Penn State rebounded from its first loss quite nicely on Saturday, running away from Minnesota 45-17 in its annual White Out game.
Both sides of the ball looked livelier against the Golden Gophers, including a strong performance from the Penn State's embattled sixth-year quarterback.
Here are the players of the game from last week's victory:
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Offense: QB Sean Clifford
Penn State fans were already frustrated with their offense after a lackluster showing against Michigan. When quarterback Sean Clifford tossed an interception in the 1st quarter, the boo birds came out in flocks.
Give the sixth-year passer some credit. though. After this mistake, Clifford played extremely well and looked as confident as he has all year.
Clifford finished 23-of-31 for a season-high 295 yards and four touchdowns. He spread the ball out well, with eight different receivers notching catches.
Mistakes are bound to happen, but the way Clifford rebounded and made big plays is very encouraging for an offense that has been looking for more of a spark.
Defense: LB Curtis Jacobs
Like the offense, the defense had a major bounce-back performance against Minnesota, and no defensive player was as dynamic as Curtis Jacobs.
The sophomore linebacker racked up a career-high 14 tackles and two tackles for loss. This performance was the most tackles for an individual Nittany Lion since Ellis Brooks amassed 16 against Michigan last season.
Jacobs and freshman linebacker Abdul Carter were able to see the field at the same time throughout the night, and their combined athleticism was very effective against the run.
Special teams: LB Dominic DeLuca
Redshirt freshman Dominic DeLuca doesn't grab many headlines, but has been one of the most consistent performers for coach Stacy Collins' special teams unit.
On Saturday, DeLuca blocked his first career punt, resulting in a short field for Penn State and a touchdown drive. He also finished with a pair of tackles.
Coach James Franklin has praised DeLuca for his effort on special teams and the scout team several times this season.
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