What we learned from the Nittany Lions' overtime win over USC

It was over 60 exciting minutes of football in Los Angeles as Penn State defeated USC 33-30 on the road to improve to 6-0. The Nittany Lions had no chance in the first half, falling behind 20-6, but a rejuvenated offense came out of the locker room and engineered a thrilling comeback. Here’s what we learned from Penn State’s win.

Tyler Warren is unstoppable

Tyler Warren had a record-breaking performance against USC and almost single-handedly carried the Penn State offense. Warren hauled in 17 receptions for 224 yards and a touchdown, breaking Penn State's single-game receptions record set by DaeSean Hamilton with 14 catches against Ohio State in 2014. Warren's yardage total was second only to Jahan Dotson's 242 yards at Maryland in 2021.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki continued to provide touches to the playmaking tight end, including direct snaps and screens. Warren seemed to be lined up everywhere, including at tight end, fullback, wideout and quarterback.

The play of the day was when Warren lined up at the end of the line and grabbed the ball like a center. He then ran a go route downfield and made an outstanding catch over a defender for a 32-yard touchdown.

“I’ve talked about him being the best tight end in college football,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “But the reality is that he’s now in the conversation as one of the best players in all of college football.”

The career game brings Warren to 514 yards and four touchdowns on 40 receptions this season. “I threw the ball 17 times in high school, but when I got to college I just started catching balls, so it was fun,” Warren said.

The defense gives up big plays early and gets under control

After largely encouraging performances against Illinois and UCLA, Penn State's defense was exposed early by USC's playmakers. The Trojans' offensive duo of Woody Marks and Quinten Joyner gave Penn State's defense fits all day long. Joyner started the first quarter with a 75-yard touchdown run before following with a 9-yard touchdown reception out of the backfield.

Marks had the majority of the touches and rushed for 155 yards on 22 touches. Throughout the game, he managed to evade tackles and break through Penn State's defense. And quarterback Miller Moss had a solid performance and went mostly unscathed as Penn State only got one sack and didn't get much pressure overall.

Still, the Nittany Lions defense was tough when it mattered most. Allar's first two interceptions set USC up for short fields, but Penn State forced three-and-outs both times and limited the Trojans to field goals. Trailing 20-6 early in the third quarter, the defense held USC to two punts, giving the offense the opportunity to score two touchdowns and tie the game at 20-20.

In the final minute of regulation, Jaylen Reed snagged an interception to stop USC and force overtime. In overtime, the defense pushed the Trojans backwards, resulting in a missed field goal.

“My game was just great,” Reed said. “Thanks to (defensive coordinator Tom) Allen for preparing me and putting me in this position. I am very proud that the defense and the team are so resilient and play this courageous game.”

There will be some areas to address for Allen – most notably tackling – but the defense pulled together to stop the ball when it mattered most.

Drew Allar overcomes interceptions for a career game

It was a game of ups and downs for the Penn State quarterback, who weathered those dips exceptionally well. Allar tied his career-high number of interceptions with three picks (one on a Hail Mary on the final play), but also threw for a career-high 391 yards and led the Nittany Lions to a 14-point comeback victory.

Two of the interceptions were forced throws over the middle that led to USC points, but Allar made up for it with great throws in the second half to lead Penn State down the stretch. Penn State's game-winning performance was one of Allar's most exciting moments of his career. He threw two tosses to Julian Fleming to keep the drive alive, converted a four-and-7 and a four-and-10, and capped it off by finding a wide-open Nick Singleton in the flat for the game-winning touchdown .

Allar hasn't played many close games in his career, but his performance against USC was a testament to his leadership and late-game heroics that could serve the Nittany Lions very well in the future.

“What I probably love most about Drew, and it's probably reflective of our entire team, is that things weren't perfect for him today and he just hung in there,” Franklin said. “He discarded the bad plays and moved on. That’s what you have to do in college football.”

Ryan Barker is a real looker

Penn State may have found its starting kicker of the future. Redshirt freshman Ryan Barker made all four of his field goal attempts, including the game-winner in overtime. His reception against USC was just 36 yards and his reception this season is 40 yards, so he is untested from distance. But no field goal is a freebie in college football, and Barker has seemed reliable so far in his young career.

Franklin called him “Cold as Ice Barker” after his overtime winner. He said the way Barker took action when the opportunity presented itself was “what our country is all about.”

“It’s a testament to his confidence and his demeanor,” Allar said. “He’s the same person every day. I’m really happy for him that he was able to enjoy this moment.”

More Penn State football

What they said after the Penn State-USC game

The Penn State Football Report Card: USC Edition

Penn State manages to impress USC in overtime but remains undefeated

Sam Woloson has covered Penn State athletics for three years and is currently managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson