The Good, Bad and Bizarre From Penn State's Win Over Illinois
Penn State played below expectations against Illinois once again but did something it hasn’t been able to do consistently in recent years: win the ugly game. Much like the 2021 disaster vs. the Illini, Penn State just couldn’t get going offensively for a while. The defense kept things in check, and unlike 2021, Drew Allar and Co. finally broke through in the second half for the 30-13 victory.
Even in a rough showing, Penn State put up 30 points, extending its nation-leading streak of scoring 30+ to 10 straight games. The defense capitalized on Illinois' poor quarterback play to carry things through.
As Penn State coach James Franklin said on the post-game radio show, "You’re going to have to win games a ton of different ways throughout the season." He called it a "beautiful win," too, for as ugly as it really was. Sometimes that’s what it takes in the Big Ten, especially on the road with a first-time starting quarterback. Here’s what to take away from Penn State's win over Illinois on Saturday.
Penn State cornerback Cam Miller intercepts a pass in front of Illinois receiver Casey Washington in the Lions' 30-13 victory.
Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports
Penn State's defense flexes
Illinois set a Beaver Stadium record for opponent rushing yards (357) the last time these teams met. Penn State held the Illini to just 62 yards Saturday. There were just a handful of early runs that broke Penn State’s contain or featured poor tackling attempts, including Reggie Love III’s touchdown in the second quarter (he bulldozed two defensive backs). But the defensive interior got some push, helped by Manny Diaz’s blitzes, to shut things down and finish with seven tackles for loss and three sacks, two by Coziah Izzard in his first game of the season.
There is some vulnerability up front, but Penn State backed up a lot of defensive preseason hype in its first major test of 2023. The returns of Izzard, cornerback Daequan Hardy and defensive end Amin Vanover were key. Stars Kalen King and Chop Robinson had mostly quiet days, but Adisa Isaac flashed often with a half of a sack and a tackle for loss.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer had a resoundingly bad game, completing 54 percent of his passes with four interceptions. The Nittany Lions also picked up a fumble from running back Josh McCray, forced by Dom DeLuca. Some of the interceptions were poorly thrown, but others proved Penn State has one of the best secondaries in the nation. Hardy played textbook coverage with a leaping interception, while Johnny Dixon, Abdul Carter and Cam Miller added takeaways.
Saturday went a long way toward reassuring Franklin that his defense can keep games in reach while the offense figures things out.
Offense has room to grow, especially up front
Illinois has a talented defensive front, led by Jer’Zhan "Johnny" Newton, whose stat line was eye-popping: six tackles, one TFL, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal. But Penn State’s offensive line was supposed to be better and deeper this season. Saturday put some doubt in that theory, as Allar had to run some and Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen struggled to find open lanes against loaded fronts. Something shocking happened, too: Penn State was stuffed on the goal line on three tries from the T-formation.
Allar (16-for-33, 208 yards) struggled more than any other game in his short career. He did, however, deal with a heavier pass rush, a quiet run game and a handful of drops. Allar protected the ball well and led a calm two-minute drive, highlighted by a beautiful throw for 33-yards to Liam Clifford, that ended with a field goal before halftime. Nothing dazzling on the outing like the past two games, but Allar faced some important adversity with no major blemishes.
Penn State also was noticeably missing the wide receiver Tre Wallace, perhaps the team’s best route runner, who was listed as questionable before the game but did not play. The receiving corps has been uneven, and there was minimal separation Saturday in relief of the struggling ground game. Malik McClain seems to have earned Allar’s trust as the third wide receiver but had a pair of untimely drops that killed drives.
Losing the penalty battle
Some mental mistakes contributed to the ugliness for Penn State, which got tagged for 70 yards on seven penalties. Two more penalties were declined. A pair of personal fouls, one on KeAndre Lambert-Smith and one on Dvon Ellies, will really grind the coaches' gears when they kill drives. They both seemed a little ticky-tack from the broadcast, but who knows what was said on the field? Franklin always mentions the penalty battle as one of the biggest factors in games, and he addressed that afterward.
"Not good, not happy, not pleased with them, don't like them," Franklin told reporters in Champaign after the game.
Felkins wins the kicking job
Columbia transfer Alex Felkins, whether Franklin has actually announced it or not, appears to have won the kicking job for Penn State. He made every extra point as the starter against Delaware last week and followed it up with field goals of 20, 45 and 28 yards against Illinois. His only miss this season was blocked by Newton on a 52-yard attempt. Felkins told reporters after the game that he "chunked" it.
Sander Sahaydak won the job out of camp, but missing two field goals against West Virginia forced Franklin’s hand toward Felkins. The transfer scored his 200th career point Saturday and has stabilized what started as a shaky unit.
More on Penn State
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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network.
