Penn State Vs. Rutgers Report Card
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Penn State on Saturday played the same game it has against Rutgers for most of the past decade. The Nittany Lions held Rutgers without a touchdown (for the sixth time since 2014) and cobbled together enough offense with a backup quarterback to bring home a 27-6 victory.
Penn State (9-2) earned some benefit of the doubt for their last home report card of the season. Still, issues linger and probably won't subside through the final two games. Here are the grades.
OFFENSE: C+
At this point, Penn State's passing game is a fractured shell of what it promised for 2023. Quarterback Drew Allar threw for 79 yards before leaving with an injury, receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (no targets Saturday, one catch in the past two games) is MIA and the Lions had a three-play, zero-yard drive. It took backup quarterback Beau Pribula and his quick feet in the RPO game to revive the offense. The Lions averaged 3.4 yards per carry in the first half and 8 in the second. Pribula wound up leading the team in rushing (eight carries, 71 yards). Benefiting from his run threat, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 130 yards. And they did score 17 points off turnovers, 10 with short fields.
DEFENSE: B
Chop Robinson timed Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt dropbacks to the play clock, realizing the Knights wanted to shorten the game and snap with about 5 seconds left. That edge, combined with his phenomenal burst, led to an exceptional day. Robinson made that sack-fumble (recovering it himself) that functionally ended the game. KJ Winston made his first interception based on advice from former safety Ji'Ayir Brown about reading quarterbacks, and Kobe King (10 tackles) came into his own. Sure, the Lions gave up contain on two third-down run conversions but, once again, held Rutgers without a touchdown at Beaver Stadium.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Penn State struck gold in the transfer portal with kicker Alex Felkins and punter Riley Thompson, who have proven their reliability over the season's second half. Felkins (16-for-19) has made seven straight, including a 48-yarder against the Knights. And Felkins averaged 52 yards on his two rugby-style punts. Daequan Hardy had a live-wire day fielding punts, being forced to make a diving fair catch at one point, and the kickoff coverage team allowed a 29-yard return.
COACHING: B-
Some micro issues arose (sneaking Pribula on fourth down in the red zone didn't work), and Franklin plainly was comfortable running clock once the Lions took a 13-6 lead. From a macro perspective, Penn State needs to hit reset on its passing game after this season. The Lions are headed toward their worst year in terms of passing yards since 2004. However, Franklin was moved to tears in the locker room by tight end Theo Johnson, who spoke on behalf of the team. Even after his two dispiriting losses, Franklin has held this group together.
More Penn State Football
Penn State 27, Rutgers 6: The breakdown from Beaver Stadium
For James Franklin, a postgame moment to savor
Penn State diversifies its run game with Beau Pribula
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar leaves Rutgers game with injury
How Penn State's offense will operate without Mike Yurcich
What we know about Penn State's offensive coordinator search
Potential candidates for Penn State's next offensive coordinator
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
