Penn State Football Report Card: Illinois Edition

STATE UNIVERSITY | Penn State guard Vega Ioane, who is playing at an elite level this season, looked across the board in the second quarter and saw a tiring Illinois defense.

“Every block I made, it seemed like they didn’t even want to try against me anymore,” Ioane said late Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.

On Tuesday, Penn State coach James Franklin personally challenged his offensive and defensive lines to take over Saturday night’s Big Ten opener against Illinois. That’s what they did. The Nittany Lions’ 21-7 win, which running back Kaytron Allen called “down and dirty,” was their most physical performance of the season. Both lines were dominant, as evidenced by the high numbers: Penn State ran for 239 yards, Illinois 34.

And although Penn State had its problems (some new, some recurring), the team improved to 4-0 by capitalizing on Illinois’ will. This is important for a team that hasn’t had to play games like this yet.

So to the testimony.

RELATED: Breaking down Penn State’s 21-7 win over Illinois

INJURY: B

While Kaytron Allen (18 carries, 102 yards) and Nicholas Singleton (16 carries, 94 yards) ran past and through people, Penn State switched its offensive game plan to the run. The offensive line demoralized Illinois, especially Ioane and center Nick Dawkins, who was exceptional. Even after guard Sal Wormley (who was starting for the 28th time in his career) was eliminated due to injury, the team didn’t stand still for a moment. JB Nelson and Cooper Cousins ​​continued to shake up Illinois from the inside.

Penn State ran 44 times for 239 yards, an average of 5.4 yards per carry. Allen and Singleton averaged 5.8 per touch and scored a touchdown each. The Nittany Lions were particularly run-heavy on first downs: They ran on 22 of their 32 first down plays, an average of 6.6 per carry. Four players had rushes of more than 10 yards, including tight end Tyler Warren, who was 14 yards from the Wildcat and also scored a rushing touchdown.

The passing game was fine (quarterback Drew Allar threw a few fastballs that missed), and Penn State left points on the field. But front-line supremacy represented great progress.

DEFENSE: B+

Allowing another touchdown on the first drive (his second in four games) was worth a red flag. Even Franklin acknowledged this, saying it suggests being unprepared. But Penn State’s defense changed the game with a stop in the red zone late in the second quarter. Illinois had scored on 36 consecutive red zone possessions since October 2023. It was 16-on-16 this season. And the Illini had the 1st-and-goal from Penn State’s 2-yard line. Granted, a bad snap and an intentional grounding killed the drive, but Hakeem Beamon also delivered a run-stuff that turned the series around. Illinois missed a field goal, ending its streak in the red zone.

The Nittany Lions can be tough to find on defense. They missed a majority of tackles and helped Illinois record seven plays of more than 16 yards. But they also held Illinois to 1.1 yards rushing per attempt, sacked quarterback Luke Altmyer seven times (five in the second half) and intercepted him on the second-to-last drive. Defensive player Abdul Carter had 3.5 tackles for loss, a big pass breakup and the crucial sack fumble. Tackle Zane Durant threw a guard aside to sack him. Cornerback AJ Harris, who played at Georgia last year, made his first Penn State interception. Illinois appeared poised to run up the score after its game-opening touchdown drive. Penn State scrapped that quickly and decisively.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

After the game, Franklin said he wanted kicker Sander Sahaydak to “celebrate the win like everyone else.” But this week, Franklin and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig will reopen the kicking competition. Sahaydak missed two 40-yard field goals (one left, one right) that kept Illinois in the game. Ryan Barker hit the extra point on Penn State’s final touchdown. College kickers deserve a second chance, and Sahaydak got one after missing out on West Virginia. However, the change could be coming now.

Elsewhere, Penn State still has a strange punt returner situation. Receiver Kaden Saunders, who was injured in training camp, is the returning starter but has yet to play a snap on offense. He made four more fair catches on Saturday. Penn State obviously has no problem defending the ball on punts, but it’s strange that a sports team hasn’t developed a secondary return threat in four games.

COACHING: B

After his team was stopped six times for 63 yards, Franklin called a penalty again. The total actually fell below Penn State’s average (7.3), but still angered the staff. The ongoing trend towards defensive offside positions was particularly annoying. The Nittany Lions were turned away twice more (one more was turned down), making it 11 in four games. Kudos to defensive coordinator Tom Allen for recalibrating his group once again.

TOTAL: B

Penn State played an occasionally sloppy, undisciplined and unfocused game. And it called up an oddly-timed Wildcat for Tyler Warren on 3rd-and-7 in the fourth quarter when he wasn’t a threat to throw. Micro-issues aside, the Nittany Lions imposed their will on Illinois, which should be the most important takeaway from Saturday night.

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Penn State on SI 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, following three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.