A Penn State Freshman Earns Redemption on Special Teams

Luke Reynolds blamed himself for Minnesota's blocked punt. He might have saved Penn State's season on a fake punt.

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Luke Reynolds (85) runs after a fake punt against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

MINNEAPOLIS | The Penn State freshman felt like one at halftime Saturday against Minnesota. Luke Reynolds couldn't quite contain the Gophers' Derek LeCaptain in punt protection, allowing a crucial first-half block that Minnesota quickly spun into a touchdown. Reynolds swatted his helmet and later walked to the locker room at halftime feeling tense and responsible. That's where Penn State center Nick Dawkins played the role of in-game therapist.

"Something happens, you hang your head a little bit, think about it, but what can you control about the situation? Nothing, it’s already happened," Dawkins said after the game. "What I can control is the plays I have available for the future. So me and him talked a little bit, and once he got it out of his system he said, 'Alright, let's make plays, let's get it back.' And that was pretty impressive to see."

Reynolds certainly got it back, converting a first down on the nerviest fake punt Penn State has called in years. The tight end ran for 32 yards on 4th-and-1, converting coach James Franklin's timeliest bit of chance-taking in Penn State's 26-25 win over Minnesota. It was one of three fourth downs that Penn State converted on a 12-play, 72-yard drive that consumed the game's final 5:48 and propelled the Nittany Lions one step closer to hosting a first-round game in the College Football Playoff.

And the play was puntcuated by a freshman who missed a block, a walk-on who made a call and a block and another freshman who also made a block. It was a play Franklin said had been "cooking" and "marinating" since training camp, one the Nittany Lions had called a handful of times but had not pulled the trigger for while on the field. The Nittany Lions needed the right moment, the right look and perhaps a freshman in need of redemption.

Reynolds was a centerpiece of Penn State's 2024 recruiting class, a 5-star player from Westford, Mass., who has emerged as a key player at the position alongside Tyler Warren and Khalil Dinkins. Reynolds has grown his role over the past month, catching a touchdown pass last week against Purdue, and taking more responsibility Saturday at Minnesota with receiver Julian Fleming out of the lineup. He's also part of Penn State's three-player punt-protection line with fellow freshman Cooper Cousins and offensive lineman Dominic Rulli.

In the first half, Reynolds caught a hot rush from Minnesota's LeCaptain, who got a hand on Riley Thompson's punt and set up the Gophers with exceptional field position. They scored on the next offensive play to take a 17-10 lead. Reynolds was hard on himself after the play.

"Luke, going into halftime, he was down on himself for that blocked punt," Dawkins said. "And he got in the locker room and refocused his mindset, which was very veteran-like and very mature, especially for a true freshman. And I was very impressed with that. He fixed his mindset, he said, 'I’m going to make a play, I’m going to get it back,' and that’s exactly what he did."

THE PUNT IS BLOCKED! HUGE PLAY FOR MINNESOTA. pic.twitter.com/P74tZ2PvhJ

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 23, 2024

In the fourth quarter, Penn State faced 4th-and-1 from its 34-yard line with 3:47 remaining. Both Dawkins and running back Nick Singleton said they didn't even know that Franklin had called for the fake punt. Dawkins was on the bench with an iPad, readying to watch clips of Minnesota's defensive front. Then he heard the noise and saw Reynolds running downfield.

"Ooh, OK, there you go, get your helmet back on," Dawkins said.

Franklin said he made the call to finish the game with the ball and on his team's terms. It helped that Minnesota sent out its punt-return unit. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said it didn't matter which return team was on the field and that he felt his group had the gaps covered. In that moment, the call to run the fake or punt falls to Rulli, a walk-on offensive lineman who centers Penn State's three-player protection line.

Rulli liked what he saw and signaled for the fake. Long-snapper Tyler Duzansky slanted his snap toward his right to Reynolds, who took off behind blocks from Rulli and Cousins. Reynolds turned a short gain into 32 yards, prompting a smile from fellow tight end Tyler Warren, who did know the fake was on. The play set up Warren's game-ending play, an 11-yard catch on 4th-and-1.

"I knew they had it going in and saw they kept it on, and it was just a great play by Luke," Warren said. "He’s capable of making plays like that, and that was just the first one of many for him down the road in his Penn State career."

More Penn State Football

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What we learned from Penn State's wild win at Minnesota

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