Game Balls
OFFENSE
WR Eugene Lewis, Penn State
The former Wyoming Valley Conference star fell just two yards shy of his second consecutive 100-yard game, but he drew two pass interference penalties and caught three key passes when Penn State scored its second touchdown in the third quarter.
DEFENSE
LB Mike Hull, Penn State
For the second straight game, the senior in the middle had more than 10 tackles, finishing with 11 and a sack for the Nittany Lions defense that refused to bend when Akron’s offense challenged the end zone.
SPECIAL TEAMS
P Chris Gulla, Penn State
The first-year punter came up big when the Nittany Lions’ offense wasn’t coming through in the second half. Gulla punted five times, averaging 48.8 yards per punt and pinning Akron inside its own 20-yard line three times.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
TE Jesse James, Penn State
James came through with the two biggest plays of the game on his two catches. The first was a 13-yard touchdown catch on which he dragged linebacker Jatavis Brown into the end zone. The second was a 44-yard TD catch that put the Zips away in the fourth quarter.
By the numbers
5 — Total return yards for Penn State, on seven Akron punts
59 — Percentage of Nittany Lions QB Christian Hackenberg’s completions that have gone to receivers Eugene Lewis or DaeSean Hamilton through the first two games this season
83 — Rushing yards for Penn State in the second half, after gaining just 23 in the first
773 — Passing yards through two games for Hackenberg, a Penn State record, after throwing for 319 on Saturday
Report card
Quarterback: Statistically, Christian Hackenberg was impressive again, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. But he struggled for a swath of time in the second and third quarters, and forced passes led to two more interceptions deep in Akron territory. Can’t happen. GRADE: B-
Running back: Penn State may have found something late in the game with Zach Zwinak and Akeel Lynch running out of the Wildcat formation, as they combined for 75 yards. Lions need more decisiveness out of starter Bill Belton, though, if run game is to get better. GRADE: C+
Receiver: An argument can be made Eugene Lewis and DaeSean Hamilton are the only targets, but who cares? They’ve been extremely productive, combining for 13 catches and 167 yards Saturday. Jesse James was under-utilized but still came through with two TDs. GRADE: A-
Offensive line: This was a so-so effort at best in the run game, but part of that is a lack of consistent dedication to trying. Line got better as the game went on in the run game, and was solid throughout protecting Hackenberg. GRADE: C+
Defensive line: Maybe the most dominant group on the field Saturday. Once again, the nine-man rotation did a good job flushing Akron QB Kyle Pohl from the pocket, and it was unflappable when the Zips had short-yardage situations. GRADE: A
Linebacker: Mike Hull, Nyeem Wartman and Brandon Bell played most of the game, and they all had big moments. Bell came up with a big fourth-down stop, Hull had 11 tackles and Wartman had his second straight steady game with big effect on the blitz. GRADE: A-
Secondary: After a rocky start, this group did what it had to do against a team getting rid of the ball quickly and throwing passes on the edges: It tackled. Jordan Lucas was especially strong. Only issue was there were no interceptions. GRADE: B
Special teams: Kind of a bland game for Sam Ficken, who had a chance to kick just three extra points. But the Lions were good on kick and punt coverage, and punter Chris Gulla was exceptional pinning the Zips deep. GRADE: B+
Coaching: There are quite a few problems that need to be fixed moving forward, for sure. And not all of the play-calling on offense was stellar. But give James Franklin and his staff credit. Playing the week after an overseas game is practically unheard of, and Penn State survived that pretty well. GRADE: B
— Compiled by Donnie Collins