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[Photo Story] Penn State vs. SMU

Three wins away, folks.

No. 6 seed Penn State dominated No. 11 seed SMU in its first-ever College Football Playoff game. The Nittany Lions clinched a spot in the Fiesta Bowl with their win, where they will face No. 3 seed Boise State.

Penn State’s opening round game was hosted on campus at Beaver Stadium, marking the first time a playoff game was held in State College. As always, our photographers were on the scene to capture all the action. Let’s look back at some of our favorite photos.

Beaver Stadium had some special touches put in place to mark the occasion.

The Nittany Lions arrived at the stadium to crowds of fans dressed in white.

With a pretty gnarly wind chill, it was imperative for Penn State to get warmed up.

Once they put their pads and jerseys on, the Nittany Lions showed off some special College Football Playoff decals and touches.

Penn State emerged from the tunnel to its usual soundtrack: Zombie Nation. It was go time.

Penn State’s defense was the star of the first half. The Nittany Lions got a key fourth down stop in the red zone.

Shortly after, Dom DeLuca got Penn State on the board with a pick-six.

Tony Rojas got a pick-six of his own not long after DeLuca’s. At this point, the fans in Beaver Stadium were jumping.

The Lawn Boyz got the ball rolling for the Nittany Lions with touchdowns from Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton.

The Nittany Lions had a dominant first half. DeLuca got another interception, the defense completely shut down SMU, and the offense finally found its groove.

After halftime, the defense continued its dominance.

Allen found the end zone once again to give Penn State its only touchdown of the second half.

The Nittany Lions had a sizeable lead going into the fourth quarter, so fans at Beaver Stadium got to see some snaps from Penn State’s young players like Ethan Grunkemeyer and Corey Smith.

After the clock hit triple-zeroes, Penn State celebrated James Franklin’s 100th win as Penn State head coach and the team’s berth to the Fiesta Bowl.

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About the Author

Mikey DeAngelis

Mikey DeAngelis is a senior majoring in film production who is also serving as one of Onward State's visual editors. During his free time, he enjoys making content for his YouTube channel. Mikey loves Philly sports, traveling and hiking in National Parks, and watching movies. To reach Mikey, feel free to reach out on Twitter (@mikey_deangelis) or by email (mikeydeangelis@onwardstate.com).

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