Penn State opened as a 34.5-point favorite against Bowling Green on Saturday. After beating West Virginia last week, the Nittany Lions were expected to move to 2-0. Instead, Penn State found itself locked in a battle with the visiting Falcons, who came within a whisker of taking on the No. 8 team in the country.

The Nittany Lions won 34-27, but the effort was less than inspiring, particularly on defense in the first half. Here’s what we learned about Penn State from Saturday’s game.

Penn State’s defense took a step back

After an impressive debut at West Virginia last week, Tom Allen’s defense came out flat against Bowling Green. The Falcons mustered 286 total yards in the first half and led 24-20 at halftime. In the entire game last week, West Virginia had only 246 total yards and 12 points at home.

Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak was outstanding in the first half, going 16 of 20 for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Penn State struggled to get pressure on the veteran passer, who threw quick passes to a highly efficient group of pass-catchers. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was the Falcons’ biggest receiving threat, with 137 yards on 11 receptions.

The Nittany Lions turned things up a notch in the second half, shutting out Bowling Green and limiting their offense to 89 total yards. Second-half interceptions by Tony Rojas and Zakee Wheatley, two freshman starters, helped Penn State take the lead and decide the game.

Still, the Falcons exposed some holes in the Nittany Lions’ defense that weren’t visible after a dominant Week 1 win. Penn State gets the bye next week to try to iron out those kinks.

Tyler Warren emerges as a game-changer

As far as we’ve heard about Penn State’s wide receiver room making strides this offseason, tight end Tyler Warren was the one who dominated against Bowling Green. The senior caught eight passes for 146 yards, and came through on third down time and time again.

Only four other players had catches for the Nittany Lions: two by receiver Omari Evans and one each by tight end Khalil Dinkins, running back Nick Singleton and receiver Julian Fleming.

Wide receiver Harrison Wallace III had a disappearing act against the Falcons. After catching nine passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns in Morgantown, Wallace didn’t make a single catch this week. Coach James Franklin attributed that to the number of playmakers on his offense.

Allar attempted just 20 passes, while Penn State hit the rock 37 times. The junior quarterback looked sharp overall, and Warren appeared to be his favorite target on Saturday.

“He’s very consistent, probably one of the most consistent guys on our team on both sides of the ball,” Allar said of Warren. “And obviously he’s a huge target. He just finds ways to get open. He does a really good job of sensing zone versus man (coverage) and he’s super crafty and smart in that aspect.”

Singleton and Allen break 100 yards

The two-headed monster of Singleton and Kaytron Allen did the job and then some against the Falcons. Singleton totaled 119 yards and a score on 13 carries and caught a touchdown pass out of the backfield. Allen contributed 101 yards on 14 carries.

The duo combined to average 8.1 yards per carry, often helping Penn State create favorable second- and third-down situations. Penn State averaged 9.7 yards rushing on first downs alone.

The element of a big play also played a role, as Singleton scored a 41-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to decide the game.

Through two games, it’s been encouraging to see Penn State’s star running backs make plays. The better they play, the more things open up for the passing game.

More Penn State Football

Penn State 34, Bowling Green 27: Analysis of a surprising day at Beaver Stadium

Penn State is a Big Ten contender, says Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler

Column: There’s Something Different About This Penn State Offensive Game

Sam Woloson has covered Penn State athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson