Introduction
Penn State won its first Big Ten game on Saturday, defeating Purdue 42-19 in
West Lafayette. The Nittany Lions are now 1-1 in conference play and 3-2
overall. Here's a look at some of the players who helped lead the way for PSU:
Winners
The defense was the winner of this game. Penn
State's defensive line had a great game against Purdue's offensive line,
holding them to just one sack and five tackles for loss. Shareef Miller did his
best to make sure that didn't happen by being able to hold off the pass rush
and allowing Hakeem Barkley time in the pocket.
Penn State also got some help from new starter
John Reid, who showed he could be an effective backup at linebacker behind
Brandon Smith and Michael Mauti (who both played well). Trace McSorley was able
to make some plays when given opportunities, including getting rid of the ball
quickly after running backs were stopped on first down plays early in each
half—an important factor if you want your offense moving at full speed into
second down territory where they can get more yards per play than just average
field position alone would indicate."
Penn State's defense
Penn State's defense was impressive, but it
wasn't able to make the same impact on offense. The Nittany Lions were only
able to convert two third downs in the entire game, both of which came in
overtime when Penn State had a chance at winning.
The defense was also successful getting pressure
on Purdue quarterback David Blough, who threw for just 158 yards and one
touchdown against them (though he did have two interceptions). He wasn't sacked
once—a rarity for him—and got rid of the ball quickly enough that he didn't
have much time in some situations where he might have been pressured if there
had been more sacks attempted by his opponents.
Penn State's offense was also held without a
touchdown until three minutes into their second drive in overtime when they
finally scored on an eight-yard run by Chris Godwin with 4:10 left after losing
three fumbles earlier in the game; however this would be Godwin's only rushing
attempt during all four quarters excepting those final seconds where they
couldn’t score any points either!
Shareef Miller
Shareef Miller is a junior defensive end for Penn
State. He has played in all 14 games this season and has 21 tackles, 7.5 sacks
and 2 forced fumbles on the year. On Saturday, he was named the Big Ten's
Defensive Player of the Week after Penn State's win over Purdue by way of his 7
tackles (4 solo), 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery that led to a
touchdown in their 37-28 victory over the Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium on
September 15th!
Hakeem Barkley
Barkley's performance was the best by an opposing
player in Ross-Ade Stadium since 2012, when Miami Dolphins running back Daniel
Thomas ran for 208 yards against the Nittany Lions.
Barkley also scored two touchdowns and caught a
touchdown pass on Saturday afternoon.
John Reid
John Reid is a cornerback for the Nittany Lions.
He's a senior and comes from West Orange, New Jersey. Reid has started every
game for Penn State this season, recording five interceptions on the year. He
also has 41 tackles and one fumble recovery.
Reid's interception against Purdue was his fourth
of the season—a career high for him as well!
Trace McSorley
McSorley threw for three touchdowns, but also had
two interceptions. He was sacked four times and rushed for a touchdown in the
first half alone.
Despite the performance, McSorley gave Penn State
what it needed most — which was stability at quarterback. The Nittany Lions
haven't had that since Christian Hackenberg left after his freshman year in
2014; they've struggled to find someone who can take over when starter Trace
McSorley was injured or suspended during his sophomore season (2016).
McSorley's performance this weekend might be
enough to restore some confidence among those who have questioned whether he
will ever live up to his potential as an elite passer coming out of high school
or at one of the nation's best programs like Penn State...
Irv Charles and DaeSean Hamilton.
Irv Charles and DaeSean Hamilton each had two
touchdowns. Hamilton has scored in three straight games, while Charles has been
involved in a touchdown in four straight games.
The Fan Experience.
You were there, and you know how it felt. It was
just a great game, with the crowd getting into the game and cheering on their
team. The student section was loud, but that's to be expected when playing in
front of 60,000 people at "The New Era" (the stadium). There were no
major incidents or injuries throughout either team's time on the field—and if
you're wondering why I'm writing this article so early in the season given that
Penn State played Purdue last weekend in Bloomington, Indiana? It's because we
have more games coming up!
Losers
The defense has been a huge disappointment. Penn
State's offense is averaging just 6.9 yards per play and ranks No. 113 in the
country with only 59 points scored through three games, but Purdue's average of
7.4 yards per play and 116 points scored in three games are both among the top
10 nationally.
The Nittany Lions rank last in total defense (395
yards per game) and scoring defense (23 points). They also have let up an
average of 806 total rushing yards per game to opponents this season—more than
any other Big Ten team behind only Michigan State's 813 rushing yards allowed
during its Week 2 loss against Nebraska:
Miles Sanders.
Miles Sanders is the most talented player on the
Penn State roster, and he has a lot of potential to be a star. He needs to
improve his running between the tackles, but he's still an excellent back who
can make big plays in space.
Sanders' biggest issue right now is
inconsistency—he seems to have good days and bad days at times (which isn't
uncommon among young backs). When he can get past his own personal issues and
focus on playing within himself, Sanders will be able to take over games when
called upon; as long as he does this consistently, there's no reason why Penn
State should lose any games with him in uniform.
The Nittany Lions won in West Lafayette, 42-19.
Penn State's defense held Purdue to just 2-of-13
on third downs, including a pair of sacks by Shareef Miller and one touchdown
by Hakeem Barkley. The Nittany Lions also forced four turnovers (two
interceptions, two fumbles) in the game.
Penn State won with an efficient offense that did
not turn the ball over or commit any penalties during regulation time. Trace
McSorley threw for three touchdowns and John Reid had two interceptions in his
first start at cornerback since suffering a dislocated knee last October
against Michigan State. Tristan Gebbia caught six passes for 105 yards while
Chris Godwin added five receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns—one on a
play where he broke off an 84-yard catch-and-run downfield on 3rd down before
cutting out into open space toward the end zone!
Conclusion
Penn State’s win over Purdue was an impressive
feat against a team who beat us last year. We have been bouncing back and forth
between the top 10 all season, so we are still in the hunt for a playoff berth.
In fact, if things go our way this weekend at Ohio State then we could even
make it into one of those spots!
