PSU

Rudel’s FIU highs & lows

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Following are the highlights and lowlights from Penn State's 34-0 victory over Florida International on Saturday at Beaver Stadium:

Play of the game: Drew Allar hit Davonte Ross with a 42-yard touchdown pass to bump the Nittany Lions' lead to 20-0 with 4:44 left in the third quarter.

Offensive player of the game: Kaytron Allen rushed 16 times for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Defensive player of the game: Freshman defensive end Chaz Coleman made four tackles and two sacks and forced a fumble that he returned 39 yards to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Most telling statistic: The Lions converted just 3-of-12 third downs.

Most deceiving statistic: PSU averaged 10.5 yards per completion.

Hidden statistic: FIU controlled time of possession, 34:17 to 25:43.

Best run: Allen busted a 67-yard touchdown with 3:29 remaining.

Best pass: FIU's Keyone

Jenkins lofted a pretty bomb to an open Kyle McNeal inside the Lions' 10 in the third quarter, but Zakee Wheatley got a fingertip on it at the last second.

Worst pass: Allar was off in the first half, but his miss of Nick Singleton on a bubble screen was his worst.

Best catch: On his TD, Ross outscrapped an FIU defender, who was actually called for interference on the play.

Catch it, will ya: Khalil Dinkins dropped the first pass he was thrown before he did catch a TD to open the scoring. Luke Reynolds also dropped one.

Hold it, won't ya: Penn State didn't fumble.

Best block: Reynolds kicked out the edge on Allen's TD.

Best tackle: After FIU moved to the Nits' 19 on its first series, Lion backup tackle Xavier Tillman shot through to dump Anthony Carrie for a 4-yard loss.

Best hit: King Mack jolted Maguire Anderson at the sideline following a 22-yard gain in the second quarter.

Best kick(s): Gabe Nwosu had two: He pooch-punted 40 yards to the FIU 2 in the second quarter and boomed a 67-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Worst kick(s): Nwosu kicked off out of bounds twice in the second half.

Worst penalty: Up 19-0, Penn State went for a 2-pointer and got it on a throwback to offensive tackle Drew Shelton, but the Nits' Nick Dawkins was called for holding.

Best call: On fourth-and-1 from its 34 in the first quarter, FIU called timeout and then Jenkins hit McNeal for a 3-yard gain to sustain the possession. What did FIU have to lose?

Worst call: Nothing obvious.

Best effort: Dom DeLuca shot through to block an FIU punt in the second quarter, giving PSU the ball at FIU's 45.

Best moment: Penn State's salute to THON in the second quarter.

Unsung hero: Alonzo Ford Jr. came up with an interception in the first quarter -- rare for a defensive tackle