Week 4 Grades

The undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions are up to #27 in the polls, off to their best start in years, and kicking butt in a number of statistical categories!  Yes, things are once again quite happy in the Valley, and it's all the more fitting with Homecoming this week.  In case you forgot about recruiting, don’t worry, James Franklin hasn't.  Otherwise, there’s not much going on, so let’s just get right into the grades!

Offense

QB: (B) If I was just grading Christian Hackenberg, this would have been a C.  Yet again he was inconsistent, made some head scratching throws, and barely completed 50% of his passes in a TD-less effort.  The difference?  He did it against UMass!  And for once, this wasn't the offensive line’s fault (more on that in a second).  Meanwhile, 4^th string walk-on D.J. Crook looked surprisingly decent in garbage time.  He went 6-9 for 57 yds and a TD, not too shabby.

OL: (A) This might be the only time the big boys up front even have a shot at an A, so I’m giving it to them.  Against a completely overmatched UMass defensive front, the O-line imposed their will all day long, opening up running lanes and keeping Hackenberg (and Crook) upright.  Donovan Smith did come out for a few plays with an undisclosed arm injury, striking fear in the hearts of Nittany Lions fans everywhere, but he came back and looked fine.  Also of note, right guard Brian Gaia did not start or even play in the game, being replaced by fellow former defensive lineman Derek Dowrey.  It was hard to tell against UMass if that was an improvement and we still don’t really know why the switch was made.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see on this one.

RB: (A+) The running backs were another group itching for a good grade lately, and they finally earned it!  Combined they scored 5 rushing TDs with 3 different backs and torched the UMass front for 247 yds.  More impressive was the fact that both Belton and Lynch averaged 10+ yds per rush.  Please football gods, don’t let this be the last time we see a performance like this!

WR: (A-) Lewis and Hamilton were limited to only about half a game due to the blowout, yet they still managed to grab a combined 9 catches for 147 yds.  More importantly, freshmen wideouts Saeed Blacknall and Chris Godwin got ample playing time and combined for 4 catches and 39 yds.  Blacknall appears to be the more physical option, cable of breaking tackles to get more yds after the catch, while Godwin is a little more refined as a route runner.  When Lewis and Hamilton are gone, this might be the next great duo.

TE: (C) Although James, Carter, and Wilkerson combined to pull in 5 receptions for 50 yds along with Wilkerson’s TD, I still find myself feeling disappointed by their play so far.  Do they really miss Breneman this much?  Sure, James had 2 catches by himself, but he also dropped 3, and everyone needs to improve their run blocking.  Northwestern should be a good test as to whether these guys are improving or starting to get stagnant. 

Defense

DL: (A) Despite the noticeable absence of Deion Barnes and Anthony Zettel in the box score, this unit still came out hungry.  The starters were decent, but the backups really shined and showed how incredibly deep this group has become.  Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran (no relation) combined for 4 tackles, with 2 for a loss, Garrett Sickels and Tarow Barney each had a tackle for a loss and a sack, and Evan Schwan added another 2 tackles to the group's total.  Penn State’s tradition of great D-linemen looks safe for quite a while.

LB: (A) Even in limited duty Mike Hull managed to lead the team with 6 tackles, and he forced a fumble too!  Nyeem Wartman added 5 tackles, and Brandon Bell got 3 tackles, 1 for a loss, and a sack.  Backups Gary Wooten and Von Walker combined for 6 tackles, 2.5 for a loss.  Per usual, the linebackers just went out and got the job done.  They aren't flashy, and they don’t have the big play potential of some Linebacker U alums, but they’re solid and don’t give up points.  That works.

DB: (A-) They get the minus because Malik Golden fell asleep at the end of the game and let UMass ruin the shutout, however, this group played well overall.  All told, 9 defensive backs recorded at least 1 tackle on Saturday, and together they tallied 18 tackles with 2 pass breakups.  Just two short years ago, Bill O'Brien's staff had to convert multiple WRs to DBs just to make a starting lineup and the nickel package (a 5 DB set) became more legend than legitimate option.  Oh how far we've come.

Special Teams

K: (A+) Ficken nailed 2 season long 40+ yd FGs and all 6 extra points.  He also forced a touchback on all but 1 kickoff.  Need I say more?

P: (A+) If Chris Gulla ever gets injured, I’ll feel bad for him obviously, but I won’t be concerned for the team.  Backup Dan Pasquariello is left footed and from Austrailia, but the dude can straight up kick.  He averaged 43.5 yds on 2 punts and showed that we even have depth in the special teams.  Hurray!

Alright, the awards post tomorrow will wrap up our coverage of the UMass game, and I've got a little surprise for everyone, so definitely stop back to check that out.  In the meantime, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!