Penn State lost their eighth straight football game against Ohio State Saturday, a result that likely keeps them out of the Big Ten Championship Game. The good news is the College Football Playoff committee ranked them sixth on their initial top 25, giving them a chance to still reach the playoffs, especially if they can win out and finish 11-1.
That road begins Saturday night as Penn State holds their annual “White Out” game against conference newcomer and last season’s national runner-up, Washington. Let’s break down this matchup and some key players.
Penn State vs. Washington football history
This will be just the fourth time the Nittany Lions and Huskies have met on the gridiron. Washington played in the Pac-12 since 1959 until the conference disbanded in 2024; the conference will re-emerge in 2026 when five schools from the Mountain West along with Gonzaga (minus football) join Oregon State and Washington State.
This will be the first time ever that Washington has visited Happy Valley and just the second time the schools have met in the regular season. The first time was all the way back in 1921, a 21-7 win for Penn State.
The other two meetings have been in bowl games, the 1983 Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii (Penn State 13-10) and the 2017 Fiesta Bowl (Penn State 35-28).
Key players for Penn State
After being considered a game-time decision, quarterback Drew Allar ended up playing against Ohio State, finishing 12-of-20 for 146 yards and an interception. Penn State did not generate an offensive touchdown in last week’s contest. Their lone trip to the end zone was thanks to a pick-six. Allar now faces a top-ten defense in terms of total defense in Washington.
Penn State’s running game was swallowed up by Ohio State. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton combined for just 42 yards on 18 attempts. Tight end Tyler Warren was the leading rusher with 47 yards on three carries. Warren also added 47 yards on four catches. The leading receiver was actually Singleton, with 54 yards as he caught all six of his targets. Harrison Wallace III added 45 yards on two catches.
Key players for Washington
Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers is having himself a solid season thus far for the Huskies. Rogers has thrown for 2,284 yards with a 13-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and is completing 71 percent of his passes. It’s a far cry from some of his time with the Bulldogs but solid nonetheless.
Jonah Coleman is the top rusher for the Huskies. He’s at 889 yards on 141 attempts (6.3 yards per) and has scored seven touchdowns on the ground this season. He has also added 142 yards on 19 catches.
Two receivers are either over or just below 600 receiving yards. Leading the way is Denzel Boston with 682 yards on 53 catches, following by Giles Jackson with 597 yards on 55 catches. Boston has scored nine times this season, while Jackson has two. They will be vital in keeping the Washington passing attack performing well against Penn State.
Keys to victory for Penn State
Get the offense back on track
Needless to say, the offense disappeared last week against Ohio State. Maybe the most painful part was being near the goal line and not having the power to get the ball into the end zone. As mentioned earlier, the only score for Penn State Saturday was a defensive touchdown. That needs to improve if Penn State wants to win this football game.
Slow down Washington’s offense
The Washington offense is not nearly as dynamic as it was last season. They lost six primary starters, to the NFL draft last year, and are a different team in that regard. However, Washington has held with Rogers, Coleman, Boston and Jackson. Their 5-4 record may not show it, but these four players can turn a game around in favor of the Huskies; and the Nittany Lions have been prone to some good receivers lately.
Can a wide receiver show some separation?
This can be taken in two ways. One, the Nittany Lions just need a wide receiver to step up and be the alpha male in the offense. It can’t all be on tight end Tyler Warren.
Also, the receiving group quite literally needs to create separation. If there’s one weakness in Penn State’s offense, it’s their wide receivers finding separation against opposing cornerbacks. They were locked down by Ohio State’s secondary last week and Washington does have a top-10 overall defense. Someone must step up.
