For the first time since 2008, Penn State football is 11-1.

The Nittany Lions wrapped up their 2024 regular season with a Senior Day victory over Maryland at Beaver Stadium. Despite a shaky start, Penn State handed the Terrapins loss No. 44 in series history by way of a 44-7 rout and clinched a bid to the Big Ten Championship.

Our photographers were at the came to cover all of the action. Let’s see how the cold and chippy game unfolded.

The team arrived at the stadium and was greeted by a long line of brave fans weathering the cold temperatures.

Soon after arriving, the players hit the field to begin warming up. Some opted to wear fewer layers than others.

The pads were finally on as kickoff inched closer.

After a slow start from the Nittany Lions, including a fumble from Nick Singleton, the running back found his way into the endzone for a 2-yard touchdown, making the score 10-7 Nittany Lions.

It was all Penn State in the second quarter. Beau Pribula joined the touchdown party for the Nittany Lions to extend their lead to 24-7.

Tyler Warren brought in Penn State’s fourth touchdown of the second quarter and the Nittany Lions entered the half with a 31-7 lead.

For most of the second half, the Nittany Lions ran the ball and milked the clock until the game’s end. Singleton found the end zone for the second time in the game for an 18-yard score and extended the lead to 38-7.

Tensions were raised postgame after freshman Tyseer Denmark scored one last touchdown for Penn State as time expired. James Franklin and Maryland’s Mike Locksley exchanged words at midfield.

With Michigan’s surprise upset of Ohio State, the Nittany Lions rang the Victory Bell with plans already set to travel to Indianapolis, Indiana, the next week to face Oregon for the conference title.

Before heading into conference play, Maryland men’s basketball racked up another dominant nonconference win Sunday, beating Alcorn State, 96-58, at Xfinity Center.

The Terps were stuck in a first-half battle before ultimately pulling away for good. The Terps, led by balanced scoring attack, now enter Big Ten play 7-1.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

A close start

The game was tied at 20 apiece with 8:42 left in the first half. For nearly the first 12 minutes of play, Alcorn State more than held their own against Maryland.

The Terps shot poorly, starting just 1-of-6 from deep. The majority of their success came in the paint, as Julian Reese and Derik Queen continued their dominance against smaller defenders. Both scored quick buckets inside and worked well off one another as their chemistry continues to improve.

But other than that, Maryland’s offense was limited in comparison to its other starts against similar competition. Its flow of offense was so stale that free throws were desperately needed to add to its point total — which Reese and Queen contributed to.

Meanwhile, Alcorn State was hot from the field, sinking a pair of 3-pointers and pacing the game on the offensive side of the ball. Unlike some prior matchups, head coach Kevin Willard was not initially as bullish on implementing a full-court press, which gave the Braves time to set up their offense.

Alcorn State’s early ball movement was impressive, too, as its sets created confusion on the Terps’ interior and manufactured room for its shooters. But its buckets weren’t just the product of stellar shooting. The Braves made six layups in that first-half span, showcasing their ability to handle the Terps’ size.

Maryland came alive to end the opening half

The Terps finished the first half on a staggering 25-4 run. After going 1-of-6 from 3-point range to start, it followed up with a 4-of-5 stretch.

But it was the team’s defense that led to the proficient offensive output.

Willard started bringing more pressure directly off inbounds plays, which sped up Alcorn State. As a result, the sloppy plays started to pile up, and Maryland became the beneficiary. Suddenly, the Braves didn’t have any momentum on the offensive side of the ball.

After the 8:42 mark of the first half until the end of the frame, Maryland took the ball away only two times, but the way the Terps exploded after gaining possession was crucial. They garnered nine fast break points in the frame, with point guards and bigs alike running the length of the floor.

This speed opened up a bevy of open shot opportunities in transition, which the Terps’ best shooters — namely Rodney Rice and Ja’Kobi Gillespie — had no trouble knocking down.

