They’ve had lackluster performances the week after losses to Ohio State and Michigan and stumbles against lesser teams.
The Penn State Nittany Lions vowed there was not going to be a hangover Saturday night and there wasn’t.
One week after falling to the Buckeyes, Penn State dominated Washington from the start in a 35-6 thumping in the annual White Out Game at Beaver Stadium.
It was as impressive and as thorough a victory as the Lions have had in the game immediately following a loss to Ohio State or Michigan since James Franklin became coach in 2014.
“Everybody did their job,” defensive end Abdul Carter said. “We all played together. We just wanted to come out and respond this week after not having it go our way last week. That’s what we did.”
Carter and other Penn State stars enjoyed a terrific night.
He was a one-man wrecking crew with four of his six tackles coming in the Washington backfield, including two sacks. He leads the Big Ten with 15.5 tackles for loss and is second with eight sacks. It looks like he’s adjusted well to his new position.
“Ever since he’s stepped on campus, he’s been dominant,” linebacker Kobe King said. “He’s a great player and a great person. They (opponents) gotta game plan for him. His demeanor and his energy are infectious.”
Jaylen Reed made his third interception of the season and seven tackles. The Lions held the Huskies to season lows in points and total yards (193).
“It was important for us to get back to where we’ve been and to get to where we’re trying to go,” King said. “We needed to make a statement. I think we did that today.”
So did the offense, one week after another disappointing outing against Ohio State.
Penn State scored touchdowns on its first four possessions to take a 28-0 halftime lead and demoralize Washington. The Lions hadn’t scored TDs on their first two series all season, let alone four.
Drew Allar was sharp, completing 20-of-28 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown. Tyler Warren scored two rushing touchdowns and caught eight passes for 75 yards to become Penn State’s single-season leader in catches and receiving yards by a tight end.
“To be in that conversation with as many great tight ends who have played here and who I’ve played with is special to me,” Warren said. “Knowing the guys who have been here and how talented Penn State tight ends are, that’s why it means so much to me.”
Penn State rushed for 266 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry behind Kaytron Allen, true freshman Corey Smith and Nick Singleton, the former Gov. Mifflin star who ran seven times for 45 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards.
Singleton also returned the second-half kickoff for an apparent 97-yard touchdown, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty. He did not play the final 1.5 quarters and was in the locker room when the game ended.
Franklin declined to explain his absence, perhaps because of his policy on injuries.
Before he left the game, Singleton contributed to Penn State’s best offensive performance of the season. The Lions converted their first seven third downs.
“Our guys played exceptionally well, specifically in the first half,” Franklin said.
The Lions moved up to fourth in The Associated Press Top 25 Sunday and moved closer to nailing down a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
They played Washington with a chip on their shoulders after the loss to Ohio State. They understood their hopes for this season were far from over.
“If we lost that game (to Ohio State) the last two years, it probably would have ended our season,” Carter said. “College football is different this year, and that one game is not going to derail our season.
“We just had to bounce back, come back and get better. That’s what we did.”
