MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 8-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions showcased their prowess with a commanding 34-12 victory over West Virginia before a packed crowd of 62,084 at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This marked Penn State’s first visit to Morgantown since 1992, resembling the dominant performances of their historic teams that frequently triumphed over the Mountaineers.
West Virginia coach expressed disappointment in his team’s performance, acknowledging, “Bottom line is we played poorly, but credit Penn State. Today was just not good enough to beat a team like Penn State.”
Quarterback Drew Allar delivered an impressive display, completing 11 of 17 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns, alongside 44 yards gained on six scrambles. Allar capitalized on West Virginia’s defensive vulnerabilities, connecting for three first-half touchdown passes, two of which were caught by Harrison Wallace III.
Wallace opened the scoring just seconds into the second quarter, sprinting 50 yards into the end zone on an Allar pass. Although a two-point conversion pass from backup quarterback Beau Pribula failed, the momentum remained with Penn State. A few minutes later, Allar found running back Kaytron Allen for a 20-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 13-0.
West Virginia’s first points came after a more promising drive, resulting in a 38-yard field goal after a 10-play, 55-yard series. The Mountaineers managed to cut the deficit to 13-6 with a 39-yard field goal moments before halftime.
However, just before the break, Penn State capitalized on a squib kick. With just seconds remaining, Allar connected with Omari Evans for a 55-yard gain. Shortly after, Wallace secured an 18-yard touchdown catch, increasing the lead to 20-6 by halftime.
Following a lengthy weather delay, the game resumed with Penn State continuing their offensive surge. Singleton scored a 40-yard touchdown, putting the Lions ahead 27-6. West Virginia responded with a touchdown, but failed to convert the two-point attempt, making it a 27-12 game.
Yet, Penn State quickly reasserted their dominance. Following a 76-yard scoring drive, they added a touchdown pass from Pribula to tight end Tyler Warren.
Overall, Penn State outgained West Virginia 457 yards to 246, highlighting the Nittany Lions’ strong running game, which totaled 222 yards. Singleton led all rushers with 114 yards on just 13 carries.
West Virginia’s quarterback Greene finished with 161 yards on 15-of-28 passing before being replaced in the fourth quarter. Notably, freshman linebacker led the Mountaineers with 10 tackles in his debut.
This game concluded a two-game series against Penn State, who now holds a commanding series record of 50-9-2 against West Virginia. The Mountaineers (0-1) will return to Milan Puskar Stadium next Saturday to face Albany, while Penn State will open their season at home against Bowling Green next weekend.