Penn State is 5-0 and avenged last year’s overtime loss to Indiana with a 24-0 shutout effort against the Hoosiers on Saturday night. The game was marked by the Sean Clifford to Jahan Dotson connection and a Penn State defense that simply doesn’t give up easy yards or easy points.
All eyes turn to Iowa City and what looks to be a top 5 meeting between two Big Ten foes, but before that here are the grades following the Nittany Lions’ win on Saturday night.
Offense: B
This group has yet to put together a total package game but it’s hard to argue with 24 points in conference play and it’s hard to argue with looking like the better team most all of the night. Sean Clifford was brilliant at times using his arm and his legs to convert on third and fourth down during a key scoring drive and finished the night with 58-yards rushing. Overall Penn State racked up 209 rushing yards which was far and away the best of the year for the Nittany Lions.
Speaking of the running game, this unit still struggles at times in short yardage, getting stuffed on a fourth-and-one as well as giving up six tackles for a loss. It’s not a matter of talent in the running back room – although Noah Cain looks a step or two slow right now – but it’s a matter of consistency. Penn State’s running backs don’t seem to have the quick burst they need right now and it’s hard to tell if that’s a product of simply being a little slow or simply trying to make too much out of something. Either way it was a good night for the running game but not without a few moments to remind everyone the problem wasn’t solved in one evening.
Penn State went six-for-16 on third down and 2-for-3 on fourth down.
Clifford had his first bad interception of the year but three touchdowns never hurts the cause and a stellar eight-catch, 84-yard, two-touchdown outing by Jahan Dotson furthered his claim as one of [if not the] best receivers in the nation. Keyvone Lee looked like his 2020 self with 74 yards on eight carries.
All things considered this group can get better, but it’s getting big plays [four passing plays of 15+ yards, eight running plays of 10+] and putting together long drives [ 13 plays, 80 yards and nine plays 96 yards for 14 points].
Next week will be a test, but Nittany Lions are as ready as they’ll ever be.
Oh and for the history books Dotson broke the 2,000 yard mark for his career – just the 10th Penn State receiver to do so. Also Dotson and Clifford connected for their 18th touchdown, the most in program history for a quarterback and receiver duo.
Defense: A
What more can you say about this group that hasn’t already been said? They delivered a shutout – a rarity in this day and age of college football – and did so with what felt like relative ease. Joey Porter Jr was on the receiving end of a great ball-hawking interception and Penn State’s secondary racked up six passes defended to give the Nittany Lions 29 on the year good enough for eighth-best in the nation. Tariq Castro-Fields and Daequan Hardy accounted for four of those pass deflections.
Five tackles for a loss overall, two sacks and three more quarterback hurries marked a strong night for the pass rush as Ellis Brooks led the way with eight tackles on the night. Indiana was just three-for-14 on third down and went 0-for-2 in the red zone thanks in large part to Penn State’s second blocked field goal of the year.
All told the Hoosiers managed just 264 yards of offense with just 69 of those coming on the ground. Where Penn State managed five yards per carry – thanks in no small part to quarterback Sean Clifford – Indiana registered just 2.9 yards per carry on 24 rushing attempts.
End of the day this group didn’t give up much on the ground, only a few chunks plays through the air and kept Indiana off the scoreboard all night. Credit to this group as well for picking up a four-and-short stop along the way, albeit not without some help from the arbitrary nature of spotting the ball.
Near perfect effort, near perfect grade.
Special Teams: B+
A blocked field goal – Penn State’s second of the year – is the big moment from this unit. The Nittany Lions aren’t getting much of anything out of the return game but it hasn’t really mattered up to this point in the season. Jordan Stout continues to be reliable punting the ball with four of his six punts being downed inside the 20 and adding a 50-yard field goal to his name in the process.
Jahan Dotson did have a 16-yard punt return but only when the game was already well in hand so fewer positives for doing good things when it really doesn’t matter all that much.
All told Penn State’s special teams unit was a net positive on the night and continues to in the very least avoid the major miscues that can swing games. Check back next week to see if that holds true in Iowa City.
Coaching: A
This game didn’t have a ton of coaching moments that really stood out so there’s not much to say here. Brent Pry’s group was good to go once again and Mike Yurcich pushed all the right buttons just enough times yet again. The only gripe here might be that Penn State ran the ball four of its first six plays in the second half and then again on its second drive of the half, seemingly trying to force its will on the ground despite mixed results on any given carry. Then again the Nittany Lions finishing with over 200 rushing yards is hard to ignore, it just didn’t feel like the right way to attack the start of the second half up 14-0.
Overall: A
It was a clinical win. Indiana never really had a chance and never really looked like it had a chance. Penn State had its best rushing performance to date and the defense continues to be one of the best in the nation. Nittany Lions are leaving some points on the board and will have to finish more drives as the season goes along, but a win is a win.
