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Penn State Football: Handing Out the Grades Following the Nittany Lions’ 28-20 Win Over Auburn

Penn State is 3-0 with two wins over Top 25 teams, striking a stark contrast to an 0-5 start in 2020 that nearly sent the program into a tailspin. Under more normal circumstances in 2021 the Nittany Lions look like their old selves and a White Out crowd on Saturday night did its part to help will Penn State to a crucial 28-20 out-of-conference victory over Auburn.

It won’t get any easier from here — albeit Villanova might be the easiest game remaining on Penn State’s schedule — so a 3-0 start doesn’t mean going undefeated. Nevertheless, here are the grades following the Nittany Lions’ most recent win of the year.

Offense: B

Sean Clifford managed to put together a 28-for-32, 280-yard, two touchdown outing thats only blemish was a lofted but not super important interception late in the first half. You could make the argument he should have lived for another down, but if your only interception of the year is going to result in the other team kneeling before half, you could be doing a lot worse. All things considered this was a masterclass in managing the game and that’s not a bad thing.

Jahan Dotson was as elite as they come making 10 catches for 78 yard and a touchdown, but really it was the timeliness of his receptions that made the difference. His touchdown was wide open in the end zone from four yards out but more than a few catches extended drives or bailed Clifford out for a less than outstanding throw. If there is a better receiver in the Big Ten aside from Dotson (Ohio State’s Chris Olave might get a nod here) it’s hard to say who that would be.

Penn State went 4-for-10 on third down which isn’t great and didn’t include any third-and-long (9+) conversions on three attempts. The Nittany Lions only had 89 yards on the ground as the running game continues to work in spurts but Noah Cain still looks like the guy to beat at that position. Baylor transfer John Lovett also made his debut with two rushes and an 18-yard reception to his name.

The Nittany Lions had two scoring drives of 88+ yards and were perfect in the red zone. Penn State did give up 11 tackles for a loss but all in all the offensive line gave Clifford more than his fair share of time to throw. When he did have to scramble he kept his eyes down the field and made a few nice throws on the run. He was also perfect in the second half going 12-for-12.

There were moments where execution could have been better but overall this was a very solid performance from Penn State’s offense on the big stage. This group might not always be pretty but it’s getting the job done when it has to.

Defense: A

Aside from Tank Bigsby simply being a great name that feels like it should be worth an extra yard per carry, Auburn’s bruising running back gashed the Nittany Lions on a few occasions but his 23 carries for 102 yards felt almost like the Nittany Lions were able to contain him and prevent the big play. Penn State didn’t have very many missed tackles and the Nittany Lions were able to get pressure on quarterback Bo Nix all night despite not registering a sack. Even without a sack it was easy to see Penn State’s pass rush impacted Nix throughout the game.

Continuing his breakout year, defensive end Arnold Ebiketie was credited with three quarterback hurries and five solo tackles. Penn State only had three tackles for a loss but it still felt like a relatively solid night for the defensive front. Linebacker Brandon Smith did miss an open field tackle he would like to have back but otherwise led the way with 10 stops while linebacker/defensive end Jesse Luketa was right behind him with eight tackles.

Auburn was 9-of-17 on third down but a few of those conversions were the beneficiaries of some great catches. Penn State registered five pass breakups and once against made a deep red zone stop late in the game. At the end of the day holding a talented Auburn team to just 20 points and just 4.6 yards per play is a solid outing for this group on the big stage. Penn State only had one turnover go its way but Brandon Smith’s dropped pick-six and Joey Porter Jr.’s near fumble-recovery had the Nittany Lions’ hands on at least two near turnovers.

You might be able to nitpick a few things here or there, but Brent Pry’s group is playing great football and defense wins you big games more often than not. Saturday night was no different.

Special Teams: A

Jordan Stout is just a lot of fun watching kick the ball. Stout racked up just four punts on Saturday night but managed a 50 yard average with one 58 yard boomer as he continued to flip the field with his leg. At this point Stout is as steady as they come in the punting game and gives Penn State plenty of field flipping insurance if an offensive drive stalls out.

It wasn’t a great night for the return unit to have many opportunities but Jahan Dotson’s 16-yard punt return felt like a small spark in the second half. Penn State didn’t attempt a field goal all night but Stout was perfect on his extra points.

A special teams play can often turn a game both for and against you. Penn State’s group didn’t do anything special on Saturday night, but without tons of chances to do so all you can really ask for are good punts and no mistakes. The Nittany Lions managed both.

Coaching: B+

Mike Yurcich appears to have the answers to Penn State’s need at any given moment during a game’s big moment. That doesn’t mean he called a perfect game on Saturday night, but between the tight end wildcat package and a slick call to get Noah Cain in the end zone in the fourth quarter he had a little something when the Nittany Lions needed it.

Penn State could get better in short yardage situations and it didn’t win the game on its own terms on offense, but Yurcich has given off an impressive first impression through three weeks. The clock was managed well and Penn State settled into the game after some early jitters.

Also positive notes here for getting Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson involved at the tight end spot at the perfect moments after being something of an afterthought early in the year. Penn State’s implementation of tempo at times also caught Auburn off guard at key spots.

You could argue that Penn State should have gone for it in a more traditional sense on the failed fake punt, but it also looked like a horrible spot/whistle that may have otherwise gone in the Nittany Lions’ favor. The QB sneak package is a welcome sight but it could probably use some work. That’s not really coaching but it’s not, not coaching.

James Franklin made the right management calls when the moments arose and credit to him for not throwing the officials out of the stadium by hand when the game was over.

Maybe a few calls Yurcich would like back but all in all coaching was far more a positive than not. Extra credit for aggressive and unique decisions along the way.

Overall: B+

Penn State played a solid game on defense, had long scoring drives when it needed them and found a way to close out the game with a solid fourth quarter on both sides of the ball. This group can be better, which is saying a lot considering the opening three weeks it has had so far. Big win in a big moment. Hard to knock the grade too much for anything considering that fact.