Grades: Maryland
QUARTERBACKS: Sean Clifford not only had the best game of his career, but one of the best in Penn State history, completing 26 of 31 passes for 398 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Lions converted 7 of 8 third downs with him in the game. They also averaged 15.1 yards per completion in the first half. His deep balls still have room for improvement, and he can do a better job reading defensive ends in the rushing game, but overall, Clifford showed fans that he’s ready to take the next step in his progression as the leader of this offense.
GRADE: A+
RUNNING BACKS: Penn State’s running backs had just 55 yards rushing on 13 carries in the first half, but they had a major impact in the passing game, totaling five catches for 85 yards and a score before going into the half. That's a 17-yard per catch average. For the night, they finished with just 109 yards rushing on 27 carries. As a group, they were better at pass blocking, but still have some room for improvement.
GRADE: A
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: KJ Hamler continues to prove why his nickname is the “human joystick,” catching six passes for 108 yards. His 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter will be one of the best plays of the weekend. Nick Bowers also had two big receptions, totaling 70 yards and a score. Penn State finished the game averaging 14.7 yards per completion. Maryland’s defensive backs had no answer in both man-to-man and zone coverage.
GRADE: A
OFFENSIVE LINE: Maryland’s defense came into the game ranked second in the Big Ten with 13 sacks. Not only did the offensive front not allow a sack, they also paved the way for 619 yards of total offense. 619 yards! Impressive. The Terps did have six tackles for loss, which knocks this down a bit, but overall, you can’t ask for much more.
GRADE: A-
DEFENSIVE LINE: Maryland didn’t surpass 100 yards of offense until the final play of the third quarter. They finished with just 128 total yards of offense and averaged just 2.2 yards per play. The front four is still struggling to bring down the quarterback, but they paved the way for Penn State's linebackers.
GRADE: A
LINEBACKERS: Micah Parsons was ejected from the game in the first quarter following a targeting call. It was both late and high, so the call was completely justified. His departure opened the door for Jesse Luketa and Ellis Brooks to get plenty of playing time, and the pair didn’t disappoint, leading the Lions in tackles. Jan Johnson’s interception on the first drive set the tone early.
GRADE: A
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Maryland finished the night with just 11 completions and 68 yards passing. As always, the run support was excellent.
GRADE: A
SPECIAL TEAMS: Jake Stout proved to the world that he is human. The missed field goal from 52 yards was understandable, but he actually had a kickoff that didn’t go into the end zone! That’s unacceptable. All kidding aside, there wasn’t much to talk about on special teams. Blake Gillikin didn’t punt the ball until late in the third quarter and Hamler had three returns for 0 yards. Jahan Dotson had a nice 30-yard return.
GRADE: B
COACHES: It’s no secret that Penn State has struggled following bye weeks in recent years, so when you consider just how dominant the Lions were in all three phases of the game - the Lions outgained the Terps by 491 yards - anything other than an A is unfair.
GRADE: A