A balanced scoring attack

Five different players scored in double digits for Maryland Sunday afternoon.

Rice (12), Queen (20), Reese (14), Miguel (14) and DeShawn Harris-Smith (10) all had solid offensive performances and contributed in different facets of the contest.

Miguel and Reese who got things started for the Terps, with Reese knocking down a pair of free throws and Miguel sinking a 3-pointer. Miguel has been impressive as of late, hitting a number of shots and being far more aggressive around the rim. He offers an inside-outside punch, keeping defenses guessing as a sizable guard who can do a little bit of everything.

Harris-Smith’s day was perhaps most encouraging for Terps fans and Willard. He struggled over the Terps’ first seven games, averaging about four points per contest. But his 10 points on 60% percent shooting was a welcome sight.

In other games, he had often deferred the ball, choosing to pass out of open looks or dump off to bigs in the paint. But on Sunday, he was looking for the ball in the restricted area, even making some nice cuts to the rim. He also made a 3-pointer, which bodes well for his confidence going forward.

It does not matter the environment, home or away. It doesn’t matter if Maryland has a roster sprinkled with some future NFL players.

The Terps cannot hang with James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions.

It rarely ends well for Maryland when it faces PSU, and often it ends very badly.

The Lions toyed with the Terps 44-7 on Saturday at Beaver Stadium to finish their regular season 11-1. With Ohio State losing at home to Michigan, PSU now advances to the Big Ten championship game to face Oregon on Saturday.

When you win by 37, the grades typically look good.

So, let’s get to them.

OFFENSE: B+.

Nick Singleton’s lost fumble on the first offensive play was one of the few blemishes on PSU’s ledger. … Singleton atoned for the error with 87 rushing yards and a pair of scores. … The Lions finished with 219 rushing yards and four scores, the others on runs by Drew Allar and Beau Pribula. … Tight end Khalil Dinkins added three catches for 36 yards with wideout Harrison Wallace III unavailable. … Allar completed 17 of 26 passes f0r 171 yards and teamed up with Tyler Warren for a seven-yard scoring pass. … The Lions’ O-line did not allow a sack. PSU converted 4 of 5 fourth-down tries, a good thing since the Lions were 5-for-15 on third-down tries.

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DEFENSE: B+.

What happened on the lone Maryland touchdown earlier in the game? Great throw by quarterback MJ Morris to wideout Kaden Prather for a 25-yard score. Give the visitors credit. … Penn State allowed just two 3rd-down conversions in 12 attempts and stuffed the Terps twice on fourth down. … Led by edge rushers Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State racked up six sacks and four quarterback hurries. Carter had two sacks, Dennis-Sutton had a sack and three quarterback hurries. … Penn State did not allow a third-quarter point, and the Lions did not permit a third-quarter touchdown in the regular season. Think about that. … The Lions’ showcased their secondary depth on Saturday. Reserve corner Audavion Collins and reserve safety Dejuan Lane both had interceptions.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B.

Nick Singleton flashed his wheels on a 66-yard kickoff return in the first quarter that set up a PSU field goal. … Placekicker Ryan Barker drilled a 49-yard field goal, but he also had a 53-yard attempt blocked on the final play of the first half. … Solid day for Riley Thompson, who averaged 42.5 yards on four attempts. … Penn State coverage teams limited Maryland to 64 return yards on five combined kickoff-punt returns.

COACHING: B+.

Penn State didn’t have wideout Harrison Wallace III available and the Lions’ O-line had to adjust without right tackle Anthony Donkoh in the starting lineup. It appeared PSU got better as the game progressed and the players were able to focus with a spot in the Big Ten title game on the line.

OVERALL: B+.

A 37-point win on Senior Day, a 5-0 record on the road, and a four-game win streak to close out the regular season. As a result, Penn State is 11-1 and has a chance to earn a top seed in the upcoming college playoff. All James Franklin’s team has to do now is upset unbeaten Oregon in Indianapolis. Why not?