STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State’s offense got off to a slow start. Once Drew Allar got rolling, the No. 10 Nittany Lions couldn’t be stopped.
The junior quarterback threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, and No. 10 Penn State beat Kent State 56-0.
Tyler Warren, Nick Singleton, Liam Clifford, Omari Evans and Khalil Dinkins caught touchdown passes as the Nittany Lions (3-0) set a program record with 718 total yards of offense, held the Golden Flashes to just 67 yards and six first downs and forced 10 punts.
Penn State’s previous total offense record had stood since 1926 when the Nittany Lions had 707 against Susquehanna.
“Probably the most important thing,” Penn State coach James Franklin said, “is our veteran players played well enough to get a ton of guys in the locker room on the field who deserve to play. That’s going to be great film for us to learn from.”
The Nittany Lions started with a turnover on their first drive, but scored on six of their next seven possessions to quickly pull away in the final nonconference game for both teams.
It was an even worse start for Kent State.
After losing 71-0 a week ago to No. 7 Tennessee, the Golden Flashes lost their top two quarterbacks to apparent serious injuries early in the first half.
Starter Devin Kargman was stretchered off after he was sacked from behind by Dani Dennis-Sutton on the second play of the game. Kargman went down knees first and grabbed at his right thigh as he writhed in pain.
Backup JD Sherrod needed to be helped off after suffering an apparent non-contact ankle injury early in the second quarter. Tommy Ulatowski took over at quarterback and finished 0 for 6.
Kargman was taken to a hospital and was in the emergency room as coach Kenni Burns took questions from reporters. Sherrod was seen in a walking boot and on crutches.
Burns said he’d have more information about both quarterbacks on Monday.
“There’s going to be a physical element to it, and you’re going to get banged up here and there,” Burns said. “This game was probably a little bit more than normal, but I thought our guys kept battling.”
But by the time Ulatowski took over, Penn State had shaken off any rust that might’ve accumulated during its bye week.
After Beau Pribula was intercepted to end Penn State’s first possession, Allar retook the reins and directed the Penn State offense down the field in big chunks. He found Warren over the middle from 16 yards out to make it 7-0 late in the first quarter.
Warren tossed a touchdown of his own, this one a quick dump off to Singleton who ran in untouched for a 17-yard score that made it 14-0 with 5:49 to play in the first half.
Allar found a wide-open Clifford for a 14-yard touchdown pass on Penn State’s next possession, then capped a 44-second possession with a 5-yard touchdown run that made it 28-0 at halftime. He yielded the offense to Pribula after extending the lead to 35-0 with a 59-yard dart to Evans early in the third.
Allar completed 17 of 21 passes for 309 yards.
Pribula played most of the second half at quarterback for Penn State. He hooked up with Dinkins over the middle late in the third then directed two more scoring drives. Cam Wallace capped the first with a 1-yard touchdown run and Pribula added another short score in the final two minutes.
Well wishes
Dennis-Sutton said he realized Kargman was in trouble as other players motioned toward the Kent State sideline for medical staff.
He said he had to refocus afterward, saying it was tough to see a fellow competitor stretchered off.
“You obviously never want to see anybody’s career go down or purposefully take anyone out,” Dennis-Sutton said. “It’s a violent sport. It happens to people all the time. Obviously I hope their quarterbacks, all their players are okay.”
The takeaway
Kent State: The Golden Flashes started much better than they did last week when they allowed 37 points in the first quarter to Tennessee. They were able to hold Penn State to seven in this one, but had little chance once Kargman and Sherrod went down. They already lost starting running back Gavin Garcia to an offseason injury and may now have to start the MAC season with their third-string QB.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions have had a habit of starting slow, but once Allar gets into a rhythm behind star tailbacks Singleton and Kaytron Allen, Andy Kotelnicki’s offense becomes very hard to defend. Not only can Allar make all the throws, he’s clicked with most of his receivers thus far. Warren has been a star for a long time, but the emergence of Evans as a deep threat could give this group another dimension.
Up next
Kent State: Hosts Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
Penn State: Hosts No. 24 Illinois on Saturday.
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