Highs & Lows: Penn State flummoxed by high-octane Rebels

By Nate Bauer

Atlanta – Penn State started strong in its attempt to close out the New Year’s Six slate of bowls with a win in the Peach. Of the Nittany Lions’ finish, the same could not be said.

Appearing without the contributions of Olu Fashanu, Kalen King, Chop Robinson, and Johnny Dixon, all projected high-round NFL Draft selections, the Nittany Lions were flummoxed on both sides of the ball by an Ole Miss opponent that unleashed its offensive excellence for a full 60 minutes.

Though close at the half, the Nittany Lions trailing 20-17, a hapless second-half with a key injury to linebacker Abdul Carter put Penn State on the losing end of a 38-25 decision.

Here is a look at what went into the Penn State loss with the highs and lows from the game.

Highs and lows from Penn State football’s 38-17 loss to Ole Miss

PLAYER OF THE GAME Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart put together a highlight-reel performance for the Rebels on Saturday afternoon in so many respects. The passes were excellent, yes, but so too was his decision-making and poise throughout the game. Initially pressured by Penn State’s defense, he responded in kind, leading his offense to dissect a Nittany Lion side that hadn’t looked so vulnerable at any other point this season.

PLAY OF THE GAME Call this one a play of the game, in two parts. Its genesis came on fourth-and-1, Penn State trailing 23-17, early in the second half. Choosing to punt instead of go, James Franklin returned possession to an Ole Miss offense that was humming. And, once again, the Rebels continued that trend, picking up yards in chunks on their ensuing possession. Finally forcing a crucial third-and-9 at the Penn State 14, the Nittany Lions relented completely when giving up a touchdown from Dart to Quinshon Judkins to effectively cement the win.

Offensive superlatives

BEST PASS The pass and catch were perfectly precise at a critical momentum-building moment for Ole Miss in the final minute of the first quarter. Dart had a clean pocket and, with it, he placed perfectly a pass down the sideline to Tre Harris for 25 yards. The pass put the Rebels on the doorstep of the end zone, where they cashed on the next play with a touchdown to Caden Prieskorn. 

BEST RUN In the first half, there were a few for Penn State. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen were galloping on Saturday afternoon early, slipping through great holes created by the Nittany Lion offensive line and powering their way to repeated chunk plays. Singleton started with an 18-yarder on the Lions’ first possession, followed by a 24-yard jaunt for Allen later in the drive. Quickly, that pace was subdued by an Ole Miss defense that forced the Penn State passing game to make plays that never came.

BEST CATCH There were too many to count on Saturday, mostly on Mississippi’s side. The first has to be Tyler Warren reeling in a tipped pass from Allar, which took incredible concentration, grabbing it with only his outstretched left hand, for which he was rewarded with a huge, momentum-swinging play in the first quarter. Warren’s wasn’t the only one from the tight ends on Saturday, though. Caden Prieskorn made an impossible 20-yard reception directly in front of his sideline, somehow managing to keep his left foot in bounds midway through the second quarter. He did it again to open the second half, too, this time making a one-handed grab with his right hand.

Defensive standouts

BEST SACK Penn State pressured Dart frequently in the first half but didn’t land its first sack until the second. In that case, Zuriah Fisher bull-rushed his way into the Ole Miss backfield, eventually wrapping up the Rebel quarterback for a 4-yard loss. 

BEST HIT Abdul Carter nearly got knocked off track by Ole Miss offensive lineman Caleb Warren on his path to Dart in the first half but got home anyway. Landing the hit, the ball was knocked loose but was called as an incompletion. 

BEST EFFORT On fourth-and-1, owning a 31-44 lead, Ole Miss turned to defensive tackle JJ Pegues to pick up that yard to stay on the field. He did so and more, bursting through Penn State’s defensive front like the Kool-Aid Man, finishing 8 yards up the field for a first down.

Odds and ends from Penn State loss

BEST KICK Stifled by Penn State’s defense on its first possession of the second half, Ole Miss turned to Caden Davis on fourth-and-14 from the 35-yard line. The decision proved well-founded as Davis blasted the 52-yard field goal try easily through the uprights to give the Rebels a 23-17 lead. 

BEST DECISION On fourth-and-1 late in the first quarter, Lane Kiffin turned to trickery to keep his Ole Miss offense on the field. Running a reverse pass, the completion to Dart set the Rebels up with a first down and, soon after, a trip into the red zone. The next quarter, Kiffin had the gumption to do it again, turning a third-and-12 into a fourth-and-3, then pitching an easy pick-up to Judkins for the first down. Two plays later, Ole Miss took a 20-10 lead with another touchdown. 

WORST DECISION Locked in a 13-10 game, with a first-and-10 near midfield, Allar made one of the worst decisions in his career as a Nittany Lion starter. Attempting to work the ball downfield into double coverage, the sophomore was hit as he threw a bomb that instead fluttered through the air and into the hands of Daijahn Anthony for an interception. 

MOST TELLING MOMENT Trailing Ole Miss, 31-17, with 12 minutes to play, Penn State found itself with a fringe red zone opportunity to cut its deficit in half. Turning to Beau Pribula for a quarterback-to-quarterback pass to Allar, the attempt sailed over the starter’s head, backward, for a 12-yard loss. Repeatedly behind the sticks offensively on the afternoon, the attempt was the most humbling for a Penn State offense without answers.