Penn State uses all three phases of the game to dominate UMass

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Undefeated Penn State returned to Beaver Stadium on a rainy and sluggish Saturday evening to welcome in UMass for the second time in program history.

The blue and white thrived on all three phases of the game to knock out UMass with a 63-0 victory before it faces No. 3 Ohio State in Week 8. This marks the second time in 2023 that a Manny Diaz-led defense has shut out an opposing team at home.

As the rain began to subside, UMass won the coin toss and elected for Penn State to receive the opening kickoff.

Nicholas Singleton returned the kick to the 30-yard line as the Nittany Lions traveled 39 yards before they gave up their first offensive turnover of 2023. Harrison Wallace III caught a quick slant pass and tucked it away before the Minutemen punched it out.

Penn State’s defense came to play and forced an immediate punt after Dani Dennis-Sutton and Adisa Isaac combined for a sack.

Both teams’ special teams got in their respective reps as the offenses could not work past the brick wall the defenses put in place.

As the first quarter winded down, Daequan Hardy turned the tide with a punt return for a 56-yard touchdown. Hardy’s first-ever punt return was also Penn State’s first punt return for a score since 2020.

The Nittany Lions continued to build on that spark from Hardy with an eight-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that featured an Allar brotherly shove. Allar found Wallace III earlier in the drive for a 21-yard strike, the longest passing play of the first half.

The defense forced another stop, which Kaytron Allen came into the game and made sure to cash in on. With six minutes before halftime, Allen bulldozed his way in for a score as he accounted for 44 of Penn State’s 80 yards on the touchdown drive.

A punt return and two rushing touchdowns later, it was time for Penn State to score through the air. Singleton set the offense up at the seven-yard line for Allar to loft one over the defense and into the arms of Tyler Warren in the end zone as time ticked away in the first half.

28-0, the home team walked into the locker room with everything going its way, including a defensive shutout on the scoreboard and stat sheet. Penn State’s defense held UMass to 26 yards and two first downs while producing five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

Right out of the gates, the defense imposed its will on the Minutemen to give the ball back to their offense.

As they did all night long, Allar and the offense flourished off of the defense’s successes to put points on the scoreboard. First down and five from the Minutemen’s 30-yard line, Allar stepped up into the pocket to drive the ball to a wide-open Theo Johnson down the field and go up 35-0.

UMass was still on the hunt for its first score of the day, and after it gained a first down, Devon Ellies blew up a run to force a fourth down.

Allar captured one last offensive score on the day as he found Johnson at the goal line, who leaped over a defender and into the end zone to go up by 42 points. Allar ended the day with 16 completions, 163 yards and three touchdowns after the bye week.

While the starters for the offense were calling it a day, Penn State’s special teams weren’t finished yet. Hardy got one more chance at a punt return, and with it, he took the ball 68 yards to the house to put the Nittany Lions up 49-0.

Despite the starting offense off the field, the offensive unit remained relentless, with Beau Pribula leading the way.

Pribula came in at the start of the fourth quarter after a Keaton Ellis interception set Penn State up at the UMass 49-yard line. The redshirt freshman burst through the defense for an explosive 15-yard run and prop Trey Potts up for a two-yard rushing touchdown.

As the Nittany Lion faithful headed home for the night, Tank Smith drew everyone back to the game with a 39-yard run. Pribula followed that up with a 31-yard touchdown run to add to an already one-sided affair midway through the final quarter.

Head coach James Franklin leads his team to a 63-0 victory over the Minutemen to improve to 6-0 on the season and grab his fourth career win off the bye week.

Micheal Bolger is a third-year broadcast journalism major. To contact him, email mpb6233@psu.edu.