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SMU at Penn State

Dec 21, 2024 • Completed

College Football Playoff First Round Game Presented by Allstate

Season 2024PostseasonWeek 1

Away

SMU

ACC

Final Score

10 - 38

SPS

Home

Penn State

Big Ten

Game Pulse

Immediate edge indicators from the box score.

Total Yards

Penn State325
SMU253

Passing Yards

Penn State136
SMU195

Rushing Yards

Penn State189
SMU58

Turnovers

Penn State1
SMU3

Game Conditions

ConditionCloudy
Temperature25°F
Wind17 mph NW

Humidity

46%

Precipitation

0.00 in

Player Game Leaders

Top individual performers and full player box data.

Passing

Kevin Jennings

SMU

YDS: 195

Rushing

Nicholas Singleton

Penn State

YDS: 90

Receiving

Roderick Daniels

SMU

YDS: 64

Tackles

Ahmad Walker

SMU

TOT: 10

Full Player Box

Box Score Comparison

Possession Split

Penn State31:12
SMU28:48

Stat Dominance

Team comparison across key performance areas

Game Story

Penn State pulls away from SMU 38-10

Blowout

Penn State defeated SMU 38-10 in Week 1 of the 2024 postseason slate, finishing with a 325-253 edge in total yards, and scoring 0 passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns.

Penn State set the terms early in a game that finished 38-10. Dominic DeLuca 23 Yd Interception Return (Ryan Barker Kick) came with {'seconds': 8, 'minutes': 6} left in the first quarter, giving SMU the first major swing.

Penn State's box score carried the story: 325 total yards, 189 rushing yards, and 136 passing yards. SMU finished with 253 total yards, including 58 on the ground and 195 through the air.

Penn State converted 6-13 on third down, went 0-2 on fourth down, the turnover count was 1-3, Penn State led 28-0 at halftime. The explosive highlight was Ryan Barker 40 Yd Field Goal.

Key Moments

  • Interception Return Touchdown

    Dominic DeLuca 23 Yd Interception Return (Ryan Barker Kick) (SMU led 0-7 over Penn State).

  • Interception Return Touchdown

    Tony Rojas 59 Yd Interception Return (Ryan Barker Kick) (SMU led 0-14 over Penn State).

  • Rushing Touchdown

    Nicholas Singleton 1 Yd Run (Ryan Barker Kick) (Penn State led 28-0 over SMU).

  • Rushing Touchdown

    Kaytron Allen 25 Yd Run (Ryan Barker Kick) (Penn State led 21-0 over SMU).

  • Field Goal Good

    Collin Rogers 28 Yd Field Goal (SMU led 3-28 over Penn State).

  • Field Goal Good

    Ryan Barker 40 Yd Field Goal (Penn State led 31-3 over SMU).

Stat Callouts

  • Final score

    38-10

    Penn State defeated SMU.

  • Total yards

    325-253

    Penn State held the yardage advantage.

  • Rushing yards

    189

    Penn State averaged 4.7 yards per rush attempt.

  • Passing yards

    136

    Penn State averaged 5.4 yards per pass attempt.

  • Third downs

    6-13

    Penn State's conversion rate helped sustain possessions.

  • Opponent third downs

    3-14

    SMU's offense worked through that conversion rate.

  • Turnovers

    1-3

    Turnover totals are listed winner first.

Analysis

Game Breakdown

StatisticPenn StateSMU
Total Yards325253
Passing Yards136195
Rushing Yards18958
First Downs1821
Third Down Efficiency6-133-14
Fourth Down Efficiency0-21-3
Total Penalties (Yards)6-657-61
Turnovers13
Completions / Attempts14-2520-37
Rushing Attempts4036
Passing TDs01
Rushing TDs30
Kicking Points84
Possession Time31:1228:48
View Penn State Team PageView SMU Team Page
Data sourced from NCAA game stats archive (2024)