Penn State runs over Auburn

Penn State heard about Auburn’s vaunted ground game for the last week and showed the Tigers and the nation that it has one, too.

The 22nd-ranked Nittany Lions rushed for 245 yards and five touchdowns and pounded Auburn 41-12 before a capacity crowd of 87,451 Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Freshman Nick Singleton, the former Gov. Mifflin star, carried 10 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns and classmate Kaytron Allen ran for 52 yards and two scores as Penn State improved to 3-0 for the fifth time in six years.

Sean Clifford completed 12-of-17 passes for 159 yards and ran for a touchdown before giving way to freshman Drew Allar early in the fourth quarter. By then, many Auburn fans had exited.

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It was an impressive victory for the slightly favored Lions, who became the first Big Ten team to play and win at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn (2-1) allowed an average of 64.0 rushing yards against Mercer and San Jose State, but it’s safe to say the Tigers hadn’t faced backs as talented as Singleton and Allen.

After taking a 14-6 halftime lead, Penn State went to Singleton on its first three plays of the third quarter and he delivered. He ran for 53 yards to the Auburn 5 before finishing the drive with runs of 4 yards and 1.

Allen took his turn later in the third quarter when he ran four times for 30 yards, the last 6 for a touchdown that made it 31-6.

Then early in the third quarter, Singleton raced 54 yards for his second touchdown, sealing the victory.

Penn State’s defense also played superbly, forcing four turnovers and sacking quarterbacks T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford six times. Zakee Wheatley and Tig Brown had interceptions, Chop Robinson, Abdul Carter each had a forced fumble and Robinson and Jonathan Sutherland had fumble recoveries.

The Lions held Tank Bigsby, who had 102 yards last year at Beaver Stadium, to 39 yards on nine carries.

Jake Pinegar kicked field goals of 49 and 22 yards for the Lions.

Auburn scored the game’s first points after stopping Clifford on a sneak on fourth-and-1 from the Penn State 48. Finley completed a 24-yard pass to Shadrick Jackson on third-and-6 to the Lions’ 8.

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Penn State’s defense stiffened, PJ Mustipher getting a tackle for a 1-yard loss and Curtis Jacobs sacking Finley. Anders Carlson kicked a 31-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

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The Lions responded quickly with a nine-play, 75-yard drive. Clifford made a pretty throw to Mitchell Tinsley for a 10-yard pickup on third down and then found him again for a 34-yard gain. Two plays later, Clifford scored on a 7-yard quarterback draw for a 7-3 lead.

The Lions got their first takeaway when safety Jaylen Reed blitzed and hit Finley as he threw. Zakee Wheatley intercepted at the Penn State 23 on the final play of the first quarter.

The Lions picked up a first down but had to punt. Auburn drove from its 28 to the Penn State 10, converting a pair of third-and-long plays. For the second time in the half, the defense held its ground. Nick Tarburton made a stop for no gain on second down, and Wheatley and Marquise Wilson took down Jarquez Hunter at the 5.

Carlson booted a 22-yard field goal to cut Penn State’s lead to 7-6 with 6:59 left in the half

The Lions once again answered, driving 68 yards in 11 plays for their second touchdown. They did it with the help of a trick play, a 25-yard pass from wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith to Clifford, the first reception of his career.

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Three plays later, on third-and-goal, Kaytron Allen made a pretty cutback on a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:46 to go, another Penn State TD in the final two minutes of a half.

Clifford completed 9-of-13 passes for 117 yards, including four to tight end Brenton Strange for 47 yards. Allen was the leading rusher in the half with 22 yards on five carries.