Freshman Nicholas Singleton ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns as Penn State won its home opener, beating Ohio 46-10 on Saturday afternoon in State College, Pa.
Singleton scored on runs of 70 and 44, getting his yardage on just 10 carries in becoming the first Nittany Lions’ 100-yard rusher since Keyvone Lee in November 2020.
Penn State (2-0) ran for 234 yards, its most in 13 games, while two quarterbacks threw touchdown passes. Sixth-year senior Sean Clifford was 19 of 27 for 213 yards with both a passing and rushing score and freshman Drew Allar was 6 of 8 for 88 yards and two TDs.
Clifford got the scoring going with a 1-yard keeper midway through the first quarter, capping a drive that saw him go 6 of 6 for 62 yards and gain 16 yards on the ground. Singleton made it 14-0 late in the first via a 70-yard run.
Penn State got its first safety since 2018 early in the second quarter, one play after punter Barney Amor had his punt downed at the 1-yard line.
Ten years after winning in Happy Valley to open the 2012 season, Ohio (1-1) was outgained 572-259.
The Bobcats trailed 19-0 late in the first half before getting on the scoreboard, using a pair of trick plays, including a throwback to quarterback Kurtis Rourke to set up Sieh Bangura’s 1-yard TD run with 1:34 left in the second.
Rourke, who threw four TD passes and ran for another in a 41-38 home win over Florida Atlantic in the season opener, was 14 of 30 for 119 yards.
Penn State responded with a 7-yard TD catch by Mitchell Tinsley with 15 seconds remaining before halftime then scored the first 20 points of the second half.
Ohio continues a road swing against power-conference opponents when it visits Iowa State on Sept. 17, while Penn State hits the road for its second road game of the season by visiting Auburn.
–Field Level Media