The Penn State Football Report Card: USC Edition

The Nittany Lions clawed back from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat the Trojans in overtime.

Penn State kicker Ryan Barker (94) is congratulated by Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Cooper Cousins (50) and punter Riley Thompson (95) as he gestures "good night" after hitting the winning field goal in overtime to defeat the USC Trojans. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES | After Penn State's breathtaking overtime win against USC on Saturday, coach James Franklin recommended a movie. Fitting with the Hollywood signing looming beyond Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

"You guys ever see the movie Soul Plane? In this group, probably not," Franklin said after the game. Take a peek at it. Soul Plane. That’s what it will be like on the ride home."

Penn State sprayed the celebration of its 33-30 overtime victory over the Trojans in multiple directions. Walk-on kicker Ryan Barker, in his second career start, did the Steph Curry sleep move after making the game-winning field goal, his fourth of the day, in overtime. "To me, that's what our country is about," Franklin said.

Safety Jaylen Reed wept in his head coach's arms after making the interception that forced overtime. "I was so overwhelmed just with how proud I am," Reed said. "It was more of a quiet cry. I’m the type of guy who’s always poking everybody else and making sure they don’t cry. It got to me. It just happened. Stuff like that, winning that type of game, gutsy game like that, made me super happy."

And a few Penn State players planted a flag at midfield of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a move Franklin quickly shut down. The scene was manic, buffeted by a huge collection of Penn State fans who more than dotted the stadium and who came alive during USC's second-half offensive possessions. In all, a memorable afternoon for the Nittany Lions, who beat USC in California for the first time.

Penn State plants flag at LA Coliseum pic.twitter.com/hA4l7SZMaJ

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 12, 2024

With that, the report card.

RELATED: No. 4 Penn State remains unbeaten, stuns USC in overtime

OFFENSE: A-

Tight end Tyler Warren said he was exhausted after a 17-catch, 224-yard performance that set not only a Penn State record for receptions but also the record for catches against USC. Warren was uncoverable, unstoppable and touched the ball twice on Penn State's turning-point play. On the first drive of the second half, Warren snapped the ball to Beau Pribula from an unbalanced line, ran a seam route and caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Drew Allar (to whom Pribular had thrown). As Warren said, the play exemplified Penn State offensive coordinator's pregame ethos. "That was something we preached all week," Warren said, "not playing conservative, being aggressive, so I thought we did a great job with that."

Quarterback Drew Allar shook off two tough interceptions, the second after Penn State had tied the game, to lead the offense to 10 fourth-quarter points. He completed two fourth-and-long throws to Julian Fleming, who shook off a drop that he said "definitely was a big hit to the chest." Allar went 30 for 43 for 391 yards and two touchdowns and led second-half scoring drives of 75, 90, 72 and 75 yards. For an offense that managed just six first-half points after reaching the USC red zone twice, the finish was a testament to their belief in coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.

DEFENSE: B

USC confused and frustrated Penn State's offense in the first half with the combination performance of Woody Marks and Quinten Joyner, who cut all over the Nittany Lions' back seven. Joyner recorded the longest offensive play against Penn State this season, a 75-yard touchdown run, and Marks rushed for 111 yards, 70 in the first half. But the Nittany Lions recalibrated, got key third-quarter stops and most importantly, held USC to a field goal after Allar was intercepted on a short field. Reed's interception ended the final possession that USC mangled by calling no timeouts, and Dani Dennis-Sutton made an assertive tackle for loss in overtime to force USC into a field-goal attempt, which kicker Michael Lantz missed. USC scored just six points on Allar's first two interceptions, which proved to be the Penn State defense's most substantial stat of the day.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Kicker Ryan Barker is a tremendous story. The redshirt freshman walk-on became the first Division I football player in Kennett High School history. He challenged Sander Sahaydak for the starting job in training camp (Franklin even said that Barker initially won it) before ceding the Game 1 start to Sahaydak. But Barker has been money in his two starts, both against the Big Ten's California schools. He went 4-for-4 against the Trojans, hitting from 34, 33, 20 and 36 yards. Nothing fancy but enormously clutch considering the circumstances. Franklin ran Penn State's overtime series largely intending to give Barker the last play. "It’s exactly how I pictured it in my head whenever I would think about it, even as a kid," Barker said. "It was just an awesome feeling to be able to do it."

Afterward, Franklin hugged his kicker during the postgame interview, which CBS edited to remove a bit of exuberance.

"I'm just so proud of him. He came to Penn State as a walk-on, busted his a**. Opportunity knocks. He took it."@JennyDell_ caught up with @PennStateFball coach James Franklin and kicker Ryan Barker after his overtime game-winner pic.twitter.com/YrjfFuQ9Tq

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 12, 2024

On underrated special teams stats: Punter Riley Thompson put both attempts inside the 20 and, more importantly, prevented USC's Zachariah Branch from attempting a return.

COACHING: B+

Kotelnicki had a superb day, from his wildly enteraining opening drive that included multiple formations, Warren in the Wildcat and the everpopular Vege Ioane pulling play, to his final improvised series of regulation. The decision to go, and remain, aggressive paid dividends, as did the decision to go for a 4th-and-7 with 4:27 and two timeouts remaining. Further, Kotelnicki put Warren into a zone and kept him there, designing series around the nation's most dynamic tight end.

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen had another rough start against USC's movement but, as usual, rose in the third quarter. Penn State had not allowed a third-quarter point before Saturday; that the defense allowed only a field goal after Allar's short-field interception in the third quarter was a pivotal moment. And overall, Franklin and his staff mooted the West Coast travel conversation.

OVERALL: A-

This was the most entertaining Penn State game in years, one with lead changes, explosive plays on both sides, tension, surprising coaching moves, and Tyler Warren. "I'm going to take it and run to the airport," Franklin said. Good decision.