Quarterback: A

In grading the quarterbacks, I went back-and-forth between an A or a B+ for quite a bit before going with the former. Starting with Clifford, it was evident that he wasn't 100 percent on Saturday, which we came to learn was due to the illness currently circulating through the program. In just less than a quarter of action, Clifford was 2 of 8 through the air for 23 yards. He also had two carries for four yards before leaving the game following the Nittany Lions' final full possession of the first quarter. Christian Veilleux, on the other hand, entered the game and while he had some errant passes here and there, he overall looked quite confident and poised in the pocket. He completed his Penn State debut going 15 of 24 for 235 yards and three touchdowns, a quarterback rating of 186. During the game, he never threw more than two incompletions in a row and was able to move the offense with rhythm and consistency. For his debut and not practicing on Friday prior to the game, it was a quality performance for the Ottawa native. Will he see playing time against Michigan State or in the Nittany Lions' bowl game? That will be one major storyline to follow in the Nittany Lions' regular-season finale on Saturday and heading into bowl season. Either way, with his performance, Veilleux strongly reminded the Penn State faithful that he is very much still in the quarterback equation for next season.

Running back: C+

It wasn't a great day by any means for Penn State's running back room but by the standard set this season, it was a solid day. Keyvone Lee saw a bulk of the carries with 13 attempts for 41-yards and a touchdown. He also recorded one reception for 17-yards. Noah Cain was the only other running back to see action against the Scarlet Knights outside of garbage time, after not appearing against Michigan, he carried the ball seven times for 29-yards. On the Nittany Lions' final drive of the game with nothing but depth players, both Coziah Holmes and Tank Smith carried the ball three teams for 15 yards and -2 yards respectively.

Wide Receiver: A

Parker Washington was the star of the show through the air with six receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown but Jahan Dotson had himself a quality senior day with three receptions for 52 yards and a score. Penn State fans also saw redshirt freshman Malick Meiga score his first career touchdown, a 67-yarder coming on a broken coverage play by Rutgers. KeAndre Lambert-Smith also recorded one reception for 7 yards.

Tight End: B+

The tight end group for the Nittany Lions was not a focal point of the offense on Saturday but overall had a solid performance. Both Tyler Warren and Theo Johnson recorded a pair of receptions for 46 yards. The highlight of the day for the group was Warren's great catch in the fourth quarter in the midst of double coverage. It's safe to say that the group has not had the impact they've had in the last few seasons but over the last few weeks, there have been notable steps forward in both the passing game and to an extent their blocking. There's still a lot of work to be done this upcoming offseason on the group's blocking efforts but it appears some improvements have been made.

Offensive Line: B

Yes, the offensive line was once again struggled in its' run blocking against Rutgers but the Scarlet Knights' front-seven is a formidable group that even slowed down the Michigan running game earlier this season. Beyond the run blocking, the Nittany Lions bounced back well from their terrible performance against Michigan, allowing just one sack. That was all despite having a few different combinations out on the field throughout the game. It will be intriguing to see if they could build off the quality effort against Michigan State and end the regular season on a high note.

The offense as a whole: B+

The first half performance out of the offense certainly left a lot more to be desired, the Nittany Lions struggled to move the ball with any consistency before going into halftime up 7-0. Nowhere, the second half was night and day compared to the first 30 minutes of action, as the Nittany Lions were able to find their groove, eventually blowing the game wide open and cruising to victory. Considering how many players on the offense were impacted by the illness going around, it seems as though once they found their chemistry with all the different pieces, they were able to get into the rhythm they lacked in the first half. Also, credit is also due for Mike Yurcich and the offensive coaching staff for the adjustments they made at halftime.

Defensive Line: B

The defensive line for the Nittany Lions had a solid day overall, while they only netted two sacks on the afternoon, they added in three quarterback hurries and were getting rather consistent pressure on Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral. Against the Rutgers' rushing attack, the Nittany Lions allowed just 72 yards on 31 carries, an average of 2.3 yards per carry. The Scarlet Knights additionally only had a 24 percent rushing success rate. That's a major credit to the Nittany Lions' defensive line.

Linebackers: A

The linebacker group was without Curtis Jacobs but still had a great day. Ellis Brooks and Brandon Smith held down the fort, for the most part, combining for 11 tackles including half a tackle for a loss. The Scarlet Knights's longest run of the day was just 12 yards, a testament to the linebacker's success in backing up the defensive line on the few attempts that broke through the lines of scrimmage.

Defensive Backs: A+

There's not much else to say other than, when you keep the opposing team to 13-of-27 for just 93-yards, you had a terrific good day. For the most part, the Nittany Lions' secondary did an outstanding job of keeping Rutgers' receivers in front of them, with 10 of the Scarlet Knights' 13 completions going for just 24-yards. Safety Jaquon Brisker led all Penn State defenders with seven tackles while also recording a pass breakup. Jonathan Sutherland recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter as well.

The defense as a whole: A+

It's hard to give a defense any other grade than an A+ when they record a shutout and keep an opposing offense under 200 total yards. Brent Pry and his defensive staff came up with a great game plan against the Scarlet Knights' and despite all the uncertainty surrounding availability, the defense executed the game plan to perfection.

Special Teams: A

Jordan Stout's number was called upon quite a bit in Saturday's game, recording eight punts, though just two of those came in the second half. Stout downed six of his eight punts inside Rutgers' 20-yard line on Saturday and recorded two punts of 50+ yards.