Penn State stays undefeated with 33-14 win over Central Michigan Chippewas
Penn State walked out of Beaver Stadium with a win Saturday afternoon, defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas 33-14.
The Nittany Lions got up early, scoring touchdowns on both of their first two drives, with Sean Clifford dishing out passes to Mitch Tinsley and Brenton Strange to finish them off.
Central Michigan got its first touchdown of the day in the second quarter after a short 45-yard drive thanks to a three-and-out by the PSU offense and a solid punt return. Quarterback Daniel Richardson hit Finn Hogan for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal to get on the board and make it 14-7.
The Chippewas kept their momentum going, scoring again shortly thereafter on another passing touchdown to tie it up at 14.
The Nittany Lions got its offense going before the half and re-took the lead thanks to a Kaytron Allen touchdown. They added another score on a second connection between Clifford and Strange to make it 27-14, giving Penn State another two-score lead.
The Chippewas pushed the ball down the field in an effort to cut back into the lead halfway through the third quarter, but a crucial fourth down stop got Penn State the ball back and cut into the time CMU had to find its way back into the game.
The Nittany Lions managed to continue fending off Central Michigan the rest of the way, earning the 33-14 win and staying undefeated on the season.
Player of the game
Punter Barney Amor: This is an indictment of the consistency elsewhere on the field but Amor was the most valuable player in the game for the Nittany Lions. He hit several booming punts, and notably hit two that were nearly perfect. The first pinned the Chippewas deep in their own territory, perfectly placing the ball at the two-yard line. Then he boomed another deep that was muffed after the Central Michigan returner had to adjust to because of how far it was hit. Amor has been Penn State’s best specialist this season and it just so happened that he was the team’s best player Saturday afternoon.
What the win means
Penn State was a heavy favorite heading into the game and took care of business against Central Michigan. The win was an expected but necessary one as the Nittany Lions look to stay undefeated. They’re now one step closer to a big-time matchup with the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Before that, there’s a home game with the Northwestern Wildcats next week before Penn State’s bye on Oct. 8.
