Takeaways: Penn State football shows progress, flaws in primetime win

Penn State football moved to 4-0 on the season, taking down in the Big Ten opener Saturday night Illinois 21-7 in front of an unofficial White Out crowd. The Nittany Lions earned a resume-building double-digit point win over a top-20 opponent, but it didn’t come without some hiccups along the way. 

What are we taking away from Penn State’s most recent win?

Penn State football has a kicker problem

Special teams are such an important part of football that many dismiss. That is, until it comes back to bite in key situations.

On Saturday, Penn State football learned the perils of not having a reliable kicking game. Sander Sahaydak went 0-2, missing both of his field goals from 40 yards. One miss was towards the end of the first half with the game tied 7-7; the other was early in the fourth quarter with the Nittany Lions up a touchdown.

Excluded from Sahaydak’s stat line is the late third-quarter drive where James Franklin elected to try for a fourth-and-three conversion from the Illinois 17-yard line, which ultimately failed.

While Penn State still would go on to win 21-7, the game could have been more comfortable by the time the fourth quarter rolled around if the Nittany Lions were able to take advantage of those scoring opportunities.

© Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

Sahaydak had previously lost his job in 2023 after missing two field goals under 40 yards in the season opener against West Virginia. Penn State football was able to successfully turn to transfer Alex Felkins to give a sense of security in the kicking game.

On the Nittany Lions’ final score of the night, James Franklin elected to go with freshman kicker Ryan Barker for the extra point. Sahaydak continues to be a great kicker in practice, which is why he has won the job for two consecutive years. Even when the junior came out in the second half for warmups, he didn’t miss a single kick.

However, it just doesn’t seem like it has clicked when the lights come on. Franklin stated on Monday that the position will be an open competition this week based on all the data – practice and game – accumulated to this point. We’ll see who the Nittany Lions decide to roll out on Saturday against UCLA.

Penalties continue to be an issue

So far, 2024 has been one of the most undisciplined teams we have seen from the James Franklin era of Penn State football. The Nittany Lions are averaging seven penalties for 66 yards per game.

Like Saturday, the majority of those penalties have come either pre- or post-snap, particularly on defense. While promises have been made to clean up the issue, little progress has been seen to date.

Allowing offenses to extend drives could be detrimental when facing more lethal attacks such as USC and Ohio State. But until a step is taken in the right direction, it seems this may just be a thorn in everyone’s side throughout the rest of the season.

Run game dominates

While many fans have loved to see the big play passing offense that Andy Kotelnicki has brought to Happy Valley, it was the run game that dominated on Saturday. The Nittany Lions finished the game with 239 yards on 43 carries, an incredible 5.4 yards per carry.

It was an incredibly balanced attack, with Kaytron Allen garnering 18 carries for 102 yards while Nicholas Singleton added 16 carries for 94 yards. Both found the end zone once on the night. The longest rush for each was 14 yards.

On Homecoming, this grind-it-out mindset reminded many of the old days of Penn State football. It almost felt like an homage to Ki-Jana Carter on the 30th-anniversary celebration of the undefeated 1994 team. Even more fitting, on Saturday night, Singleton and Allen joined Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell as the only teammates in Penn State football history to rush for 2,000 career yards.

While the running backs were putting up the stats, the Penn State offensive line absolutely bullied the Illinois front seven. It was one of the most dominating performances we have seen from a Nittany Lion offensive line against a Big Ten opponent.

There were a few injuries up front that will be interesting to follow moving forward, but if the line can continue to be this productive, we should be optimistic that the Penn State offense can compete with anyone in the conference.

Drew Allar was efficient

© Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

If you look at Drew Allar’s stat line, it may not be that impressive to someone who didn’t watch the game. The Penn State starting quarterback finished 15-21 for 135 yards. Allar’s yards per attempt was 6.4, down from his season average of 10.9.

But much of that can be credited to the success of the Nittany Lion rushing attack. The offense often found itself in third and manageable situations, with an average conversion distance of 5.2 yards.

That isn’t to say that Allar didn’t take any shots. He did look to connect with Omari Evans in the second half in what would have been a 40+ yard touchdown if the Illinois defensive back hadn’t picked up the pass interference penalty.

Sometimes, you just have to take what the defense gives you. A 71% completion rate is always a positive. It will be interesting to see the game plan for the Bruins, who have struggled defensively this season.

Tyler Warren adds another dimension to Penn State offense

Tyler Warren has quickly put himself into contention for the Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in college football each season.

Warren scored Penn State’s first touchdown, diving over the Illinois defense from the wildcat position. The senior finished with two carries for 13 yards and four catches for 34 yards. It certainly was not the best statistical performance he’s had this season. But the timely plays helped extend drives and led to Nittany Lion scores.

As the competition ramps up in conference play, Warren must remain a key part of the offense. If Penn State football continues to have success with Warren in the wildcat, it adds another dimension to the Nittany Lion offense, similar to what we’ve seen with backup quarterback Beau Pribula. As a former high school quarterback, don’t be surprised if we see the southpaw tight end air it out more in the games to come.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned, community-operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.