Penn State began its 2020 season with a loss Saturday, losing at Indiana, 36-35. The Nittany Lions trailed most of the game, but did take a 21-20 lead late in the game. What followed was a complete collapse on all levels, as a late touchdown by Devyn Ford provided the Hoosiers and opportunity to tie the game with less than two minutes to play.
Quarterback - Sean Clifford started out poor with two interceptions in the first half, but he played much better in the second half, completing a few key throws in the comeback. He also made some huge plays with his feet, none bigger than his 35-yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter that got the score to within three. First half was a D, second half was a B. That evens out to around a C.
Grade: C+
Running Backs - Losing Noah Cain right away had a big impact on this game. The running game was very vanilla at times, but that was also a product of Caziah Holmes and Keyvone Lee being forced to play immediately. Lee clearly showed the most promise, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Ford has to know better than to score in that situation with less than two minutes to play, but for the most part, this unit wasn’t the problem.
Grade: B
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Grade: Pat Freiermuth had another solid day, although his offensive pass interference call in the third quarter had a big impact in hindsight. Daniel George’s dropped pass two plays later also had a big impact. It was the difference between a 29-yard field goal and a 47-yard kick. Overall, the receivers were average. Getting open was a problem last year, and that was an issue again at times Saturday.
Grade: C
Offensive Line - Clifford was only sacked once and he was given time to read his receivers. The pass blocking was pretty good. Credit to Will Fries. He played one of the best games of his career. However, there were also a few occasions where this unit has to get a better push in the run game. You have to expect better in those situations, especially when you consider the experience PSU has up front
Grade: C+
Defensive Line - Jayson Oweh and Shaka Toney did a good job rushing the passer. Penix is hard to sack, but they forced quite a few incompletions. PJ Mustipher and Antonio Shelton were also solid. More tackles for loss are needed, but overall, it was a pretty good performance considering the coaching change and it being the first game.
Grade: B
Linebackers - This unit really missed a player like Micah Parsons. Although they didn’t necessarily play poorly, they also didn’t make the game-changing plays that Parsons provided. Jesse Luketa and Brandon Smith struggled in pass coverage, while Ellis Brooks missed too many important tackles. Smith finished the game with 0 tackles.
Grade: C-
Defensive Backs - Tariq Castro-Fields and Joey Porter Jr. both had pretty good games. Props to Castro-Fields when it comes to tackling. He struggled at times last year and was much better Saturday. Lamont Wade was targeted a few times, but for the most part, he held his own. Marquis Wilson and Ji’Ayir Brown both struggled. This unit played OK overall, but it’s important to note that Penix wasn’t very good. We’ll get a much better feel for their progress in six days.
Grade: B-
Special Teams - There were too many mistakes to list. Everyone will look at the missed field goal at the end of the first half, and it would’ve made a difference with hindsight, but even if Jake Pinegar makes that, this would’ve still been a failing grade.
Grade: F
Coaching - Penn State’s defense limited Indiana to just 211 total yards, including 41 yards rushing. Let’s give credit to Brent Pry there, as 10 of Indiana’s points were gifts deep in Penn State territory. With that said, the late-drive to tie the game has to be frustrating for fans, as that’s become too common in recent years. Indiana couldn’t drive the ball all day, yet went down the field with ease. Offensively, Kirk Ciarrocca felt very predictable at times. Even James Franklin admitted postgame that there was little rhythm. That’s partly because four true freshmen skill players combined for 113 snaps, but it’s fair to say that fans expected better from the new offensive coordinator. When you add in all the penalties and the late-game mistake of not reiterating to Ford that he absolutely has to take a knee when he passes the four-yard line, you have to point the finger at coaching. This game was won, until it wasn’t.
Grade: F
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