowns over a middling opponent that was making its second cross-country flight in the last three weeks and fully expected to dominate from the outset. They wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

As if flipping a switch, first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki — formerly of Kansas — quickly incorporated all of the creativity, sleight of hand and formational variety that made him one of the most sought-after playcallers in the country once Penn State took the field for the third time. What followed was a 16-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that melted more than eight minutes off the clock and included a bit of something for everyone. There was a laser-like post pass from Allar to wideout Liam Clifford; a quarterback keeper in which Allar lumbered forward to move the chains; a third-down “tush push” that would have made the Philadelphia Eagles proud; an offensive lineman that went in motion not once, but twice, to help flatten UCLA in the running game; a quarterback sneak for a punishing score.

That touchdown drive gave way to another on Penn State’s subsequent possession, this time traversing 75 yards in eight plays as Allar tore through a porous Bruins secondary for back-to-back-to-back completions of 24 yards, 12 yards and 25 yards, the last of which maneuvered Kotelnicki’s offense into the red zone. It wasn’t long before Allar flipped a short pass to tight end Tyler Warren for another score that extended his team’s lead to 14-3 with 0:20 remaining in the half.

Penn State’s Drew Allar connects with Tyler Warren for a 5-yard touchdown

 Play of the game

The graphic that flashed across the screen near the start of the third quarter on Saturday captured just how dominant Penn State’s defense has been in the second halves of games this season. Under the direction of coordinator Tom Allen, who arrived after Manny Diaz left to become the head coach at Duke, the Nittany Lions have only allowed nine total points and 248 yards after halftime against West Virginia, Bowling Green, Kent State and Illinois combined. It’s a testament to both the talent Penn State has on defense and Allen’s keen ability to make influential adjustments in real time.

The statistics rang true once again during a dismantling of the Bruins in which UCLA’s opening drive of the second half became emblematic of the dysfunction to come. After receiving the second-half kickoff, UCLA proceeded to lose 16 yards on its opening possession courtesy of a run play for minus-two, another run that gained zero and a costly third-down strip sack in which quarterback Justyn Martin was fortunate to fall on his own fumble.

That the sack came from someone other than game-wrecking edge rushers Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton speaks to just how many threats Allen has at his disposal. It was safety Jaylen Reed who careened across the line of scrimmage untouched to wrangle Martin at the 3-yard line and force a fumble that prompted UCLA to punt. When Penn State added a field goal on its ensuing possession — a score that pushed the lead to 17-3 — the game was all but over given the Bruins’ incompetency on offense.

Key stat

A bolt of excitement rippled through the UCLA sideline when tailback Keegan Jones exploded through the line of scrimmage for a 22-yard carry in the early moments of the fourth quarter, pushing the Bruins into the red zone for just the second time all afternoon. The drive would later end in deflating fashion with a brutal turnover on downs that helped seal Penn State’s win.

But as invigorating as Jones’ run was moments earlier, the breakthrough represented little more than a flash in the pan against a ferocious Penn State defense that entered Saturday’s game ranked seventh in the country against the run by allowing just 72 yards per game. The sad and harsh reality for UCLA was that the 22-yard run from Jones nearly doubled the team’s rushing total for the entire game. They’d only managed to churn out 24 yards on the ground through three full quarters of play.

Such inefficiency further complicated the task for Martin, who started in place of the injured Ethan Garbers. Martin was a four-star prospect and the No. 20 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting cycle, a player whose scholarship list included offers from schools like Washington, Ole Miss, Michigan, Oregon and USC, among others. He completed two passes for 12 yards during his first two years with the Bruins combined.

With that level of inexperience at quarterback, there’s nothing head coach DeShaun Foster would have liked more than to settle Martin’s nerves through an effective rushing attack, the kind that can move the chains and help dictate time of possession. But play after play, attempt after attempt, the Bruins were rebuffed by one of the stoutest front sevens in the sport. They finished with 93 rushing yards on 29 attempts while only converting six times on third down.

What’s next for Penn State?

Over the last two seasons, head coach James Franklin has lost two games apiece to Ohio State and Michigan as the Nittany Lions were resigned to playing third fiddle in the Big Ten’s loaded East division. They were always good, sometimes great, but never quite exceptional enough to unseat the Buckeyes or Wolverines. Franklin’s record against everyone else during that same two-year span was a near-perfect mark of 21-1. After disposing of the Bruins on Saturday afternoon, the Nittany Lions will now experience the tradeoffs that come from life in an expanded and division-less version of the Big Ten. On one hand, Penn State will no longer be required to face Michigan and Ohio State every year — and its 2024 schedule is, somewhat conveniently, Wolverine-free. On the other hand, the conference’s second tier that used to belong almost exclusively to the Nittany Lions is now inhabited by far more dangerous opponents — and next week’s trip to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with No. 11 USC certainly fits the bill. Can Franklin continue his run of dominance against everyone other than Ohio State and Michigan? Or will powerful newcomers like USC and Oregon nudge Penn State even further down the conference’s pecking order?

UCLA Bruins vs. No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions Highlights

What’s next for UCLA?

A hellacious geographical and oppositional start to the season for the Bruins, who are navigating the Big Ten for the first time after exiting the Pac-12 over the summer, finally enters a momentary reprieve with a home game against struggling Minnesota next week. UCLA began its campaign with a long flight to Hawaii for a non-conference matchup that proved much tougher than expected and then vaulted into a grueling run of opponents that included Indiana, LSU (away), Oregon and, most recently, Penn State (away) — all of whom were ranked in the most recent AP Poll, and some of whom necessitated lengthy, cross-country flights. Foster and his team should have the chance to build some momentum during a string of forthcoming games that features mostly mid-level Big Ten opponents. Beginning with an Oct. 12 visit from the Gophers, who could slip to 0-3 in the conference if they lose to No. 11 USC on Saturday night, the Bruins will only face one ranked opponent for the remainder of the season based on the current rankings. More manageable games against Rutgers, Nebraska, Iowa, Washington and Fresno State await.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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