Penn State’s Parker Washington, tight ends shine against Minnesota

STATE COLLEGE — A balanced Penn State offense is a dangerous Penn State offense.

James Franklin’s No. 16 Nittany Lions leaned on a variety of skill players in a surprisingly easy 45-17 White Out victory over Minnesota on Saturday night.

It was a huge bounce-back game for veteran quarterback Sean Clifford, who threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns. A week earlier, in Penn State’s 41-17 loss at Michigan, Clifford was not good — 7 of 19, 120 yards, zero touchdowns.

This time, four Lions caught the scoring tosses.

Penn State’s offensive line did its part. Clifford was not sacked, and the Lions’ running game looked potent, generating 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 34 carries.

The Lions’ offense had been off in the two previous games, the 17-7 home win over Northwestern and the disaster in Ann Arbor. One of the touchdowns scored against the Wolverines came via a pick-six.

But Penn State (6-1, 3-1) got it right against P.J. Fleck’s team, racking up 479 total yards while outscoring the Golden Gophers (4-3, 1-3), 38-7, during the second and third quarters.

Clifford connected with eight Lions, and Penn State generated nine plays of 17 or more yards through the air.

The most encouraging sign for coordinator Mike Yurcich’s offense? Three of the Lions’ most athletic skill guys — tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren and wideout Parker Washington — were heavily involved. That hasn’t always been the case in 2022.

Penn State’s tight ends found plenty of room in the middle of the Minnesota defense as Johnson (five catches, 75 yards) and Warren (one catch, 38 yards) scored their first touchdowns of the season.

Fellow tight end Brenton Strange had done the heavy lifting for the group the first six games, catching four touchdown passes. But Johnson and Warren were the playmakers against Minnesota.

Warren scored Penn State’s first touchdown 9:05 before half, and Johnson caught an 18-yard scoring pass from Clifford five minutes later.

The Gophers’ pass defense couldn’t stay with the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Johnson, who ran 4.51 in the offseason.

Washington, Penn State’s No. 1 wideout, caught his first touchdown pass of the season, a 35-yarder from Clifford with 11:59 left in the third quarter. The score extended PSU’s lead to 24-10. Washington led the Lions in receiving with seven catches for 80 yards on eight targets. He won a jump ball with Minnesota defensive back Terrell Smith on the touchdown play.

Clifford, who finished 23 of 31, teamed with wideout Mitchell Tinsley for a 20-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

Ultimately, it also was a productive night for a couple PSU tight ends not named Strange. And Washington finally looking like the Washington who caught 64 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns in 2021.

Add the performances of freshman runners Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who combined for 28 carries, 156 yards (5.6 average) and two scores, and the Lions beat Minnesota with a balanced offensive attack.

Franklin’s team will need a similar effort next week with high-powered Ohio State up Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium.

And maybe a little more.

But at least you can see what’s possible when Clifford gets everyone involved.