No. 9 Penn State football (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 19 Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) 21-7 on Saturday night in front of an unofficial White Out crowd at Beaver Stadium.

The first half was a defensive battle. Despite no turnovers and only three punts, the score was 7-7 as both teams missed field goal attempts.

Nick Singleton regained the lead on the first drive of the second half, but the rest of the third quarter was scoreless. The run game sealed the deal on the victory, as Allen’s last-minute touchdown effectively ended any hopes of an Illini comeback.

How It Happened

After two Kaden Feagin rushes, Illinois was faced with 3rd-and-6. Luke Altmyer fired a 13-yard pass to Zakhari Franklin for a first down, and the two connected for an 18-yard gain two plays later to reach Penn State’s 39-yard line. After another Feagin run, a 15-yard personal foul against the Nittany Lions moved the Illini to the 14-yard line. Altmyer converted on 3rd-and-6 three plays later and then found Carson Goda for a four-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 with 9:36 left in the first quarter.

Drew Allar fired a 20-yard pass to Trey Wallace and an 11-yard scramble to reach Illinois’ 44-yard line in response. Singleton got involved with a 14-yard rush, and then a 6-yard gain two plays later to bring up 3rd-and-4. Singleton went wide and caught a 16-yard pass to extend the drive. But then, two plays later, Tyler Warren took the snap and dove into the end zone to tie it 7-7 with 5:34 left in the opening quarter.

Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a 17-yard pass to reach their own 42-yard line. Then, a pass interference call against the Nittany Lions put the Illini at Penn State’s 43-yard line. A no-gain run and an incompletion brought up 3rd-and-10, and Altmyer’s 3-yard gain was cut short by Tony Rojas to force a punt.

From the 4-yard line, Kaytron Allen nearly broke free before being tackled at the 16-yard line. Allar found Liam Clifford for a 5-yard gain, and Allen picked up 12 to refresh the downs. Allar hit Julian Fleming with a 7-yard pass two plays later, bringing up 3rd-and-4. He completed a pass to Wallace, but it was a yard short to end the first quarter.

Illinois began its drive from the 10-yard line. Josh McCray was tackled for no gain, but Altmyer completed a 12-yard pass to Franklin to refresh the downs. The Illini called a timeout and false-started as the crowd got louder, but Altmyer’s screen pass to McCray on 3rd-and-21 resulted in a 30-yard gain. They faced 3rd-and-long again three plays later, but they weren’t so lucky this time. An incomplete pass and an illegal shift ended the drive.

Singleton opened the drive from the 8-yard line with two carries for 11 combined rushing yards. Beau Pribula entered the game and scrambled for 7 yards. Two plays later, Allar fired a 15-yard pass to Warren, then Allen bulldozed an Illini en route to a 14-yard run. Clifford caught a 4-yard pass from Allar three plays later, but the Nittany Lions faced 3rd-and-6 shortly after. Sander Sahaydak missed a 40-yard field goal, and the score remained tied.

Feagin exploded for a 34-yard run to reach Penn State’s 43-yard line, but he was tackled for a 2-yard loss on the next play. However, Altmyer dashed 13 yards for a first down to offset the loss. Unnecessary roughness against the defense moved Illinois to the 13-yard line three plays later, and Feagin reached the 4-yard line on another run. Altmyer fumbled the snap on the ensuing play, which resulted in a 9-yard loss. His woes continued, as Hakeem Beamon sacked him for a three-yard loss. Altmyer’s pass sailed incomplete, and David Olano’s 45-yard field goal attempt was no good.

With 44 seconds left in the first half, Allar completed a 15-yard pass to Omari Evans. Allar threw two incompletions and was sacked to end the first half with the score tied at 7.

Singleton returned the kickoff to the 26-yard line to start the second half. He rushed for 9 yards, and Allar picked up another 9 to refresh the downs. On 3rd-and-7, Singleton caught a pass and bulldozed an Illini for another 9-yard pickup. Warren caught a 7-yard pass three plays later after a false start to make it 3rd-and-1, but Allar threw an incomplete pass. However, a holding against Illinois refreshed the downs. The Nittany Lions reached the 7-yard line two plays later, but Singleton was stuffed twice for minimal gains. Singleton dashed wide and into the end zone to give the Nittany Lions a 14-7 lead with 8:38 left in the third quarter.

After an illegal shift, Feagin gained two yards to make it 2nd-and-13. Kobe King tackled Tanner Arkin for no gain, and Abdul Carter broke up Altmyer’s pass to force Illinois’ first three-and-out of the night.

Allen rushed 6 yards from the 42-yard line to begin the drive. He picked up a first down and more, as he reached Illinois’ 39-yard line. Warren took the snap two plays later and ran up the middle for 10 yards. Allen had minimal gains in the next three plays, and Fleming did not reach the line to gain on fourth down.

A McCray rush and Arkin reception set up 3rd-and-1 to end the third quarter. Altmyer’s sneak picked up the first down, but Zane Durant snuck up and sacked him for a 7-yard loss. Altmyer connected with McCray for an 8-yard gain to set up 3rd-and-9, and Altmyer was swallowed up by Jaylen Reed and Tony Rojas to silence the Illini in front of a loud student section.

Singleton rushed for 21 yards but almost fumbled on the play. A pass interference call moved Penn State to the Illini 42-yard line, and Singleton ripped a 13-yard run. Two minimal gains by Singleton made it 3rd-and-7, and Allen only gained three yards. Once again, though, Sahaydak missed a field goal.

Altmyer scrambled five yards and then found Bryant for a 16-yard completion. An incompletion and 6-yard Feagin run brought up 3rd down, but a screen resulted in a 2-yard loss. On 4th-and-6, AJ Harris intercepted Altmyer’s pass at the 41-yard line, sending the crowd into chaos.

Allar found Luke Reynolds for an 8-yard gain. A 1-yard loss brought up 3rd-and-3, but Allar found Warren to refresh the downs. Pribula took the snap and scrambled 7 yards, and Allen’s 3-yard run gave Penn State a first down. Allen ran again, this time to Illinois’ 5-yard line. On the next play, he iced the game with a rushing touchdown to give Penn State a 21-7 lead with 1:55 left in regulation.

Illinois moved the ball downfield to Penn State’s 43-yard line. Altmyer was sacked three times on the drive, with the third resulting in a fumble that Smith Vilbert recovered. Allar took the knee, which ended the game.

Takeaways

• Name a more fitting way to open the Big Ten schedule than a defensive battle. Neither team firmly seized control until the very end despite multiple opportunities to do so throughout the game, as both defenses were at the top of their game tonight.
• Penn State’s run game carried the team to victory. Singleton and Allen combined for 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Their presence couldn’t have been more vital against a difficult Illinois secondary.
• A good Illinois secondary made things complicated for Allar. He may not have thrown an interception, but he also didn’t throw a touchdown for the first time this season. His 135 passing yards are the fewest he’s thrown in 2024.
• Kicking woes reared their ugly head and caused a conundrum for Penn State. Sahaydak missed two field goals, and he was replaced by Ryan Barker. Barker made his lone extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter, and it will be interesting to see if he takes over the job. Sahaydak lost his job once, as he was replaced by Alex Fekins in Week One last season after a tough showing against West Virginia.

What’s Next

Penn State hosts UCLA at noon on Saturday, October 5, at Beaver Stadium. The game will be televised on FOX, with “Big Noon Kickoff” the network’s flagship college football morning show, airing from Happy Valley beforehand.