Penn State Report
Player of the Game
RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
Maybe the best running back in college football sure looked like a handful for Penn State’s defense. Elliott rushed 27 times for 153 yards and a touchdown, adding four catches to tie for the lead in the passing attack.
Game balls
QB J.T. Barrett, Ohio State: Once Ohio State put its sophomore backup into the game, there was no doubt he was a difference-maker. He rushed 11 times for 102 yards and two second-quarter scores, and went 4-for-4 through the air with two more TDs.
RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State: Well, he looked very healthy. The Nittany Lions’ star freshman carved up the Buckeyes defense, rushing for 194 yards on 26 carries.
P Cameron Johnston, Ohio State: Helped keep the Buckeyes close early when the Nittany Lions defense was cruising, pinning Penn State inside its 10-yard line twice in the first quarter and two more in the third.
By the numbers
0 — First-half carries for Nick Scott, Penn State’s leading rusher each of the last two weeks.
5 — Rushes of 9 yards or more for Penn State in the first half.
10 — Rushes of 9 yards or more for Ohio State in the first half.
56 — Yards on QB Christian Hackenberg’s pass to Chris Godwin on PSU’s first drive of the second half, the longest pass play of the season.
117 — Rushing yards for Ohio State in the second quarter.
Report card
Quarterback: Christian Hackenberg took another beating, but he did hit the big 56-yard pass to Chris Godwin that set up his 8-yard touchdown strike to DaeSean Hamilton. He was 7-for-13 for 120 yards, and while Penn State needs him to complete more than that, there just weren’t many open targets to hit. GRADE: C
Running backs: There’s very little doubt now that Saquon Barkley is a superstar in the making. He gained 194 yards on 26 carries, getting big plays off the edge consistently. Akeel Lynch carried four times for 12 yards, and he’s clearly the backup going forward. Barkley accounted for 61.6 percent of the offense. GRADE: A
Receivers: The Nittany Lions don’t yet have the speed threat on the outside to stretch an opposing defense. But Godwin is a tough, big bodied receiver who can make that 56-yard catch in 1-on-1 coverage consistently enough. All in all, though, just not enough consistency from this group. Plus, TE Mike Gesicki had a huge drop early. GRADE C-
Offensive line: They blocked well in the running game, for sure, as Barkley had some holes to hit. But Hackenberg was sacked five times and hit many more than that. There just wasn’t much time to throw. GRADE: D-
Defensive line: This is a tough offense to play against because of how quickly they get to the edges, but the line made some big plays to keep PSU close. Anthony Zettel had a few pass breakups at the line, and Carl Nassib was dominant, registering 1.5 more sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. GRADE: B
Linebackers: There were plenty of missed tackles here, which was to be expected from a young group playing against playmakers this good for the first time. Troy Reeder led the way with five tackles. GRADE: C-
Secondary: There weren’t many big pass plays completed by the Buckeyes, but there didn’t need to be. Jordan Lucas and Marcus Allen piled up a bunch of tackles from the safety spot, but it didn’t seem like there were any difference-making plays from this group. GRADE: C-
Special teams: Penn State can’t punt, and that was a real killer Saturday. Grade: F
Coaching: There were some questionable play calls, but all in all, the Lions were in it in the fourth quarter. Coaches have to get credit for that. Only so much you can do against a team that’s better than yours, all around. GRADE: C-
— Donnie Collins