The first half against unranked USC did not go so well for No. 4 Penn State, but the Nittany Lions got the second half started with a bang.
The Nittany Lions went deep into their playbook to score a wild touchdown.
At USC’s 32-yard line, Penn State had backup quarterback Beau Pribula take a snap from tight end Tyler Warren. Yes, a tight end snapped the ball.
Tyler Warren (44) of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs with the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium Nov. 4, 2023, in College Park, Md. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
To make matters even more confusing, quarterback Drew Allar was lined up out wide, and the five offensive lineman were on the right side of Warren at the line of scrimmage.
The Lions seemed to be in a normal football formation, until everyone moved all over the place. Out of nowhere, Warren was snapping the ball with no linemen to his left.
So, Warren snapped it to Pribula, who threw a backward pass to Allar on his left. Then, Warren (remember, he hiked the ball) ran straight, and Allar hit him in the end zone for a wild touchdown catch.
The broadcast team said it looked like a “flag football” play.
Drew Allar of the Penn State Nittany Lions throws during the first half of a game against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Oct. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
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Warren also lined up at quarterback and running back in the game, making work a little more fun for offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
Penn State headed into the locker room at halftime trailing 20-6, but the trick play got momentum back on their side, and the game was tied at 20 at the time of publishing.
Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (44) is tackled by Southern California defensive tackle Gavin Meyer (91) during the first half Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
This is the highest Penn State has been ranked by the AP since they were No. 4 entering Week 6 of the 2021 season. USC has had a rude welcome to the Big Ten, losing road games to Michigan and Minnesota.
If USC can fight back, though, it would be the program’s biggest win in quite some time.
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