- Penn State tight end Tyler Warren scores touchdown on ‘flag football’ trick play
- He also had 17 receptions to tie an FBS single-game record in the 33-30 victory.
Penn State tight end Tyler Warren scored a touchdown on what announcers described as a ‘flag football’ trick play in Saturday’s wild win over Southern California.
The deception began when Nittany Lions backup quarterback Beau Pribula took the field in the third quarter and Penn State at the USC 32-yard line. Starting quarterback Drew Allar lined up at wide receiver and, after a dramatic formation change prior to the snap, Warren ended up passing the ball to Pribula from the left end of the offensive line.
Confused, the USC defense was unable to catch Warren as he ran downfield after the snap. Pribula then passed the ball back to Allar, who delivered a perfect 34-yard pass to Warren.
The catch may have been even more impressive than the play itself, as Warren managed to score the touchdown despite being absolutely covered by Trojans safety Zion Branch.
Warren caught 17 passes to tie the FBS single-game record for tight ends, Ryan Barker kicked a 36-yard field goal in overtime and No. 4 Penn State rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half for a 33-30 victory. about USC.
Warren (in a circle) took the ball from the left end of the line before running downfield.
Warren managed to catch the TD despite being covered by Trojans safety Zion Branch.
Drew Allar threw for a career-high 391 yards and two touchdowns despite three interceptions for Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), which did not lead in the final 49 minutes of regulation. The Nittany Lions came back three times to tie the score in the final 20 minutes, including Nicholas Singleton’s 14-yard touchdown catch with 2:53 left.
Quentin Joyner scored two early touchdowns for the Trojans (3-3, 1-3), who have lost three of four. USC hasn’t beaten a top-five team since the Trojans beat No. 5 Penn State in a 52-49 thriller in a Rose Bowl in January 2017.
Warren had 224 yards and a touchdown, although his only reception after the third quarter was a 3-yard catch in overtime. The senior set a record for most receptions by an opponent in the 137-year history of USC football.
The Nittany Lions started their long road trip slowly, but finished impressively. After going up 3-0 on its first drive, Penn State never took the lead again in regulation and trailed 20-6 at halftime before its offense got moving.
Tyler Warren #44 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates his touchdown catch
USC’s Kyron Hudson caught a touchdown pass from Miller Moss with 5:56 left, but Allar converted two fourth downs with desperation passes for Penn State before Singleton was left alone for his tying catch.
USC drove to midfield in the final seconds, but curiously Lincoln Riley didn’t use timeouts to extend the Trojans’ drive before Jaylen Reed intercepted Moss with 5 seconds left.
USC moved back 3 yards on its first three plays of overtime before Michael Lantz missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. Penn State advanced to the 19th and Barker buried the winner.
Moss threw for 220 yards and two scores, while Joyner ran for a 75-yard touchdown in the first quarter and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter for the Trojans. Woody Marks rushed for 111 yards for USC.
Penn State had a healthy contingent of fans at the Coliseum for its first long drive in the new Big Ten and its longest drive for any regular-season game since 1991.
Warren caught 17 passes to tie the FBS single-game record for tight ends on Saturday.
But USC’s defense kept Penn State out of the end zone in the first half despite playing without injured linebacker Eric Gentry, its sack leader and second-leading tackler, and starting cornerback Jacobe Covington.
Joyner put the Trojans ahead early when he faked a reverse and rumbled 75 yards through the heart of the Penn State defense. Moments later, he added the first touchdown catch of his career.
Penn State responded to its 14-point halftime deficit with a touchdown throw from Allar to Warren. The Nittany Lions went on a 90-yard drive to tie the score moments later, with Kaytron Allen absorbing it.
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold’s interception led to USC’s third field goal late in the third, but Penn State tied it again with 10:50 left after its next drive stalled at the 3-yard line.