Penn State 27, UCLA 11: Breakdown of the Nittany Lions' Big Ten Victory

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar threw one touchdown pass and ran for a score as the Nittany Lions move to 5-0.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar pushes his way into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State quarterback Drew Allar threw one touchdown pass and ran for another, leading the No. 7 Nittany Lions to a 27-11 victory over UCLA on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The first game between the teams since 1968 was a rather formulaic grind, with Penn State's defense largely taking control against a limited offense playing with a backup quarterback.

Penn State also played with an offensive leader, as running back Nicholas Singleton did not play for the first time in his career. Without their leading rusher, the Nittany Lions labored to run the ball, finishing with 85 yards rushing, by far a season low.

Penn State moves to 5-0 with a trip to USC on deck. Here's the Penn State-UCLA recap from Beaver Stadium.

The turning point

This came early but was a decisive moment for Penn State's defense. On 4th-and-1 from the Penn State 23-yard line, UCLA rushed 220-pound back T.J. Harden up the middle. Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley met him there, shutting down Harden in what amounted to a 1-on-1 drill. The stop got Penn State's defense off the field before allowing its third game-opening touchdown drive of the season.

Prior to that, UCLA quarterback Justyn Martin, making his first start since high school, had moved the offense well. He completed his first five passes of that opening drive, as UCLA offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy clearly had a plan to give Martin the opportunity to complete quick, timed throws. Wheatley's stop, though, previewed what would become a theme: stalled UCLA drives. The Bruins got into Penn State territory three times but produced only a field goal. The Nittany Lions also got a stop at their own 7-yard line.

Further, Penn State's defense seized the game in the third quarter, when UCLA compiled minus-9 yards of offense. Ends Dani Dennis-Sutton and Amin Vanover generated consistent pressure, with Dennis-Sutton breaking up two passes on the rush.

The Bruins did put together a late touchdown drive against most of Penn State's second-team defense, scoring with 16 seconds remaining. The Nittany Lions called two timeouts on the final series attempting to prevent the touchdown.

Penn State goes without Nicholas Singleton

Singleton, Penn State's leading rusher and scorer, did not play after being listed as questionable on the Big Ten availability report. Singleton had played in 30 consecutive games before Saturday.

Penn State coach James Franklin said that he expected Singleton to play, but after warmups, running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider and head athletic trainer Andy Mutnam informed Franklin that Singleton would not be able to go. Singleton participated in warmups and was in uniform for the game but did not have a helmet after Penn State's opening series.

Singleton entered the game averaging 102 rushing yards per game and 7.7 per carry. In Singleton's place, true freshman Quinton Martin Jr. joined Kaytron Allen in the backfield. The Nittany Lions also ran several plays with backup quarterback Beau Pribula and tight end Tyler Warren in the Wildcat.

Without Singleton, Penn State labored to run the ball. Penn State finished with 85 yards rushing, the first time it has been held to under 200 this season. Penn State entered the game averaging 251 yards rushing per game, which ranked ninth nationally. Kaytron Allen, who scored on a 1-yard run, finished with 78 yards on 21 carries, which tied a career-high.

Drew Allar's superb stretch

After an erratic offensive start, Penn State put together a 16-play, 82-yard drive that Allar capped by compressing himself into a diamond. Allar scored the touchdown on his second sneak ("tush push," if you like) of the drive, during which he also hit a crisp downfield pass to Clifford. The 26-yard completion on 3rd-and-11 catalyzed an offense that had 28 first-half yards.

Allar began the game 2-for-4 passing for 9 yards but found a groove on Penn State's third series. He completed passes on three consecutive plays, including the long conversion to Clifford, and also scrambled to convert a third down. During a 16-minute stretch of the second ahd third quarters, Allar completed 10 consecutive passes, converting six first downs and a touchdown to Warren late in the first half.

As a result, Penn State scored on four consecutive possessions. Allar finished 17-for-24 for 237 yards. Receiver Liam Clifford caught three passes for a career-high 107 yards, including a 57-yarder in the second half.

Vega Ioane becomes a star

Penn State has motioned offensive guard Vega Ioane from the slot occasionally this season. On Saturday, the FOX cameras caught the 350-pound guard in action. And made him a star.

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

OL Olaivavega Ioane in motion just mad a MASSIVE hit 😳@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/W6HqpBXiEa

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 5, 2024

A new kicker

Ryan Barker, a redshirt freshman walk-on from Kennett (Pa.) High, successfully took over as Penn State's field-goal kicker. Barker went 2-for-2, making kicks from 25 and 40 yards. The 40-yarder, from the right hashmark, gave Penn State a 27-3 lead in the fourth quarter. Barker replaced Sander Sahaydak, who missed a pair of 40-yarders against Illinois.

Injury updates

Offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh left the game in the first quarter and did not return. Nolan Rucci replaced Donkoh on the right side. Meanwhile, guard Sal Wormley, injured last week against Illinois returned to the lineup.

Receiver/punt returner Kaden Saunders was not available for the Nittany Lions. Saunders handled punt returns through the first four games but did not play receiver. Franklin said that Saunders sustained an injury in training camp that limited his ability to return punts, so he mostly fair-caught balls. In his place, Jake Spencer (who returned punts at Colgate two years ago) and Zion Tracy handled the role. Tracy entered in the second half to return punts from favorable field positions.

Up next

Penn State visits USC for its first Big Ten road game of the season. Kickoff for the Oct. 12 game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.