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Penn State Takes Big Lead on Kent State, Which Loses 2 Quarterbacks

Drew Allar threw two first-half touchdown passes, and tight end Tyler Warren tossed another for the Nittany Lions.

Mark Wogenrich

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar looks to throw a pass during a warmup prior to the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar looks to throw a pass during a warmup prior to the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
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STATE COLLEGE | Penn State didn't produce a Tennessee-level first half against Kent State on Saturday, but the blowout is imminent. The No. 10 Nittany Lions lead Kent State 28-0 at halftime, guided by the Tyler Warren show.

Though they didn't match Tennessee's 65-point output of last week, the Nittany Lions lead comfortably at halftime. Kent State also is playing with its third-string quarterback, losing two in the first half to injuries. Takeaways from Penn State's first half against Kent State.

Tyler Warren takes center stage

This week, Penn State coach James Franklin repeated this statement: "I think Tyler Warren is the most complete tight end in the country." So why not showcase him? After his eight-catch performance against Bowling Green two weeks ago, the tight end got an upgrade to quarterback. He took two snaps, rushing once for 16 yards and throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Singleton.

Of course, Warren's catching passes too. He opened the scoring with his trademark seam-route score, then made this acrobatic grab on the sideline, taking a hit to the head in the process.

Warren made five first-half catches for 50 yards, and his 17 yards passing were just one fewer than Kent State. About the only thing Warren got wrong was dropping an easy red-zone toss on the Nittany Lions' final scoring series.

Kent State loses two quarterbacks

Kent State's offense struggled heavily in the first half, and the injuries didn't help. Devin Kargman, Kent State's starting quarterback, was wheeled off the field on the play's second game after injuring his right leg. The New Jersey native took a bruising, blind-side hit from Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and remained on the ground, clutching a knee.

JD Sherrod replaced Kargman and ran into more difficulties, taking two first-half sacks. With 4 minutes left in the first half, Sherrod took another hit and was helped off the field, favoring his left ankle. The No. 3 quarterback is Tommy Ulatowski, who started three games for Kent State last season.

Penn State's offense finds its groove

Penn State moved the ball with cold efficiency, rolling up 396 first-half yards. However, a funky pass attempt from backup quarterback Beau Pribula to Warren ended in an interception, and field position affected another series. The Nittany Lions began three first-half possession from its 11-, 3- and 10-yard lines, prompted by two Kent State punts in plus territory. The Nittany Lions turned two of those into scoring drives, and also put together a 79-yard touchdown series late in the first half.

Quarterback Drew Allar played an exceptionally precise first half, going 16-for-20 for 250 yards, two touchdowns and a 218 rating. He made one spectacular play, evading a rush, climbing the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield to find Omari Evans for 38 yards. It was an effortless throw. Allar also threw a touchdown pass to Liam Clifford and led the Nittany Lions on a 44-second scoring drive in the final minute of the half. He punctuated it with a 5-yard touchdown run.

Here's one example of Allar's precision, a dot to Julian Fleming on the final drive of the half.

Noteworthy

Nittany Lions linebacker Dom DeLuca was injured in the first half and did not return.

Defensive ends Abdul Carter and Dennis-Sutton recorded their first sacks of the season.

Penn State's offense was a crisp 4-for-5 on third down, one factor Franklin wanted to improve. The miss came as Allar avoided a blitz and threw the ball away.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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