The five game home stand came to an end with Penn State's most dominant offensive performance of the year. A win over the Indiana Hoosiers brings the Lions to 5-1 and just one win away from bowl eligibility. Unfortunately, their next opportunity to secure that win comes in prime time, at the Horseshoe verses Ohio State. More about that on Friday, for now let's roll out some grades!
Offense
QB: (A+) Statistically it was Hackenberg’s best game this season as he went 21-39 for 262 yds and 2 TDs (plus 2
rushing TDs), with no INTs! Also,
the boy can move! Now people will need
to respect that aspect of his game, at least a tiny bit, which will open the door to plenty of opportunities for other players elsewhere. Speaking of which, Hack distributed the
ball as well as he has all year with 7 players notching at least one rushing
attempt, and an incredible 9 players catching at least one pass. He'll need to bring every ounce of swagger he got from this game into Columbus on Saturday.
OL: (B+) The "big uglies" finally proved they can create and
hold a pocket, which is obviously key when your QB is described as a pocket
passer. Although they allowed their 2nd highest number of sacks to date, many of those were on Hack for holding the ball too long. Meanwhile, we're on the 3rd and 4th string RBs, yet they continue to produce thanks to the holes being opened up by the offensive line. Paris Palmer continues to be a work in progress at LT, but overall the line has improved every week, and that's all you can ever really ask.
RB: (B) Nick Scott and Mark Allen have filled in for the injured Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch admirably. They combined for 105 yds on 16 carries against Indiana, but no scores. They didn't really need to score, though, as Hackenberg ran 2 TDs in on their behalf. Now that the Nittany Lions are in the meat of their Big Ten schedule, a strong running game is an absolute MUST! I'm just not sold on the two redshirt freshmen providing that yet. The good news is, Barkley's return for Saturday's game is slowly shifting from rumor to reality.
WR: (B+) Some receivers played well (Geno Lewis), some did not (DeAndre Thompkins), some didn't seem to play at all (Saeed Blacknall), while others managed to play like crap before inexplicably playing
great down the stretch (Chris Godwin). By in large, they played well as a unit compiling 266 yds and 2 TDs. However, much of Hackenberg holding onto the ball too long is due to these guys not getting open. And there were waaaay too many drops in the 1st quarter. If they can clean some of that up, the talent is there to give the Buckeyes fits and give Hack a place to throw the ball.
TE: (A-) Kyle Carter may have wanted the glory on Hackenberg's second TD run, but he came through in the 2nd half with 3 catches for 30 yds on the same drive. His blocking has also gotten better, allowing even back up RBs to have some success. Mike Gesicki is starting to clean up his play as well, catching 2 passes for 21 yds and not making any bonehead mistakes this week. Ohio State's physical defense will give these guys everything they can handle as both blockers and pass catchers, so they better be ready.
Defense
DL: (A+) Austin Johnson was 1 of 3 players to tie for the
tackles lead with 9. Carl Nassib now leads the nation in sacks with 10, recording 2 more on Saturday (he’s now just 5 shy
of the single-season school record) and forcing 2 fumbles. Garrett Sickells' monster hit knocked Zander Diamont
out of the game. And although he didn’t
record a single tackle, Anthony Zettel batted down 2 passes at the line of
scrimmage. All told this year, the
starting four on the defensive line have combined for 101 tackles, 28.5 for a
loss, 16 sacks, and an insane 7 forced fumbles!
LB: (B+) The return of Brandon Bell was huge! He only recorded 3 tackles but his leadership and coverage skills will be invaluable next week. Jason Cabinda was part of the three-way tie for most tackles with 9 as he continues to break out. Troy Reeder added 3 tackles, including 1 for a loss, and Von Walker added 1 of his own. These relatively low numbers are less an indication of poor LB play, and more a symptom of Indiana's offensive style. I expect that to change this week against a very aggressive Ohio State offense.
DB: (A+) I knew this group would be a strength of the defense since fall camp. They've been upstaged by a ridiculous performance on the defensive line, but don't be fooled, these guys are playing out of their minds right now. Marcus Allen is fully back from injury and back to leading the team in tackles with 9, 1.5 of which were for a loss. Jordan Lucas (7) and Christian Campbell (5) were second and third place respectively and each had a pass breakup. Troy Apke, Trevor Williams, and Grant Haley all added 3, while true freshman sensation John Reid grabbed the lone interception of the day. Everyone in the secondary, including the backups, is playing at an insane level and opposing offenses better watch out!
Special Teams
K: (D+) After being Mr Consistency all year long, Joey
Julius fell flat on his face in this one.
His kickoff after Penn
State
P: (C-) Pasky was ok. He definitely showed his endurance, trotting out 7 times by game's end. His 44 yd average is alright, but all of his rugby-style punts are line drives. The key to a good punt is hangtime, and the Aussie doesn't have it.
This week's bonus grade is an A to the weather! The passing side of the offense got a chance to shine alongside the sun on the best afternoon in Beaver Stadium all year. Hope you all had a happy Homecoming!
That will do it for Indiana week. We got ourselves a doozy this weekend, so expect a longer post on Friday for my prediction. In the meantime, head on over to my Facebook page and give it a like or even a share. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
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