STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State held on for the win.
This wasn’t the official White Out, but one would be hard-pressed to notice a difference between the annual stadium spectacle and what Penn State spontaneously put on display Saturday night with 109,911 people in Beaver Stadium.
There was no shortage of drama either as No. 9 Penn State (4-0, 1-0 in the Big Ten) held on for a 21-7 win against conference rival No. 19 Illinois (4-1, 1-1).
Here are my takeaways from Penn State’s victory.
Penn State found a way to grind out a win
This team cruised past West Virginia, the defense had one bad half against Bowling Green and then dismantled an inferior Kent State team. How would Penn State respond with the home crowd revved up for a night game but the offense quickly needing to play from behind? That’s exactly what unfolded as Illinois opened the game by methodically moving down the field on an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
Penn State answered with its own eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. When Nittany Lion kicker Sander Sahaydak missed a 40-yard field goal in the first half, the Illini responded with their own missed 45-yard field goal attempt. There were countless momentum swings with each team missing a field goal, Penn State bypassing a field goal late in the third quarter and yet with Penn State clinging to a 14-7 lead with under 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter Drew Allar and the offense slammed the door.
Allar completed 15 of 21 passes for 135 yards. Running backs Nick Singleton (16 rushes for 94 yards) and Kaytron Allen (18 rushes for 104 yards) each scored a touchdown. Tight end Tyler Warren was once again used in a variety of ways, including taking a direct snap for a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Penn State didn’t turn the ball over either as it amassed 374 yards of total offense.
Allen’s 5-yard rushing touchdown with 1:55 left in the game put the game out of reach.
Nittany Lions with another TD to extend the lead 🙌@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/ZYSPVuacDc
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 29, 2024
The Nittany Lions have serious questions at kicker
Sander Sahaydak won the job coming out of the summer but has struggled already this season. Sahaydak is now 3 of 9 on field goal attempts in his career and missed two 40-yard tries against Illinois. Shortly after Sahaydak’s first miss, Penn State bypassed a field goal opportunity. Faced with 4th-and-3 at the Illinois 17-yard line, Allar’s pass to receiver Julian Fleming gained just 2 yards.
Penn State went back to Sahaydak midway through the fourth quarter but rather than extending Penn State’s 14-7 lead, he missed again. The crowd groaned and some boos ensued. Penn State does have other options at kicker, including Chase Meyer, who Penn State brought in last winter as a transfer from Tulsa. Ryan Barker, a walk-on, could be another option. Keep in mind that if Meyer or Barker was drastically better in practice, where Penn State charts every kick, then they’d be on the field instead of Sahaydak. It’s going to be interesting to see what, if anything, Penn State changes moving forward with Sahaydak.
On Penn State’s last extra-point attempt of the game, it was Barker who came on instead of Sahaydak. Barker did convert.
What to make of the Penn State defense?
The good news? Penn State still has one more home game next week against UCLA before heading to Los Angeles to play USC. But if the first month of the season taught us anything, it’s that this defense, while still more than capable of helping this team get into the Playoff, is not nearly as consistent or as suffocating as the one Penn State had last season under Manny Diaz.
Communication issues popped up in the first half against Bowling Green but then subsided and appeared to be put to rest. In the following weeks, Penn State put analyst Dan Connor on the in-helmet microphone with middle linebacker Kobe King instead of defensive coordinator Tom Allen. Allen stayed upstairs in the booth again Saturday for the second consecutive game.
The defense, which was without starting outside linebacker Dom DeLuca, who was unavailable due to an undisclosed injury sustained against Kent State, has been its own worst enemy. Redshirt freshman DaKaari Nelson switched from safety to outside linebacker in the summer. Saturday night, Nelson made his first career start replacing DeLuca.
After coach James Franklin lamented his team’s penalty issues during nonconference play, penalties against Abdul Carter and Amin Vanover aided Illinois’ opening scoring drive. It was a theme all game, especially for the defense. Faced with fourth-and-6 with 6 minutes left in the game Carter added a false-start penalty. On the next play, an illegal block in the back penalty on cornerback Zion Tracy wiped away a would have been pick six by AJ Harris. If Franklin was less than pleased with the penalties before this — his team was averaging seven per game — there’s no way he’s happy after this one. Penn State finished with six penalties for 63 yards
Still, at the end of the day, the defense gave up seven points. But lapses like surrendering 30 yards on third-and-21, coupled with the penalties, have to get cleaned up.
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Where was the scoring output?
For an offense that entered the game averaging 41.3 points, this was a step up in competition, and Penn State had some challenges.
The offense had four possessions in the first half but scored just seven points. Allar drove the Nittany Lions down the field on the opening drive for an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in which he went untouched. The offense ripped off gains of 20, 11, 14 and 16 yards. Warren capped the drive by taking a direct snap and going airborne for a 3-yard touchdown.
It looked like the offense was going to move the ball at will, but rather than being aggressive early in the second quarter, Penn State punted on fourth-and-1 at its 42. The Nittany Lions’ third possession, which spanned 13 plays that went for 69 yards, ended with Sahaydak’s first missed field goal try. On the final possession of the first half, Allar was sacked to end any scoring threat.
Illinois will have much to ponder, too
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer had his team on the cusp of points late in the first half. Illinois reached the Penn State 2 but left with no points. A snap over Altmyer’s head resulted in a 9-yard loss. The Illini moved backward before missing a 45-yard field goal attempt.
(Photo of Tyler Warren diving in for a touchdown: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
