I’m filling in for Tim after he ran the Richmond marathon this weekend. Penn State finally got back in the win column with a 28-10 win over Michigan State on Saturday. But most importantly, the Land Grant
Trophy remains in Penn State’s possession until at least 2027.
Quarterback: B+
Ethan Grunkemeyer only threw 13 passes in this game, but two went for touchdowns and zero were interceptions. He started to look more comfortable running the ball in the second half. There were some shaky moments, especially the mishandled snap on the opening drive and sometimes holding on to the ball for too long, but he did an overall good job of managing the game.
Running Backs: A
With Nicholas Singleton contained all afternoon, Kaytron Allen carries most of the weight for this grade, as he rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Allen is just 139 yards away from breaking Evan Royster’s rushing yards record.
Wide Receivers: B+
Devonte Ross had two touchdowns, including a 75-yard bomb from Grunkemeyer in the first half. Trebor Peña had another solid outing as well, with 38 yards on 4 receptions. Kyron Hudson still has not had more than one catch in a game since UCLA and did not have a catch yesterday, but otherwise the wideouts mostly did what was asked of them.
Tight Ends: C
In a reversal from last year’s Orange Bowl, the tight ends did not have a single catch in this game. There are only so many targets to go around when the quarterback only throws 13 passes, but none of these tight ends have been consistent receivers this season. Blocking was solid, though not amazing for most of the game.
Offensive Line: B+
The offensive line struggled to get a push in the run game for stretches of the first half. A large part of Penn State’s rushing total came in the fourth quarter, but that fourth quarter was arguably the best the offensive line has looked in run blocking this season. Ethan Grunkemeyer was sacked twice, though one was a coverage sack.
Defensive Line: A
Remember in school when you had a group project and one person did all the work? That’s what it felt like watching the defensive line. Dani Dennis-Sutton was a one-man wrecking crew on the defensive line, racking up two sacks and generating consistent pressure all afternoon. The rest of the line did not do a ton, but DDS’ performance was dominant enough to get the group an A.
Linebackers: B+
Michigan State’s lone touchdown of the game saw both linebackers unable to shed their blocks, and DeLuca struggled, but I thought the linebackers were fine otherwise. Amare Campbell had nine tackles and a half sack. Keon Wylie added a sack and a TFL.
Secondary: A
Michigan State was held to 4.7 yards per pass, and the secondary executed blitzes perfectly to overwhelm Alessio Milivojevic. Zion Tracy, King Mack, and Daryus Dixon all had at least a half sack. Tracy had a sack-fumble late in the game with the Spartans moving into the red zone. This was the best game all season from the secondary.
Special Teams: A
Dani Dennis-Sutton blocked a punt in the first half, his third of the season and Penn State’s fourth as a team. Ryan Barker made all four extra points, and Gabriel Nwosu averaged 46 yards per punt.
Coaching: A–
Michigan State is not a good team, but I give a lot of credit to Terry Smith for keeping this team focused after the losing streak reached six games in spectacularly heartbreaking fashion. It was not a perfectly coached game, but it was more than good enough to get a win on the road. The offensive play calling was again inconsistent, though the defense has started to look more like the unit we expected to see at the beginning of the season. Penn State came in with an aggressive game plan, stuck with it throughout, and it worked.
