Dunkoh returns for Penn State as they face third and 8. Allar rolled left under pressure but finds Singleton for the first down over the middle. So far Oregon's linebackers have been a liability over the middle.
The Penn State drive reached the 33, third and four. The Ducks got some pressure on a blitz by Mixon and Allar missed high. Ryan Barker converted on a 49-yard field goal at 13:26 for a 3-0 lead.
The drive took 4:56 off the clock, 32 yards in 11 plays. So far the game is following a perfect script for PSU, a phone booth game.
Hill burst over the left side behind blocks by Sadiq and World out to midfield. Moore tried to thread one to McClellan, knocked away over the middle. A quick screen to Sadiq gained four, fourth and two. Moore calmly threw a hitch to Benson for a first down, but then he misses Whittington over the middle.
Whittington gains just two running left on 2nd and 10. Moore scrambled to the 29. Sappington's field goal from 47 yards hooked wide left, still 3-0. The Nittany Lions took over at their 37, good field position again.
So far Oregon's gained 98 yards to 37 with no points to show. They're 2-7 on third down.
Great coverage led to a two-yard sack by Uiagalelei. Singleton took a quick toss left for five. Thieneman came on a safety blitz, Allar in his grasp, throw high and incomplete.
Dante Moore started 7-11, but for just 36 yards. Protection has been decent; Moore's been hurried but Oregon hasn't yet suffered a TFL or a sack. They've yet to connect on a pass downfield. Everything has been underneath or quick to the sideline.
Oregon started on the 25 with 7:56 to play. A quick out to Moore gained nine, then Whittington ran behind Dave Iuli for seven yards and a first down.
Moore rolled right and threw one away, second and ten. Hill bounced outside right for two. Third and long, a quick screen to Bryant again just shy of a first down. Fourth and one, play action over the middle to Dakorien for 20 yards down to the PSU 30. Runs by Davison and Limar made ir third and 4.
Moore broke in but Moore threw outside incomplete. Sappington came on for a 42-yard field goal, inside the left upright for a 3-3 tie.
Penn State gets the ball to start the second half. Just 3:40 remains in the first.
The Oregon defense has been solid so far, 10 rushes for 20 yards, limiting Allar to 3-6 passing for 20. In a tight game like this, the first turnover, the first big play, take on added importance. The kick went into the end zone.
Oregon is 3-4 on fourth down.
A keeper by Allar is stoned by Bear Alexander, but a pass in the flat to the tight end set up third and two. Allar faked the jet sweep and kept up the middle for a first down, Penn State's third of the game at the two-minute timeout.
Penn State reached the 38 with a fresh set of downs. Bear Alexander bottled up a run by Singleton for a two-yard loss to make it third and 8.
Boettcher closing in, but Allar gets it away and connects with Devonte Ross for 14 yards to the Oregon 47. A false start, then Allar missed over the middle to the tight end, second and 15. A pass to the sideline, good coverage by Finney, incomplete. Third and 15, Allar missed wildly.
The Ducks got the ball at their own 10 after a fair catch, 1:07 to play. A quick hitch to Sadiq, an underneath throw to Whittington, a sideline route to Moore for 13.
The Ducks reached their 42 on a pass to Whittington but World got flagged for holding. Moore skipped a pass to McClellan, clock down to 24 seconds. A pass to Moore good for 7, third and 13 with 9 seconds to play in the half.
Oregon took a timeout, one left. Moore threw underneath but the half ended with the Ducks short of midfield.
First half yardage 189-69 in favor of Oregon, but it led to one field goal, a lot of yards between the 20 and the opponent's 40.
That was easily the best half of defense a Tosh Lupoi team has played in a big game.