What to watch when Washington visits No. 6 Penn State for ‘White Out’ game
Washington (5-4, 2-3 Big Ten) at No. 6 Penn State (7-1, 4-1)
Kickoff: 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa.
TV: Peacock
Latest Line (via ESPN Bet): Penn State -131/2, Total 451/2
All-time series: Penn State leads 3-0; Most recent matchup: Dec. 30, 2017, Penn State won 35-28
UW key players
QB Will Rogers: 71.1% completions, 2,284 pass yards, 197 completions, 277 attempts, 13 pass TD, four INT
RB Jonah Coleman: 141 carries, 889 rush yards, seven rush TDs, 19 catches, 142 receiving yards
LB Carson Bruener: 67 tackles, two TFL, three INT, five PBU
DT Sebastian Valdez: 31 tackles, 3.5 TFL, one sack
Penn State key players
QB Drew Allar: 70.1% completions, 1,786 yards, 129 completions, 184 attempts, 12 pass TD, five INT, 44 carries, 160 yards, three rush TD
TE Tyler Warren: 51 catches, 606 receiving yards, four receiving TDs, 10 carries, 87 rush yards, one rush touchdown, 100% completions, two completions, two attempts, 26 pass yards, one pass TD
S Jaylen Reed: 50 tackles, four TFL, 1.5 sacks, two INT, two PBU, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery
EDGE Abdul Carter: 34 tackles, 11.5 TFL, six sacks, three PBU, one forced fumble
Wildcat Warren
This season, Penn State has thrown for 2,016 total passing yards. Fifth-year tight end Tyler Warren is directly responsible for 632 of them.
A 6-foot-6, 261-pound Mechanicsville, Virginia, native, Warren has arguably been the best tight end in the country. He’s Penn State’s leading receiver with 27 more catches and 211 more yards than junior wide receiver Harrison Wallace III. Only Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. and Ball State’s Tanner Koziol have more receiving yards among FBS tight ends this season.
Warren is prolific in the short-to-intermediate passing range. According to Pro Football Focus, his average depth of target is just 6.2 yards this season and the Nittany Lions throw a significant amount of tight-end screens. He’s also averaging nearly 7 yards after the catch per reception.
It’s not the only way the Nittany Lions try to get the ball into Warren’s hands. He’s taken multiple snaps as a Wildcat quarterback, and has at least one rushing attempt in his past six games, including a career-high three carries in Penn State’s 20-13 loss against No. 2 Ohio State during the past week. Warren has also attempted two passes this season – both completions – for 26 yards and a touchdown.
Sticky secondary
While Warren leads Penn State’s offense, the Nittany Lions also boast one of the best defenses in the country. Coach James Franklin’s squad is No. 8 in scoring defense nationally, allowing 15 points per game, and rank No. 7 in total defense, conceding just 278.9 yards per game.
The Nittany Lions have a stout defensive front led by potential first-round NFL draft pick Abdul Carter. Washington coach Jedd Fisch, however, was complimentary of Penn State’s secondary and defensive coordinator Tom Allen.
Speaking Thursday, he noted how well the Nittany Lions play man-to-man defense, particularly cornerbacks A.J. Harris, a Georgia transfer, and Jalen Kimber, who joined from Florida. Fisch said Allen’s trust in his cornerbacks allows Penn State to play more single-high safety looks than many of the other teams UW has faced. Harris and Kimber helped hold Ohio State to just 182 passing yards during Penn State’s most recent game.
Washington has receiving weapons of its own. Sophomore Denzel Boston has 53 catches for 682 yards, while sixth-year senior Giles Jackson has 55 catches for 597 yards.
‘White Out’ record
Saturday will also be Penn State’s famed “White Out” game, a tradition where fans come dressed in all white clothing. The Nittany Lions are 9-6 in full-stadium White Outs, and 11-8 in all White Out games going back to 2004 when the tradition started.
Penn State has won its past four White Outs, including a 31-0 blowout against a ranked Iowa team in 2023. It’s only lost one of its past seven White Outs, a 27-26 defeat against No. 4 Ohio State on Sept. 29, 2018.
Every White Out has enjoyed an attendance of at least 107,000, essentially guaranteeing this will become the 11th time Washington has played in front of 100,000 fans. UW is 6-4 in games with at least 100,000 fans watching, including five Rose Bowl wins. But Washington hasn’t won in front of a crowd that large since beating Michigan 34-14 in the 1992 Rose Bowl.
Andy Yamashita’s prediction
Penn State is coming off a disheartening loss at home against Ohio State. There’s certainly a chance the Nittany Lions’ offense stalls and allows the Huskies to hang around long enough to snatch an upset at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State, however, is ranked where it is for a reason. The defense is legit, and considering No. 8 Indiana – a statistically comparable defensive unit – held Washington to just 17 points on the road two weeks ago, it’s hard to imagine the Huskies’ offense can outperform the Nittany Lions in a more challenging road atmosphere.
Prediction: Nittany Lions 28, Huskies 17