Penn State falls to Ohio State, marking its first loss of the season

The anticipated hype surrounding Penn State and Ohio State’s clash delivered as the Buckeyes handed the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season.

The teams traded blows in the first half. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard threw an interception and lost a fumble out of the endzone, though, he threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar also threw an interception, as the Buckeyes held him to 146 passing yards and didn’t throw a single touchdown in a 20-13 loss.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the matchup at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) got to the red zone three times. A pick and a couple of drives that stalled out hindered the Nittany Lions from building a lead on the Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1) in the first half.

Those struggles continued till close.

With eight minutes remaining, star tight end Tyler Warren made a contested grab for a first down. He also lined up at quarterback and took a 33-yard carry to the three-yard line.

Penn State proceeded to get stuffed on the same play three consecutive times before throwing it on fourth, but they exited the potential game-tying drive with no points. It was Penn State’s final possession before Ohio State took over and ran the clock down.

The Nittany Lions didn’t have much trouble getting to scoring territory, but they couldn’t convert in the endzone, leaving plenty of points on the board.

Beaver Stadium erupted when sophomore cornerback Zion Tracy fooled Howard for a pick-6. Though, the crowd went silent after Howard responded with a 25-yard passing touchdown to Emeka Egbuka.

It wasn’t a game-changing play, but the next drive, junior defensive end Abdul Carter and sophomore cornerback Elliot Washington ll bailed Ohio State out with an offsides and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, respectively.

Howard then hit receiver Brandon Inniss, turning a 10-7 deficit to a 14-10 lead. Howard had redeemed himself off the pick, until fumbling out of the end zone in the next drive. Penn State returned the favor to close the half with a jump-ball pick to Davison Igbinosun.

Carter hit a different level Saturday, having two third-down sacks. The linebacker’s increased burst was apparent throughout, and he was notably antsy prior to his offsides call.

He was one of many Nittany Lions who had major backfield contributions as the team combined for six tackles for loss.

“He’s a big time player,” Franklin said.

Next, Penn State will face Washington at home on Nov. 9.