A lot was made from the improved big-play functionality of No. 8 Penn State on offense final week in its season-opening 34-12 win at West Virginia.
However coach James Franklin famous that the Nittany Lions, who host Bowling Inexperienced on Saturday in State Faculty, Pa., weren’t too shabby on protection.
“Nobody is speaking about our protection and our protection performed very well,” he stated Monday. “Higher in factors per possession, higher in explosive performs. Higher in whole yards allowed, higher in speeding yards allowed. Our protection performed higher, and so they performed higher on the street.”
Penn State will not have to fret in regards to the street for some time, both. This recreation begins a stretch of 4 in a row at residence. With a bye week tossed in subsequent week, the Nittany Lions will not must journey once more till an Oct. 12 journey to Southern California.
Their protection allowed solely 246 whole yards at West Virginia, together with simply 85 on the bottom, and compelled three turnovers. Teamed with an offense that rolled up 457 whole yards and created 4 performs of no less than 40 yards, it led to one of many extra spectacular wins of the opening week.
Quarterback Drew Allar was 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns — all within the second quarter. Harrison Wallace caught 5 passes for 117 yards and two scores, together with a 50-yarder on the primary play of the second quarter and an 18-yarder with six seconds remaining within the first half for a 20-6 lead at intermission.
“We have been very intentional on rising that and growing that,” Allar stated of the rise in large performs. “It is enjoyable to be in a system like that, for positive. We actually ready effectively all through the week as an offense.”
It wasn’t all passing, although. Penn State additionally obtained 114 speeding yards from Nick Singleton, together with a 40-yard landing run early within the third quarter after a lightning delay of greater than two hours.
In the meantime, Bowling Inexperienced additionally cruised in its season opener on Aug. 29, drilling FCS opponent Fordham 41-17. Justin Pegues returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a landing and Terion Stewart rushed for 161 yards and three scores, together with a 73-yarder within the fourth quarter.
The Falcons additionally obtained 168 passing yards from Connor Bazelak, who added a speeding landing. Bazelak, who beforehand performed at Missouri and Indiana, has thrown for 9,473 yards in his profession and will likely be beginning his forty second profession recreation on Saturday.
Bowling Inexperienced coach Scot Loeffler stated his crew will likely be challenged to speak in entrance of a giant crowd at Beaver Stadium.
“We obtained to be on level,” Loeffler stated. “We obtained to know precisely what to do as a result of it is laborious to listen to. It’s a loud place; the coed part will likely be rocking and rolling. There’s lots of problem to it. There will be an unbelievable quantity of individuals whenever you’re simply warming up.”
The Falcons have misplaced each earlier matchups with the Nittany Lions, with the final assembly coming in 1998, when Penn State cruised to a 48-3 victory.
–Subject Degree Media
