Penn State Game 3 Snap Counts vs. Buffalo

Penn State concluded the nonconference portion of its schedule with a commanding 55-13 victory over Buffalo this past Saturday, serving as another opportunity to rotate in depth pieces.

Additionally, minor injuries to tight end Andrew Rappleyea and center Brock Riker in the first half led to more playing time for others against the Bulls.

Here’s a breakdown of who played, and how much, in the victory (season totals in parentheses). Stats from PFF.

Quarterbacks

Rocco Becht – 43 (140)

Alex Manske – 18 (45)

Connor Barry – 7 (17)

Jack Lambert – 1 (1)

Four different quarterbacks saw action, with fourth-year walk-on Jack Lambert taking the final snap of the game, his first career game appearance.

Running Backs

Quinton Martin Jr. – 22 (41)

Cam Wallace – 18 (35)

James Peoples – 13 (45)

Carson Hansen – 12 (73)

Amar’e Glover – 4 (4)

A season-high five running backs saw time, with Glover working in at the end of the game. For the first time this season, Martin led the team in touches while Hansen, who led through each of the first two games, was fourth in snaps.

Wide Receivers

Chase Sowell – 39 (118)

Brett Eskildsen – 28 (84)

Koby Howard – 24 (94)

Amarion Jackson – 14 (44)

Keith Jones Jr. – 12 (12)

Zay Robinson – 11 (34)

Karon Brookins – 10 (35)

Peyton Falzone – 7 (7)

Peter Gonzalez – 2 (2)

Sowell, Eskildsen and Howard continued to establish themselves as the top three wide outs on the team, though several others got involved late.

Tight Ends

Gabe Burkle – 28 (47)

Benjamin Brahmer – 25 (94)

Bobby Mears – 19 (30)

Finn Furmanek – 17 (64)

Andrew Rappleyea – 16 (91)

Brian Kortovich – 16 (37)

Logan Cunningham – 7 (18)

Burkle continued to expand his role in the offense while working back from injury, leading all tight ends in snaps. With Rappleyea’s injury, Mears and Kortovich saw increased roles.

Offensive Line

Vaea Ikakoula – 52 (73)

Malachi Goodman – 43 (158)

Cooper Cousins – 43 (146)

Trevor Buhr – 43 (146)

Anthony Donkoh – 43 (146)

Donnie Harbour – 26 (45)

Chimdy Onoh – 26 (42)

Garrett Sexton – 19 (45)

Owen Aliciene – 18 (21)

Brock Riker – 9 (124)

Henry Boehme – 8 (18)

Jim Fitzgerald – 8 (18)

Hunter Albright – 8 (8)

Will Tompkins – 0 (31)

Following Riker’s departure, Ikakoula entered the game at center and remained on with the second-string line. He ended up leading the team in snaps on the day.

Defensive Line

Ikenna Ezeogu – 28 (87)

Yvan Kemajou – 28 (86)

Alexander McPherson – 24 (69)

Siale Taupaki – 24 (76)

Caleb Bacon – 21 (72)

Liam Andrews – 21 (25)

Keanu Williams – 19 (79)

Ty Blanding – 18 (59)

Jackson Ford – 18 (22)

Dallas Vakalahi – 17 (56)

De’Andre Cook – 15 (34)

Armstrong Nnodim – 15 (15)

Alijah Carnell – 12 (12)

Max Granville – 0 (22) – out for season

Thirteen defensive linemen saw time with a heavy rotation and constant substitutions. At points, the Nittany Lions had four defensive ends on the field. Nnodim and Carnell made their returns to the lineup after injury.

Linebackers

Cael Brezina – 33 (80)

Alex Tatsch – 33 (56)

Tony Rojas – 31 (100)

Kooper Ebel – 31 (93)

Cam Smith – 0 (17)

John Klosterman – 0 (4)

Despite not starting, Tatsch and Brezina had the most snaps among linebackers and most on the defense behind only cornerback Zion Tracy. 

Cornerbacks

Zion Tracy – 36 (84)

Audavion Collins – 33 (95)

Josiah Zayas – 31 (90)

Jahmir Joseph – 28 (78)

Daryus Dixson – 21 (85)

Ibn McDaniels – 18 (48)

Tyler Armstead – 12 (19)

Donte Nastasi – 9 (10)

Christian Askew – 0 (1)

Tracy, Collins and Dixson earned starts on Saturday with Tracy manning the nickel position. Freshman Zayas and sophomore Joseph continued to carve out contributing roles as well.

Safeties

Marcus Neal Jr. – 30 (94)

Jeremiah Cooper – 26 (72)

Jamison Patton – 21 (87)

Xxavier Thomas – 18 (33)

Vaboue Toure – 18 (54)

Bryson Williams – 9 (16)

Tyrell Chatman – 6 (6)

Neal produced his best performance of the season, flashing his high ceiling and earning a spot on PFF’s team of the week.