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Nittany Pride: A Football Season to Remember

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

Penn State Football has had a strong season, currently ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference with an overall record of 11-1.

Penn State was undefeated until a 20-13 loss to Ohio State, but the season remains one to remember.

There were quite a few Penn State standout players this season that helped the team succeed alongside a number of memorable plays. 

Tight end Tyler Warren has had a standout season. Warren had a pivotal role in the team’s success to help them advance to the next stage of their championship.

His contributions have been influential in the Nittany Lions impressive run this season.

Warren was named the Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year, given to the best tight end in the Big Ten, which is well deserved.

Warren was also named Penn State’s all-time tight end receiving touchdown leader with 17 career touchdowns. 

Now that the regular football season has come to a close, Warren finished his senior year season strong, and Penn Stater’s will miss his accomplishments on the field unless he is eligible to play for a fifth year. 

Abdul Carter, No. 11 and defensive end for Penn State has also had a strong season, finishing with 19.5 tackles and ten sacks.

Carter won the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year. 

With Carter finishing his junior season, he has a big decision to make about his football future. He is likely a first-round pick and a possible top-10 pick if he declares for the 2025 NFL draft.

This year, with the Big Ten Conference expanding and welcoming new teams, Penn State faced off against UCLA and USC. 

Despite the added competition, we knew we had a solid chance to win. Penn State defeated UCLA with a 27-11 score and edged out USC 33-30 in a thrilling game.

I didn’t get student section tickets this year in the lottery, but the games I was able to get tickets for were great games. 

I even experienced the Nittany Lion crowd surfing through the student section at the Illinois game.

Coach James Franklin called for an unofficial white out at Beaver Stadium against Illinois on Sept. 28. 

Students and Penn State fans brought the white out energy and Penn State won 21-7 for one of the most exciting football games of the year. 

The last regular season game, Penn State against Maryland, was a great end to the season as Penn State dominated 44-7, moving them up the AP Big 10 poll to No. 3. 

The 2024 football season will be unforgettable, with amazing plays from players and a plethora of memories in the best student section in America. 

Next up for the Nittany Lions is a home playoff game against Southern Methodist University on Dec. 21. With this game being another Whiteout, it will definitely be an energetic game.

Olivia is a third-year student at Penn State studying Journalism. When she is not writing for Her Campus @ PSU, she is spending time with her friends and family, listening to music, and sipping on an iced coffee.