2023 Penn State Football Game Grades: West Virginia

There was a ton to unpack from No. 7 Penn State’s 38-15 victory over West Virginia on Saturday.

Before the AP Top 25 rankings come out on Tuesday at 2 p.m., here’s how the Nittany Lions faired in their season opener:

Offense: A-

The highly anticipated first look at the Nittany Lions offense did not disappoint on Saturday night against the Mountaineers. An offense that fans had wanted to see in full swing for months, got everything from a 72-yard strike to a consistent run attack down the field.

While the 325 yards and three touchdowns that Drew Allar threw caught everyone’s eyes on the stat sheet, the real magic was on the field. Allar’s smooth, gunslinger play style and connection with nine different receivers were a sight to see as they picked apart West Virginia’s secondary.

Overshadowed by the production done in the air, the ground-and-pound game worked like a charm for the blue and white throughout the night. Consistently, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen ran for an average of five yards per carry to set the team up in short down distances and keep drives going.

If everything seemed to have worked to perfection, why didn’t the offense get a perfect grade? The offense line.

The interior of the line, to be more precise, had its ups and downs throughout the night. The loss of Landon Tengwall before the season showed as Allar faced immediate pressure on some dropbacks and running backs took first hits deep into the backfield that halted any momentum.

Defense: B+

Outside of three throws that went over 20 yards, a no-fly zone was implemented at Beaver Stadium as Kalen King, Johnny Dixon and Cam Miller locked down the field. No penalties, no passing touchdowns and two pass breakups played a huge role in the first win at home.

Out of all the position groups on the defense, the linebackers had by far the best night out of anyone. In total the group produced 32.8% of the tackles, half of the tackles for loss, all three sacks and two out of the three pressures on the quarterback.

Highlighted by Curtis Jacobs, who ended the game with 10 tackles, seven solo tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss. It seemed as if wherever the ball went, Jacobs wasn’t too far behind.

Despite the production from the secondary and heart of the defense, West Virginia’s run game was a thorn in Penn State’s side in all four quarters. The majority of the Mountaineer’s drives that crossed midfield were because of the run game and missed tackles.

On Saturday night, West Virginia’s rush attack went for 148 yards while scoring its only two touchdowns. The offense line was not only able to set the edge but also get blocks into the next level for the running backs to bounce outside and charge up the field for chunk gains.

Special Teams: C

Six points were left on the field for the Nittany Lions on Saturday night, and it all came from two missed opportunities before halftime. Sander Sahaydak pulled both the 34 and 38-yard kicks wide right that sent Penn State into the locker room ahead by one touchdown after a dominant first half.

Remove the field goal attempts from the game, and special teams on kickoffs and punts were inconsistent. Riley Thompson punted two times, and one was almost blocked due to a missed block, while Kaden Saunders almost fumbled a punt return because he forgot to call for a fair catch.

Alex Felkins came in and made a chip shot field goal attempt from 25 yards out in the fourth quarter to help the special teams end on a high note. However, all these mistakes added up in head coach James Franklin’s notebook, which could make for a long week of practice.

Coaches: A

In 60 minutes of play, Penn State didn’t turn the ball over and committed one penalty that came in the first quarter on special teams. Outside of two timeouts taken after some confusion in the pre-huddle, this team looked poised and ready to go in front of a crowd of 110 thousand people.

Franklin and his coaching staff prepared the players and the team to handle adversity in the game and change on the fly. Adjustments were made constantly throughout the day that put the Nittany Lions in the best possible position that they could be in.

Micheal Bolger is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mpb6233@psu.edu.