By WILL GRAVES
STATE COLLEGE — In a time of incessant change, Penn State linebacker Dominic DeLuca is a throwback.
The previous walk-on’s crew could be one too.
DeLuca was assured nothing when he arrived on campus almost 4 years in the past with out the promise of a scholarship or a lot of the rest. He poured himself into his craft, carving out a distinct segment as a particular groups ace whereas working his method into the rotation on a protection that considers itself the perfect within the nation.
With sixth-seeded Penn State off to a considerably jittery begin on Saturday towards SMU within the first spherical of the School Soccer Playoff, the Nittany Lions wanted a jolt.
DeLuca offered two.
The primary got here on a pick-6 that gave Penn State an early lead. The second lower quick an SMU drive when the Mustangs have been threatening to get again within the recreation and set the stage for a 38-10 blowout that pushed the Nittany Lions (12-2) into the CFP quarterfinals towards third-seeded Boise State within the Fiesta Bowl on New Yr’s Eve.
“Dom is just a baller,” Penn State head coach James Franklin mentioned after selecting up his a centesimal victory with the college.
One whose journey might turn out to be more and more uncommon when the NCAA trims roster sizes to 105 beginning subsequent season.
“It breaks my heart a little bit that maybe Dom isn’t here if these rules were in place (when he arrived),” Franklin mentioned.
The outdated ones nonetheless exist, for now. And Franklin used them to construct a crew that now has as many wins as any of the 130 editions that got here earlier than it.
“We’re a college football program that everybody should be proud of because those guys are doing it the right way at a time when it’s more challenging than it’s ever been,” he mentioned.
Linebacker Tony Rojas added a pick-6 of his personal and Penn State shut down Kevin Jennings and the high-powered Mustangs (11-3), whose breakout season ended amid a flurry of errors and miscues and did little to shed the notion — significantly by these in Alabama — that the ACC runners-up didn’t essentially deserve a spot within the 12-team discipline within the first place.
“I can’t control the debate,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee mentioned. “I can’t control what people are going to say. We got in. Today we got beat. We got beat soundly by a very good team.”
Two weeks after getting pushed round by Oregon within the Huge Ten title recreation, Penn State responded by forcing three turnovers and gathering three sacks whereas holding the Mustangs to season lows in factors and yards (253).
“We wanted to put on a defensive performance like we did,” Penn State defensive deal with Dvon J-Thomas mentioned. “Two pick-6s. Stopped the run. Stopped the pass game. We truly shut everything down.”
Jennings, whose electrifying play fueled SMU’s undefeated regular-season dash by means of the ACC, completed 20 of 36 for 195 yards with a late landing and three picks. He started the day by lacking a wide-open tight finish Matthew Hibner on the aim line to finish the Mustangs’ promising opening possession, and issues solely obtained worse from there, for Jennings and everybody else who made the almost 1,400-mile journey from Dallas to central Pennsylvania.
His flip to Brashard Smith on SMU’s second drive sailed over the operating again’s head and into the arms of an awaiting DeLuca, who raced 23 yards to the top zone to offer Penn State the lead. Early within the second quarter, Jennings scrambled to his proper and threw towards his physique into triple protection. Rojas snagged it and weaved 59 yards to stake the Nittany Lions to a 14-0 lead they by no means got here near squandering.
Kaytron Allen ran for 2 scores and Nick Singleton added one other for the Nittany Lions, a bruising 1-yard gash late within the first half that put Penn State up 28-0. Singleton punctuated it by jawing with Franklin on the sideline.
“He screamed at me and used some words … and said ‘I’m a violent man,’” Franklin mentioned. “I kind of agreed with him.”
Drew Allar accomplished 13 of twenty-two passes for 127 yards whereas enjoying each significant snap after backup Beau Pribula — who often and successfully spelled Allar all year long — entered the switch portal earlier this week.
And in contrast to the ACC title recreation towards Clemson — when the Mustangs roared all the best way again from a 17-point second-half deficit to tie it earlier than falling on the ultimate snap — this time there can be no rally.
The final two quarters have been principally an opportunity for the gang of over 106,000 that braved temperatures within the low-20s with a reasonably regular breeze to soak within the form of massive recreation victory that hasn’t occurred fairly as usually as they want throughout James Franklin’s largely profitable 11-year tenure.
With one take a look at now handed, one other massive one awaits within the desert on the final day of 2024.
TAKEAWAYS
SMU: The Mustangs’ historic first season within the ACC after coming over from the American Athletic ended with a disappointing thud. If Jennings hits Hibner for a rating, perhaps issues change. They’ll have all offseason to consider it.
Penn State: Singleton and Allen consider they’re the perfect operating again mixture within the nation. They actually regarded it whereas teaming as much as run for 160 yards and three scores.
UP NEXT
SMU: will attempt to again up their audacious ACC debut subsequent fall, when their convention slate contains video games towards Miami, Clemson and Louisville.
Penn State: Will attempt to win a thirteenth recreation for the primary time in this system’s 131-year historical past when it heads to the Fiesta Bowl, a recreation through which the Nittany Lions are 7-0 all-time.
Initially Printed: December 21, 2024 at 6:50 PM EST
