Step away from the 30,000 foot view and Saturday afternoon was fun for Penn State Football. Sure, you could nitpick if you want. Maybe you could talk about how No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1) simply did what they were supposed to do against a team like Purdue (1-9, 0-7). But even in taking care of business it *should* have been a fun game for Nittany Lions fans.
Penn State took the game by the throat right away and never let off the gas. That is what championship level teams do against teams like Purdue. It's ok to enjoy these victories.
Before we turn our focus to next Saturday's trip to Minnesota, let's get into some day after thoughts from Penn State's blowout victory over Purdue.
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Another Tyler Warren party
There are no words left to describe Tyler Warren and what he means to this Nittany Lion team. He is the most important weapon for Andy Kotelnicki's offense, one of the most versatile players in college football, and one of the best all-around players in the country.
Warren was Penn State's leading rusher on Saturday, averaging 21.0 yards per carry on a trio of rushes including a 48-yard touchdown run. He also led the team in receptions (8) and receiving yards (127). This included a double pass where Warren took the snap, threw it back to Drew Allar, and then streaked down the sideline for a 38-yard reception.
Warren also caught a touchdown in the victory, giving him 16 in his career a new Penn State record for tight ends.
It is crazy to say about a tight end, but there is a strong argument to be made for Warren being a legitimate Heisman contender. He does a little bit of everything while being the most important offensive weapon for a top-4 team. Expectations were high for Warren coming into the season, but no one could have expected him to be this good.
Warren is going to win the Mackey Award, and he should be in discussion for a trip to the Heisman Ceremony, too.
Best game of the season for Tony Rojas
Speaking of players who had high expectations entering the season, sophomore linebacker Tony Rojas was high on many people's lists for 2024 breakout candidates. Due in large part to injury, the 2024 season has not gone nearly as planned for Rojas. That said, on Saturday afternoon he played his best game of the season.
Rojas was all over the field for the Nittany Lion defense. He was consistently causing Purdue ball carries to have to change direction and he blew up multiple plays. While he was kept off the score sheet outside of batting a pass down, Rojas played as fast and physical as he has all season.
Abdul Carter wrecked the game
Abdul Carter dominating opposing offensive lines is nothing new. So, I guess you could say Carter was up to his old tricks in West Lafayette. Turning in another dominant performance, Carter finished with 5 tackles and a pair of tackles for a loss.
The stat sheet did not tell the entire story for Carter, though. Despite consistently being held, Carter was still wrecking plays with regularity. The countless uncalled holdings were the only reason Carter did not finish the game with multiple sacks.
Dani Dennis-Sutton looked healthy... and what it means
This was the healthiest Dani Dennis-Sutton has looked since he tweaked his leg against Wisconsin. With his highest snap count since the Wisconsin game, Dennis-Sutton had a sack and two tackles for a loss.
Getting Dennis-Sutton healthy helps add to how dangerous the Nittany Lion defense is. When Dennis-Sutton is healthy, it is much more difficult for opposing offenses to focus solely on blocking Carter. Improved play by Amin Vanover in recent weeks helps with this as well.
A healthy Dennis-Sutton, game wrecking Carter, and Vanvoer playing at the level he has in recent weeks creates a pass rush that can be very dangerous in the College Football Playoff.
Drew Allar continues to progress
How good was Drew Allar? Yes, Purdue's defense is certainly not good, but that does not take away from Allar's performance.
The junior quarterback was poised throughout the game, used his legs when necessary, and was in command of the offense. He finished the game 17/19, with one of his incompletions being a drop by Kaytron Allen, for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns. This included Allar going through his progressions to find a wide open Trey Wallace in the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown pass.
This was just the latest in a quickly growing list of strong performances by Allar this season. There is no denying that he has made some major strides in year two as QB1 in Happy Valley. Allar continuing to progress and become a better, more polished passer also adds to the threat that the Nittany Lions can pose in the College Football Playoff.
Let's talk punt returns
This might seem a bit off the wall but hear me out. Punt returns have been a struggle for Penn State this season. Neither Kaden Saunders nor Zion Tracy have generated much of anything in the punt return game and at times have cost the Nittany Lions yards by signaling fair catch and then failing to field the punt.
True freshman Tyseer Denmark got a 4th quarter opportunity to return a punt on Saturday afternoon. With the ball in his hands, Denmark looked smooth and natural picking up 16 yards on his punt return.
Denmark has now played in two games this season. Since postseason games do not count toward the four game threshold for players to preserve a redshirt, Denmark is guaranteed to redshirt at this point. With that in mind, why not let Denmark be the punt returner for the rest of the season?
The true freshman's return on Saturday was possibly the first, and certainly one of the few, this season where the Nittany Lion return make looked capable of and interested in making a play. As Daequan Hardy showed last season a strong punt returner can be a huge weapon for a team. With his redshirt now locked in, why not give Denmark a chance?
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