1. Matt Millen on the call for BTN. Terrific.
2. Disappointed we only got “There’s no fear in McPherson” twice. I for sure thought Millen had that tee’d up for one more during the game.
3. (The joke here is that “McPherson” is usually pronounced “Mc-fear-son” but Alex McPherson pronounces his last name “Mc-furr-son” thus the opportunity for the play on words that Matt couldn’t pass up.)
4. We all know Ed Podolak now, too. Thank you, Matt!
5. The third-and-long pass rush unit looks like it’s Caleb Bacon,
Yvan Kemajou, Ikenna Ezeogu, and Alex McPherson. Believe that Max Granville was in that unit before instead of McPherson.
6. Zay Robinson is such a fun player. It feels like a matter of when, not if, he returns a punt or kick for a touchdown this season.
7. I concur with everyone that he’s got a weird running style. I’ve seen some people say he runs like he’s limping, and maybe he is and that’s why he had the left leg compression sleeve, but I think that might just be his running style. Despite only being 5-foot-11, 186 pounds, he’s a long strider and there’s a lot of lower arm movement. He kind of runs like Pete Wheeler did in Backyard Sports.
8. If you understood that reference, we should be friends.
9. The game allowed for Penn State to rotate more than they normally would, but getting Armstrong Nnodim and Alijah Carnell back from injury helped the DT rotation. They both got the second series together.
10. Seven defensive tackles played, with Siale Taupaki leading the way with 24 and Alijah Carnell having the least with 12. That’s a good way to make sure these guys are fresh throughout the season and the game.
11. Here’s a question: if the Buffalo Bulls had Josh Allen as their quarterback, would they have beaten Penn State on Saturday? I really don’t know the answer.
12. I think I made this comparison before, but man does James Peoples remind me of Rodney Kinlaw. Shorter, squaty running backs that are one-cut-and-go.
13. Not Rocco Becht’s sharpest day — 11-of-19 and he’s lucky Koby Howard came down with two of his throws because one was underthrown and the other got tipped.
14. We haven’t had too many splash plays from McPherson, but I like him a lot as a rotational DE and someone especially for the future. Big kid at 6-foot-6, 254 pounds, and he moves well. Didn’t get the sack because Buffalo’s QB threw it away, but he had a QB pressure in the first quarter that really showcased his closing speed.
15. The holding call on Anthony Donkoh was a bad call. That was a snatch-and-trap block. The amount that holding happens and doesn’t get called, you can’t call that. Completely stalled the drive after Zay Robinson made a pretty catch for a first down.
16. Penn State’s most penalized game (8 for 96 yards) so far this season. Both of Buffalo’s field goal drives were aided by pass interference calls. Gotta clean that up for for Big Ten play.
17. Talked about the running backs in yesterday’s Stock Up, Stock Down so I won’t repeat myself, but what really excites me about Quinton Martin is after the 61-yard touchdown run, he gets the ball again and should have been stuffed in the backfield for a 2-or-3-yard loss. Instead, he spins off the defender and gets three yards to make it a more manageable 2nd & goal.
18. …and then Rocco Becht scampers to his right and instead of throwing the ball away, he runs out of bounds to put them right back at the 7-yard line.
19. Second time this season he did that! Throw the ball away, Rocco! Being at the 4 and being at the 7 might not mean much against Buffalo, but those are valuable yards in Big Ten play, brother.
20. I do have to say: Rocco showed off his speed on the long Quinton Martin run. Rocco hasn’t run a ton this year — which is good, keep him healthy — but he’s got some wheels. He’ll get us a big 30+ yard before the season is over.
21. Penn State up 17-3 and it’s 3rd & goal, and Rocco sees he has single coverage out wide with Koby Howard. I’m not sure if the Buffalo defensive back knew that’s where the ball was going or if wires were crossed, but he leaves Chase Sowell completely alone to go double Koby as soon as the ball is snapped. Easier said than done considering a big part of a successful fade is the timing, but would have been nice for Rocco to see that at the last second and get the ball to Sowell for an easy TD.
22. Linebackers as a whole had a better day than they did against Temple — Alex Tatsch and Cael Brezina, especially.
23. I’ve seen the Carson Hansen take be “he should be the short-yardage back.” I don’t see that at all. He’s a 6’2, 215-pound white dude so people automatically assume power back, but that’s not really his game from what I’ve seen. He’s at his best when he can get a head of steam and get moving in space — not tight spaces. Like I think he’s more slot receiver than fullback.
24. Rappleyea getting hurt sucks. I know Matt Campbell said he’s OK and he could have came back in, but I worry about a guy with his injury history who plays as physically as he does holding up. He missed all of spring ball, portions of fall camp, and now — even if precautionary — had to leave a game 3 games into the season? Not ideal!
25. Mo Bamba on a 4th & 2 with 8:48 to go in the second quarter against Buffalo when Penn State is up 27-3…? Why? Who is this for? Save that for the first play against USC.
26. I like that Benjamin Brahmer does the AJ Brown turn the opposite way of your momentum when you catch a ball. Very nice.
27. Couple drops from Brahmy the last few weeks! Stop that!
28. Right before Penn State’s last series of the first half I said to myself “Need a touchdown here.” And boom, just like that, Rocco finds Koby Howard down the seam for a touchdown.
29. I’m not sure what Buffalo was doing with a linebacker on Koby Howard, but a nice job by Rocco to recognize that and just throw it to open space. Koby will dust the linebacker and go get that ball.
30. I have very few thoughts on the second half. Penn State was able to take its foot off the pedal very early, but somethings worth mentioning.
31. I still believe in Liam Andrews. He’s sort of stuck in between defensive tackle and defensive end, but he’s a really good athlete at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds — I think the staff should be able to find a role for him. New-age Pete Massaro?
32. I am a Quinton Martin Guy (TM) but Cam Wallace does tickle my fancy too. If he was a four-star, top 200 kid as a recruit and not a three-star, I wonder if the entire fan base would think of him differently. To quote Bill Simmons, “He just does stuff.”
33. Alex Mankse at least looks the part of Penn State’s next starting QB. Good size, live arm, solid athlete. We’ll see how things transpire, but good reason to think the Nittany Lions opt against a portal QB this offseason and roll with Mankse.
34. I am pretty down the middle with the OOC schedule stuff. I was fine with Cupcake Central the last two seasons, but I am glad we are at least doing Syracuse the next two years. Not that the Orange are world beaters, but getting a Big 12/ACC opponent to get the juices going a little bit seems like a happy-medium between “don’t schedule any type of tough game in your OOC” and “go on the road to rotating SEC programs.”
35. Looking forward to Big Ten play, folks.
