Penn State
report
Player of the game
DE Carl Nassib, Penn State
For the second straight week, Nassib dominated the game defensively for the Nittany Lions. He recorded five tackles, but three were sacks, and he forced two fumbles. His second-quarter interception off a tipped pass led to a field goal and a 10-0 Penn State lead.
Game balls
RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State: The true freshman made a case for the starting job, gaining 115 yards on 12 carries, scoring his first career touchdown in the win.
DT Austin Johnson, Penn State: The quiet force in the middle of the Nittany Lions defense, Johnson recorded a career-high nine tackles, set his career high for sacks in a season with 1.5 and tipped the Joe Licata pass that Nassib intercepted.
PR DeAndre Thompkins, Penn State: Set the tone on special teams for a Nittany Lions team that looks potentially explosive on returns, with a 58-yard return contributing to his 71 yards on four returns.
RB Anthone Taylor, Buffalo: Buffalo’s running game looked formidable at times against the Nittany Lions, and the senior led the charge by gaining 93 yards on 18 carries.
By the numbers
0 — Sacks allowed by Penn State’s offensive line
2 — 58-yard returns on a kick and punt by Penn State’s Nick Scott and DeAndre Thompkins, respectively
3 — 15-yard chop blocking penalties called against Buffalo
160 — Combined rushing yards for true freshmen Saquon Barkley and Brandon Polk
Report card
Quarterback: It wasn’t statistically pretty, but Christian Hackenberg got the job done Saturday. He completed 14-of-27 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. He kept the offense under control, and his numbers would have been better had it not been for some drops. GRADE: B+
Running back: There’s going to be a running back controversy in Happy Valley, as freshman Saquon Barkley looked strong between the tackles on the way to a 115-yard performance. Akeel Lynch averaged just 2.4 yards per carry, and his playing time faded after halftime. GRADE: B+
Receiver: Outside of Chris Godwin, who caught five passes for 75 yards, there haven’t been many big-play threats in this group. DaeSean Hamilton caught a touchdown, but none of his three catches went for more than 6 yards. Eugene Lewis had just one catch, and the tight end play was spotty. GRADE: C+
Offensive line: Granted, this happened against a Buffalo team that looked strong early before wearing down. But the offense like looked, well, OK even after LT Andrew Nelson went down with an injury. Hackenberg wasn’t sacked, and the rushing attack averaged 5.1 yards per carry. GRADE: B-
Defensive line: It’s difficult to play better than this group did. Carl Nassib is playing at a high level, and Austin Johnson had a career game. Anthony Zettel was strong as usual, and Evan Schwan had four tackles as he split time with Garrett Sickels.GRADE: A
Linebacker: All things considered, count that as a strong outing. Jason Cabinda handled the middle with six tackles, but Troy Reeder was the revelation at WLB, making plays all over the field. Freshman Jake Cooper added a sack, and the communication issues that existed the last three quarters last week were not evident. GRADE: A-
Secondary: There are some definite tackling issues that didn’t go away after last week, and Buffalo’s receivers had some success against Trevor Williams and Christian Campbell. Buffalo threw for 205 yards. GRADE: C+
Special teams: Joey Julius missed a field goal and a 50-yard opportunity was lost due to a bad snap, but he did drill two (from 22 and 21). The return game was spectacular, as both DeAndre Thompkins and Nick Scott had 58-yard returns. Still not getting enough consistency from punter Daniel Pasquariello.GRADE: B
Coaching: There were times in the first half when the offense appeared too conservative. But once things got rolling, the calls improved (imagine that). This was a more aggressive team overall than fans saw against Temple, which was a positive step. GRADE: B
DONNIE COLLINS