Grades: Iowa
Penn State dropped to 0-5 for the first in the program's 133-year history Saturday. Now, with four games to play, the Nittany Lions have nothing to play for after beginning the year as high as No. 6 in some national polls. The problems run deep at nearly every position group, with no signs of things improving before the season ends.
Below we grade out each position group from yesterday's loss to Iowa.
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Quarterback - Penn State has serious problems at this position. The Will Levis we watched against Rutgers last season is basically the same player we watched yesterday. With that said, he was never really given the opportunity to throw the ball down the field, and that's a problem when Iowa is stacking the box. Any confidence that Sean Clifford gained early was eroded by the end.
Grade: D
Running Backs - For a freshman, Keyvone Lee has shown signs of his potential, although he never really got that opportunity rushing the ball yesterday, as Iowa's defensive front dominated. He did do a good job catching the ball and picking up the blitz in pass protection, but just like some previous games, it's hard to grade this group. They had little room to run.
Grade: C
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends - Jahan Dotson was the only receiver that could find any separation against the Hawkeyes. He graded out right around his season average, but everyone else graded out below average or worse. Dotson gets a B, but with the rest of this group struggling to get open, we can't give a good grade here.
Grade: D+
Offensive Line - Once again, there was no push in the run game. That's clearly a serious weakness for this group. On a more positive note, they graded out better in pass blocking than most fans would think. A few of those sacks can be blamed on the quarterback and receivers.
Grade: D+
Defensive Line - Shaka Toney had his best game of the season, totaling two sacks and another tackle for loss. Jayson Oweh and Hakeem Beamon also had solid games. Inside, PJ Mustipher and Antonio Shelton got pushed around a bit, but they plugged their holes more often than not. After rewatching the game, this unit played better than it felt yesterday.
Grade: C+
Linebackers - Give freshman Curtis Jacobs credit. Although he played just 17 snaps, only Toney graded out better on the entire team. When you consider that Ellis Brooks, Brandon Smith and Jesse Luketa all graded out as either a D or F, Jacobs has to get on the field more. According to PFF, Luketa's grade of 31.3 was the worst of any Penn State player this season.
Grade: F
Defensive Backs - The dropped interception by Jaquan Brisker hurt, but overall, he and Lamont Wade played their best game as a duo. The problem yesterday was the cornerbacks. Marquis Wilson had an average grade, while Joey Porter Jr. and Keaton Ellis both struggled. Combined, Porter and Ellis allowed five of their seven targets to be completed, a few of which were at pivotal moments. B for the safeties, D for the cornerbacks.
Grade: C
Special Teams - After a few lackluster performance, Jordan Stout was much better, averaging 45 yards per punt. Dotson contributed two solid punt returns, but the blocked extra-point drops this grade a bit.
Grade: C-
Coaching - New week, same issues. Both Franklin and his players said all the right things after the game, but it's clear that there's a disconnect between coaches and players this year,. Now, with nothing to play for and four games remaining, this could get really ugly.
Grade: F
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