Penn State honors service members during Military Appreciation Game
During Saturday’s game redshirt freshman #7 Kaden Saunders ran out the American flag and presented it to his father, Anthony Saunders, who served in the U.S. Army for more than 27 years.
STATE COLLEGE − Maybe that first interception of Drew Allar’s college career finally loosened up something about the quarterback, this Penn State football team.
Because it was only after Allar threw a most untimely INT in the middle of the fourth quarter, deep in his own territory, that the Nittany Lion offense finally made its way against this suspect Indiana defense.
Only after the 31-point underdog Hoosiers had somehow tied things up.
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After two first-down plays, Allar lofted a perfectly-placed pass to No. 1 wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith with less than two minutes left. Lambert-Smith not only caught the ball over his shoulder but somehow kept his balance along the right sideline to score, 57 yards later.
The winning points, at least, came in impressive fashion on a mostly underachieving, dreadful day in Beaver Stadium.
Here’s your Penn State football report card after the harder-than-ever-expected 33-24 victory over the Hoosiers:
Offense: C-
The Lions were outgained by one of the most unstable offenses around (349 total yards to 342).
That says a lot.
Penn State struggled, once more, to get any sustainable running game going against one of the worst run defenses in the nation − 106th out of 130 FBS teams. The Hoosiers give up a 174.4 yards per game on the ground; the Lions managed just 132 (3.1 average per carry).
Even more, the pass game did not look much better against the 2-5 Hoosiers than it did in struggling ever so mightily against the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes.
Allar repeatedly could not locate open receivers and deliver the ball. Every pass completion seemed a struggle until the very end.
It took that near-miracle 57-yard loft down the right sideline for the winning points with under two minutes to play just to get Allar over 200 yards for the day.
Defense: D+
This grade is based on underperformance. One of the nation’s top-rated defenses through seven weeks should not, in any way possible, give up three touchdown passes, all 26 yards and longer, to this kind of opponent.
The Indiana Hoosiers’ offense offered little stability or hope outside of a talented but neglected wide receiver group. Well, they poured it on Saturday with the help of QB Brendan Sorsby. He completed 13-of-19 passes for 269 yards and those three scores against what was the nation’s No. 2-ranked pass defense.
Two TD plays covering 159 yards in the first half? That’s beyond rough for this group.
The Lions mustered little pass rush or backfield disruption until the very end, when it was absolutely required.
Special teams: B+
Another improving day for the punting and the return game.
Transfer punter and kicker Riley Thompson and Alex Felkins are becoming two of the most reliable, impressive parts of this growing unit.
Nick Singleton and Daequan Hardy were on the verge of touchdown returns.
And the coverage units snuffed out the one impressive part of this Indiana team − Jaylin Lucas. His one return went for minus-9 yards.
Coaching: D
Once more, the Lions looked lost in trying to bounce back from a tough loss.
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They nearly let one defeat lead to a second, like they did in 2017 and 2018 and, worst of all, in 2021.
The 0-5 start to 2020? That’s another story completely.
But even though James Franklin warned about not allowing his team to turn the crushing defeat to Ohio State last weekend into a second, it nearly happened anyway.
Most distressing, was the stellar defense, which was broken for multiple game-breaking plays.
Overall: C-
Do we give an edge, the benefit of the doubt, to being able to storm to a saving finish?
We’ll give a grading break for now, in how the defense bore down late and the offense found itself on the winning touchdown drive.
But this was just ugly, overall, for much of the day. From poor tackling and substandard rush pressure and pass coverage on defense to another quicksand performance in the pass game.
Regrouping for the equally-struggling Maryland Terrapins next weekend is mandatory. But what will that look like?
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.