Penn State coach James Franklin admitted Monday that Tyler Warren should have had the football in his hands at least once inside the 5-yard line in the fourth quarter against Ohio State. The Nittany Lions picked up a first down at the 3 after Warren took a direct snap and ran for 33 yards. From there, they could get no closer than the 1 after three straight runs by Kaytron Allen and a fourth-down incompletion into the end zone. “Maybe on one of those (first) three downs at least, you gotta make sure that Tyler Warren touches the ball, however that is,” Franklin said, “whether that’s (in the) Wildcat (formation), whether that’s in the passing game or whether that’s as a ball-carrier. “We have two really good running backs (Allen and Nick Singleton) that we feel good about. Those guys have to touch the ball as well.” Usually a strong inside runner, Allen carried 12 times for 27 yards in the 20-13 loss to the Buckeyes. Singleton, the former Gov. Mifflin star, caught six passes for 54 yards and ran just six times for 15 yards. He was not on the field for the first three downs on that sequence. He was sent in on fourth down and helped block Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau while Drew Allar dropped back. Allar’s pass to No. 2 tight end Khalil Dinkins was incomplete. “You gotta be able to create movement up front and score when you need 1 yard,” Franklin said. He was asked what the conversation was like on the headsets between him and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki during those four plays. “The last thing you want for the person calling the plays is for the head coach or somebody else to interject in those critical moments and make the coordinator hesitate,” Franklin said. “Those discussions are happening all week long with your preparation and planning for what’s best in those moments. “Could we have been more creative? Could we have gotten the ball into Tyler Warren’s hands at that moment? Could we have gotten more push from a technique and fundamental standpoint? You’ve gotta be able to get a yard when you want to get a yard.” After taking over at its 1 with 5:13 left, Ohio State kept the ball away from Penn State and ran out the clock for its eighth straight win over the Lions. Penn State also had a first down at the Buckeyes’ 3 late in the second quarter after Allar’s 21-yard completion to Harrison Wallace III. On the next play, Allar threw to a closely guarded Wallace on a fade route. The pass was on target, but cornerback Davison Igbinosun won the jump ball with Wallace before he tumbled out of bounds. Allar blamed himself afterwards for not making a better pass. “You can make the argument he made the perfect throw,” Franklin said. “The way we teach those throws, we want them to be high where your receiver is reaching for the ball. And if he doesn’t catch it, it’s out the back of the end zone.” Penn State wide receivers combined for just three receptions for 49 yards against Ohio State, two for 45 by Wallace and one for 4 by Julian Fleming. They haven’t caught one touchdown pass in five Big Ten games. For the season, Wallace has 24 catches for 395 yards and two touchdowns, the most among wide receivers. Their lack of production has been an issue since last year. “There have been significant strides made there, but there’s still significant work to do,” Franklin said. “We have got to be able to threaten people. We have got to be able to stretch people. “We have got to be able to make plays and create separation and make tough catches. That needs to happen. That needs to be an emphasis for the rest of the season.” Even with the wide receivers struggling to get open, the Lions had a chance to tie it late in the fourth quarter and failed to score four times inside the 3. “I’ve been a part of being creative on first down and on second down,” Franklin said. “You throw it on third down and everybody says you got too cute. “We didn’t get the ball in the end zone. When that happens, you’re going to be second-guessed and you’re going to be critiqued. I get it.”