Week 12 Grades

It was absolutely gorgeous weather on Saturday.  The sun was shining and the sky was a perfect shade of blue as the 2^nd largest crowd of the season filed into Beaver Stadium to watch what most considered a guaranteed win over the Purdue Boilermakers.  Although there were a couple of mistakes that made it look less lopsided than it actually was, the hapless Purdue squad couldn't capitalize on any of them.  In the end, the Nittany Lions got a relatively easy win as they prepare for a significantly more difficult challenge next week against Nebraska.  Hopefully some of the momentum from this game coupled with the emotion of Senior Day will help get win #7 and send this year’s seniors out with a winning record.  For now, though, let’s get to the grades.

Offense

QB: (A-) Bill O’Brien clearly had a run-heavy game plan, especially after he saw how well it was working, but Hackenberg still managed to rack up 212 yds and both a passing and rushing TD.  His biggest strides weren't on the stat sheet as even the casual observer could see that his understanding of the game and decision making continue to get better each week.  Hack just misses the “A” because he threw an interception.

OL: (A) The line created holes for the running backs all day long.  John Urschel loved it so much that he called the heavy dose of running plays a “dream” for offensive linemen.  Garry Gilliam probably wanted out of that dream when somehow his facemask became fused with the facemask of Purdue defensive lineman Bruce Golston and play had to be temporarily stopped.  Thanks to Gilliam's somewhat self-depricating Twitter feed, however, I can bring you this picture of arguably the funniest moment of the game.

RB: (A+) Wow, even when both running backs fumble, they still manage to have a great day!  Akeel Lynch, fresh back from injury, helped reunite the 3-headed monster which carried the ball a record 54 times for 274 yds.  Now that’s production!  Zwinak had his 3^rd 3-TD game of the year while Belton and Hackenberg added TDs of their own, and the rout was on.

WR: (B+) Only 2 receivers caught passes due to the running game’s dominance.  Robinson just missed the 100 yd mark with 98 yds on 8 catches while Geno Lewis came out of his shell and caught 3 balls for 19 yds.  Given the limited stats the receivers played decently, but not great.  Oh, and we didn't even see Felder, Anderson, or Zanellato… mildly disappointing.

TE: (A+) Jesse James’ 58 yd catch and run was not only his longest play of the year, it was Hackenberg’s too.  That, along with Breneman’s first ever collegiate TD meant it was a landmark day for the tight ends.  Also, this picture from the game program is pretty bad ass.

Defense

DL: (A) Da’Quan Jones, Deion Barnes, Austin Johnson, and Carl Nassib all recorded sacks as the defensive line played a key role in holding Purdue to only 41 yds rushing.  They played great, what more can I say?

LB: (B+) Mike Hull and Nyeem Wartman each got a sack and the linebackers looked very good at times, however, they still need to help with the passing game more as Purdue somehow managed to put up more passing yards than Penn State.  If the defense is going to improve next year, it will start at the linebacker position.

DB: (B+) Jordan Lucas got his 3^rd interception of the season and Adrian Amos spent plenty of time in the backfield leading the team with 6 tackles, 2.5 of which were for a loss.  They’re going to be REALLY good as Penn State’s cornerbacks next year.  But everyone in the secondary got beat at least once by Purdue receivers that had no business beating our defensive backs so they get knocked down a little bit for that.

Special Team

K: (A-) Sam Ficken hit a 29 yarder and all 6 of his extra points.  There was a kick return for a TD where Ficken basically fell over trying to save it, but he executed a perfect tackle the second time Purdue tried to run one back, so he gets a good grade.

P: (N/A) Alex Butterworth should have just gone out and tailgated with some fans during the game because he didn't see the field once during this game.  That hasn't happened since 1997!

That will about do it for the grades this week.  Thankfully they’re much improved over last week.  Let’s all hope that trend continues into next week and the trend of going W, L, W, L, W, L ends with Nebraska.  Come back tomorrow for the weekly Awards, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State! 

*Side Note: Former walk on Penn State QB Matt McGloin started his first ever NFL game with the Oakland Raiders.  He had a very impressive debut beating the Houston Texans and becoming the first undrafted free agent rookie QB to throw for 3 TDs in a game since 1987!  Congratulations Matt!