The No. 1 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions 45-37 to win the Big Ten Championship in their first year in the conference, pulling off the nail-biting finish.
It was a high-scoring affair from the beginning, as the Ducks scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the game, getting out to a quick double-digit lead.
But, from there, it was a back-and-forth affair, going down to the final minutes until Penn State quarterback Drew Allar threw a game-clinching interception with 1:54 remaining as the Nittany Lions attempted a game-tying comeback drive.
Here are three quick takeaways from the Ducks 45-37 win over Penn State.
Ground game steals the show
From the initial outlook, the Ducks looked to run the football, working both star running back Jordan James and backup Noah Whittington.
While they had one of the most explosive passing attacks in the country entering the game, the Ducks looked to be the more physically imposing team, finishing the night with 188 rushing yards on 40 carries, not including sacks or kneel-downs.
James got going early and really carried the momentum towards the second half, finishing with 87 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while Whittington got a season-high 15 touches of his own in the win.
Oregon got going early as they pushed the football on the ground and stalled near the end of the second half when they went away from the run. But, they remained balanced in the second half, generating enough offense to keep a healthy lead from the Nittany Lions en route to the 45-37 victory.
Now, Penn State was no slouch on the ground either — as they needed an explosive rushing attack to put up 37 points, given their inconsistencies through the air.
The Nittany Lions finished with a whopping 298 yards on 8.8 yards per carry, not including sacks, as both Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton eclipsed 100 yards in the loss.
When Penn State came back to cut the lead to one-score at the end of the first half, it was in big part due to their running game as they rotated their two star backs. Then, when they were looking to make the improbable comeback late in the game, they once again looked to their running backs to lead the charge and it almost resulted in a victory.
Nonetheless, it was a classic Big Ten game with a ton of activity on the ground, which was a defining factor throughout the night in a competitive battle.
Penalties
While there were only eight flags thrown on the night, there were a few that had significant magnitude, especially early for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State committed four 15-yard penalties within the first quarter and a half. Three of them came on the defensive side of the ball, and the Nittany Lions gave up touchdowns on all three drives, allowing Oregon to hop out to a quick 21-10 lead.
Then, when trying to keep up with Oregon’s offense, Penn State had an unnecessary roughness penalty on offense that limited a scoring opportunity, keeping them at a distance for much of the first half.
While the end of the game will be more closely evaluated, Oregon’s start was just as important, and the three penalties were big in moving the Ducks down the field and getting those early touchdown drives.
On the other hand, Oregon committed just three penalties for 24 yards, remaining disciplined throughout the night, although there were moments where the officiating could be seen as questionable.
Turnovers
You don’t win games when you have a negative turnover differential and the Nittany Lions had two crucial ones on Saturday in comparison to none for the Ducks.
Drew Allar’s first interception came at a big moment, as the Nittany Lions had forced a punt and were trying to drive out of their own end zone. But, the quarterback threw a pass behind his intended receiver on a dig route and Oregon cornerback Dontae Manning intercepted the pass, taking the ball all the way back to the Penn State one-yard line.
The Ducks subsequently scored on a Jordan James one-yard rushing touchdown, getting them a 28-10 lead, which was going to be tough for Penn State to climb out of, even if they cut the score to seven at halftime.
Coming out of the half, Penn State had a big chance for a response, getting well into Oregon territory, but they elected to kick a field goal on 4th & 5 at the Oregon 23-yard line and Ryan Barker missed the 40-yarder.
Oregon jumped out to a two-score lead from there and never trailed, maintaining a healthy lead until Penn State’s final drive, where the Nittany Lions got the ball at their own 37-yard line with two minutes to go down eight points.
After a nine-yard run from Kaytron Allen, they elected to give Drew Allar a shot, throwing a one-on-one go-ball to wide receiver Harrison Wallace, who couldn’t get any separation on the outside against defensive back Nikko Reed. Reed stayed in lockstep and made an incredible play on the ball, turning his head and securing the interception to seal the deal for Oregon, bringing them their first Big Ten Championship.
The Ducks will maintain the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff with the win and improve to 13-0 on the year with the victory, while Penn State could drop, but is still expected to get a home game to begin the new 12-team CFP format.
Nonetheless, Saturday night’s game was a thriller at Lucas Oil Stadium, setting the stage for what should be an exciting College Football Playoff coming soon.
The College Football Playoff selection committee will announce the 12-team field on Sunday, December 8 at 12 p.m. ET.
