Film review | No. 7 Penn State’s offense struggles in 30-13 win over Illinois

No. 7 Penn State opened Big Ten play on the road against Illinois, where the Nittany Lions clawed their way to a 30-13 victory.

The Fighting Illini provided the blue and white its toughest test of the season: the offense experienced some struggles, but the defense roared through all four quarters.

Mike Bolger and Amanda Vogt detail the plays that stood out during this matchup and provide some analysis before Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium for the White Out against No. 24 Iowa in the first-ranked matchup of its season.

Amanda Vogt

Plays we liked: 3rd&7 ILL 43 – Abdul Carter’s first career interception

In the first quarter, Penn State forced three turnovers, and by the game’s conclusion, the defense had five takeaways – the most in a game since 2017.

Luke Altmyer attempted his pass up the middle to Isaiah Williams, but Carter read the quarterback’s pass and was able to cut in front and intercept the pass and returned it 18 additional yards for the blue and white.

At the play’s start, the sophomore linebacker lined up near the line of scrimmage, but once the ball was snapped, Carter dropped back into coverage, and Altmyer’s pass landed in Penn State’s hands.

Carter recorded 6.5 sacks as a freshman and has continued to develop his game – this interception is a result of his increased awareness and impact on the Nittany Lion defense.

Plays we didn’t like: 1st&GOAL PSU 5 – Reggie Love III broke through multiple tackles to put Illinois on the board with two minutes left in the first half

In several instances, the Nittany Lions struggled against the run and made tackles on first attempts.

Upon receiving the handoff, Love III cut to the right to bypass the right guard, who forced the defensive line to the left, and he plowed through three defenders without losing his footing before crashing into the endzone.

These missed and unfinished tackles must be cleaned up by Penn State, as its opponents will continue to get harder in the next stages of the season and could exploit that weakness if it doesn’t improve.

Unique/Standout plays: 1st&10 ILL 44 – Drew Allar slings it deep to Liam Clifford for 33 yards

With under a minute before halftime, Penn State tried to put a drive together to score even though it received the ball to open the third quarter. James Franklin has highlighted the importance of the middle-eight (final four minutes of the first half and opening four minutes of the second half), so it wasn’t uncharacteristic for the Nittany Lions to attempt the deep attempts.

Eighteen seconds were on the clock when Allar stepped into the pocket as pressure surrounded and delivered a pass 33 yards down the right side to Clifford, who extended to complete the catch.

On the route, Clifford gained a bit of separation from the Illinois defender on the outside to provide him the room to secure possession of the ball as he fell to the ground. That was the longest catch of the redshirt sophomore’s career.

While Allar struggled and only completed 48% of passes, the ability to work quickly and set up a score before the clock runs out is a strong sign for the quarterback who made his first road start.

Micheal Bolger

Plays we liked: 2nd&4 PSU 31 – Daequan Hardy in perfect coverage, picks off Altmyer at the end of the first quarter.

Penn State led for the entirety of its 30-13 victory over Illinois on Saturday off of the backs of the defense that generated four interceptions from four different players. This play was one of those cases that led to the blue and white’s first Big Ten win of the 2023 season.

After the offense stalled out again and had to settle for a field goal at the end of the first quarter, the Illinois offense looked to threaten the Nittany Lions 6-0.

On second down, the Illini put six blockers on the line with the running back next to the quarterback for pass-blocking support. As Altmyer snapped the ball, the two wide receivers to his right set up a wide receiver screen as a safety net for the sophomore quarterback.

Altmyer didn’t even look that way, but he immediately went to his left side, where he found a one-on-one matchup between Casey Washington and Daequan Hardy. Off the line, Washington seemed to have Hardy by half a step up until they started swiping at each other ten yards down the field.

Off the contact, Hardy began to catch up to Washington and get his head turned around while he put his back into Washington for a perfect leap and interception.

Hardy was in perfect coverage for Penn State’s second interception. In his season debut after injury, Hardy solidified his role as an outside corner and a no-fly zone on his side of the field.

Plays we didn’t like: 1st&10 PSU 41 – Ashton Hollins finds the soft spot in the defense for a 25-yard reception from Luke Altmyer

Nine for 17, 62 yards and two interceptions, Luke Altmyer put his struggles aside and marched his offense into Penn State territory. Down by 13 before halftime, the Illini came out in a three-wide receiver set to the left with six blockers on the line and a running back next to Altmyer.

Penn State’s defense rushed four defenders and dropped back into zone coverage as Altmyer faked the handoff. As he avoided the rush from Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac from the sides, Altmyer ignored the check down and looked down the left side of the field.

Washington and Ashton Hollins were both wide open after they crossed each other while they ran down the field and left Zakee Wheatley in a one-on-one situation. Wheatley chose to cover the middle of the field, where Washington was to avoid a touchdown and let up a 25-yard gain to Hollins.

In one of the biggest plays of the game for Illinois, Penn State’s defense was outplayed and later gave up a touchdown on the drive.

Unique/Standout plays: 1st&10 ILL 11 – Trey Potts to Tyler Warren for a Penn State Tricky Touchdown

This play could be a contender for the Nittany Lion’s best play of the 2023 season when it’s all said and done.

Following a Kaytron Allen chunk gain, the blue and white dialed up a two-receiver set to the left and a two-tight end set to the right. Drew Allar and Trey Potts sat in the backfield as Penn State’s offensive line dealt with a five-man rush.

Allar snapped the ball and immediately pitched it to Potts, who began to run parallel with the 17-yard line. The offensive line shifted to the right as Sam Wormley pulled from his right guard spot to lead the way for Potts.

Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren then came down to block the defenders, shifting with the offensive line to follow the play. With blockers in front of him, Potts began to cut upfield but quickly saw the lane to the pylon close.

On design, Warren slipped past his block and was left unguarded in the endzone for Potts to float the ball in for six.

Micheal Bolger is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpb6233@psu.edu.

Amanda Vogt is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amandaevogt@gmail.com.