No. 11 Penn State closes season with 42-0 win over Michigan State, awaits New Year's Six bowl bid
Drew Allar threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns and Kaytron Allen ran for a career-high 137 yards, providing No. 11 Penn State with plenty of offense in a 42-0 win over Michigan State Friday night.
The Nittany Lions (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten, No. 11 CFP ) had 586 yards of offense in a game they controlled from the start.
The Spartans (4-8, 2-7) closed a tumultuous season that was stunted by Mel Tucker getting suspended and fired. It also hurt that a slew of injuries left them with about 50 scholarship players healthy enough to play in the finale at Ford Field.
Allar completed 17 of 26 passes, a week after getting knocked out against Rutgers with a hard hit to his right shoulder.
Nicholas Singleton had 118 yards rushing and a touchdown with two catches for 68 yards for the Nittany Lions, representing a balanced offense that had 303 yards on the ground and 283 through the air.
Penn State stalled on its first three drives that ended with making two of three field goals before Allar threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kayron Allen late in the first half to take a 13-0 lead and spark the rout.
Allen converted a fourth-and-1 from the Michigan State 11 with a run on the opening drive of the second half and on the next play, Beau Pribula threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Warren. The backup quarterback scored on a run late in the third to give Penn State a four-touchdown lead.
Michigan State's Katin Houser was 11 of 19 for 87 and threw an interception to Detroit native Jaylen Reed at the Penn State 9, ending his team's first drive that wasted its only opportunity to score.
The Spartans were overmatched in each of their four games against highly-ranked opponents. They lost 41-7 to Washington, 49-0 against Michigan and 38-3 to Ohio State.
THE TAKEAWAY
Penn State: Big plays were on display in the second game with running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle as interim offensive coordinators, replacing Mike Yurcich, who was fired after the unit scored 15 points in a loss to Michigan.
Allen had a 50-yard run and Singleton had a 53-yard catch in the first half. In the second half, Omari Evans had a 63-yard reception.
Michigan State: The Harlon Barnett era is likely over. The interim coach was 2-8 in place of Tucker, whom the school fired for having consensual phone sex with an activist and rape survivor.
UP NEXT
Penn State: Awaits a New Year's Six bowl as a top-12 team in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Michigan State: Athletic director Alan Haller may hire a new coach as soon as this weekend.
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