ATLANTA — Penn State went out with a whimper, falling to Ole Miss, 38-25, in the 2023 Peach Bowl.
Without starting cornerbacks Kalen King and Johnny Dixon, Ole Miss (11-2) QB Jaxson Dart carved up Penn State (10-3) for 379 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on 25-for-40 passing.
Tight end Caden Prieskorn dominated Penn State, catching 10 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
Tre Harris (seven catches, 134 yards) and Dayton Wade (three catches, 61 yards), were also among Ole Miss’ contributors. On the ground, Quinshon Judkins was a force for Ole Miss, running the ball 29 times for 114 yards.
Penn State drew first blood in the first quarter on an Alex Felkins field goal. Ole Miss responded by scoring the next 10 points, first on a 36-yard field goal by Caden Davis and than on a six-yard touchdown pass from Dart to Prieskorn. Penn State tied the game in the second quarter on a two-yard pass from Drew Allar (18-for-32, 266 yards, 2 TD, INT) to tight end Theo Johnson on fourth and goal. This was set up by a wild 71-yard catch and run by fellow tight end Tyler Warren (5 rec, 127 yards, no TD). Ole Miss responded by going on another 10-0 run, highlighted by a a 37-yard pass from Dark to Prieskorn.
PSU answered with a 48-yard pass from backup QB Beau Pribula to RB Nicholas Singleton. But that was the end of Penn State’s scoring.
A 52-yard Davis field goal and a 14-yard pass from Dart to Judkins, plus a successful two-point conversion, put Ole Miss firmly in command in the second half.
PSU coach James Franklin is now 4-5 in bowl games and 3-2 in New Year’s six games. Penn State missed a chance to become the first program in college football history to win all six.
