Beaver Stadium has seen some weird stuff since it opened in 1960, but what happened during the Penn State vs Kent State 2024 matchup was basically a controlled demolition. It wasn’t just a blowout. It was a statistical anomaly that felt like watching a varsity team play against a group of guys who just met in the parking lot.
Honestly, if you blinked, you missed a record falling.
By the time the clock hit zero, the Nittany Lions had racked up 718 total yards. To put that in perspective, that broke a school record that had been sitting on the shelf since 1926. Yeah, a nearly century-old record from the era of leather helmets and drop-kicks finally got erased on a sunny Saturday in September.
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The Numbers That Make No Sense
You’ve probably seen some lopsided box scores in your time, but the discrepancy in this game was legitimately jarring. Penn State finished with 40 first downs. Kent State? They had six. Total.
It gets worse for the Golden Flashes. They managed exactly 67 yards of total offense. Penn State had individual players who outgained the entire Kent State team by themselves before halftime. It’s hard to even call it a "contest" when one side is averaging 8.9 yards per play while the other is struggling to reach 1.5.
Drew Allar and the Offensive Explosion
Drew Allar looked like he was playing a video game on the easiest difficulty setting. He went 17-of-21 for 309 yards and three touchdowns. He also tucked the ball and ran for a 5-yard score just because he could.
The most interesting part of the offense, though, wasn't just Allar. It was the creativity. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki had tight end Tyler Warren doing literally everything.
- Warren caught a 16-yard TD pass.
- He then lined up and threw a 17-yard TD pass to Nicholas Singleton.
- He even took snaps as a Wildcat QB.
Warren became the first non-quarterback at Penn State to have both a passing and receiving touchdown in the same game since 2022. It sort of showed that Penn State wasn't just trying to win; they were practicing their most chaotic plays because they knew Kent State couldn't stop them.
Why This Was a Disaster for Kent State
Look, nobody expected Kent State to walk into Happy Valley and pull an upset. But the 2024 season was exceptionally cruel to them. Coming into this game, they had already been demolished 71-0 by Tennessee.
Things went from bad to "everything is on fire" almost immediately. On their first possession, starting quarterback Devin Kargman got absolutely leveled by Dani Dennis-Sutton. It was a scary scene. Kargman had to be carted off on a stretcher, and the stadium went silent. Then, their backup, JD Sherrod, also got knocked out of the game later on.
When you’re down to your third-string quarterback against a Top-10 defense in front of 109,000 screaming fans, the game is basically over before the first quarter ends.
A Defense That Wouldn't Breathe
The Penn State defense was statistically perfect. They didn't just prevent points; they prevented progress. Kent State never even sniffed the red zone. Not once.
Abdul Carter was a menace, recording a sack and multiple tackles for loss before the starters were pulled to keep them healthy. By the middle of the third quarter, James Franklin was rotating in freshmen like Anthony Speca—who actually led the team with five tackles—and Tyseer Denmark.
The Aftermath and What It Actually Means
So, was Penn State vs Kent State 2024 actually a "good" game? Depends on who you ask. If you're a Penn State fan, it was a fun afternoon of watching records crumble and seeing the depth chart get some shine. If you're a college football purist, it was another example of the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots in the NIL era.
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Kent State finished their 2024 season 0-12. They were officially the worst team in the FBS, ranking last in both points scored and points allowed. This game was just the peak of their nightmare.
For Penn State, this was the springboard they needed for Big Ten play. It proved that Allar could be elite when given time, and it established Tyler Warren as arguably the best tight end in the country.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
- Schedule Strength Matters: When looking at late-season rankings, remember that Penn State’s offensive stats are heavily skewed by this game. 718 yards is impressive, but doing it against the 134th-ranked defense requires a grain of salt.
- The "Warren Factor": If you’re scouting for the NFL Draft or playing fantasy, Tyler Warren’s versatility in Kotelnicki's system is the real deal. He isn't just a blocker; he's a focal point of the entire playbook.
- Injury Management: Keep an eye on how James Franklin manages blowouts. He pulled his starters early here to avoid the "bumps and bruises" that started to affect Abdul Carter. This depth management is why Penn State usually stays healthy late into November.
The 56-0 scoreline actually looked "close" compared to the yardage. Had Penn State kept their starters in for four quarters, we might have seen the first 100-point game in modern history. Instead, we just got a historic beatdown that will live in the record books for another 98 years.