LOS ANGELES — Tyler Warren tied the FBS single-game record among tight ends by catching 17 passes, Ryan Barker hit a 36-yard field goal in overtime and No. 4 Penn State rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half. 33-30 win over Southern California on Saturday.
Drew Allar threw for 391 yards and two touchdowns despite throwing three interceptions for Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), which did not lead in the final 49 minutes of regulation. The Nittany Lions came back three times to tie the game in the final 20 minutes, including a 14-yard TD reception by Nicholas Singleton with 2:53 remaining.
Quentin Joyner scored two early TDs for the Trojans (3-3, 1-3), who have lost three of four. USC hasn’t beaten a top-five team since holding off No. 5 Penn State in a 52-49 thriller in the Rose Bowl in January 2017.
Warren had 224 yards and a touchdown, though his only catch after the third quarter was a 3-yarder in overtime. The senior holds the record for most receptions by an opponent in USC’s 137-year football history.
The Nittany Lions had a slow start to their long road trip, but an impressive finish. After going up 3-0 on its first drive, Penn State never regained the lead in regulation and trailed 20-6 at halftime before its offense got going.
USC’s Kyron Hudson caught a go-ahead touchdown pass from Miller Moss with 5:56 left, but Allar converted two fourth downs with desperation passes for Penn State before Singleton gave up his tying catch alone.
USC drove to midfield in the closing seconds, but coach Lincoln Riley eagerly used no time to extend the Trojans’ drive before Jaylen Reed picked off Moss with 5 seconds left.
USC went 3 yards on its first three plays of overtime before Michael Lantz missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. Penn State advanced to the 19 and Barker buried the winner.
Moss passed for 220 yards and two scores, and Joyner rushed for a 75-yard TD in the first quarter and caught a 9-yard TD pass in the second quarter for the Trojans. Woody Marks rushed for 111 yards for USC.
Penn State had the healthiest fans in the Coliseum for its first long road trip in the new Big Ten and its longest road trip of any regular season game since 1991.
But USC’s defense kept Penn State out of the end zone in the first half, playing without injured linebacker Eric Gentry, its Sox leader and second-leading tackler and starting cornerback Jacob Covington.
Joyner stopped the Trojans going forward when he faked a reverse and rumbled 75 yards through the heart of Penn State’s defense. He added his first career TD catch minutes later.
Penn State answered its 14-point halftime deficit with a double pass to Warren with an alarm TD throw. Katron Allen took over to cap the Nittany Lions’ 90-yard march on their next drive.
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold’s interception led to USC’s third field goal late in the third, but Penn State tied it again with 10:50 to play after stalling at the 3 on its next drive.
