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Three Defining Moments: Penn State football cruises by Ball State

Penn State Nittany Lions football moved to 2-0 in 2021 with a comfortable 44-13 victory over Ball State at Beaver Stadium.

It was a straightforward win for the Nittany Lions following last week's nerve-wracking affair at Wisconsin, with the outcome never in much doubt.

Let's break down the three defining moments from the victory:

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1. Quick Hit

Any notion of the Penn State football offense dealing with a similarly slow start to what it experienced in Madison last weekend was washed away with the Nittany Lions' opening drive.

Penn State asserted itself with tempo, opting for two- and even three-tight end sets on occasion as it marched down the field for six points with a 13-play, 78-yard effort topped off by Noah Cain's touchdown.

It was some early proof of concept for OC Mike Yurcich, who has previously discussed the importance of Penn State's offense asserting itself physically, in addition to posing a big-play threat which it relied on heavily to beat Wisconsin.

The drive also signified the physical advantage the Nittany Lions held over the visitors — something they would assert on both sides of the ball throughout the game.

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2. Luketa Comes Through 

Lined up at defensive end — a position he was asked to transition to this offseason — Jesse Luketa came through with the biggest play of the day for the Penn State defense.

Luketa reached out with one hand to snag a pass by Ball State quarterback Drew Plitt, brought the ball under control and marched 16 yards into the end zone for a score to make it 31-6 Nittany Lions.

Luketa played linebacker primarily in the first half due to a suspension to Ellis Brooks, and the interception after moving to DE at the half was just the latest example of the versatility and selflessness that had his teammates and coaches gushing all week.

3. Field Goal Folly 

A 22.5-point underdog according to the sportsbooks coming into the game, Ball State would have had to make every excursion into Penn State territory count in order to stay competitive in this game.

With the game still reasonably tight in the first half, the Cardinals made two trips deep into Penn State territory.

Facing fourth-and-5 both times, the Cardinals elected to kick two field goals, rather than make the aggressive play and look for the touchdown.

Ball State converted on both of those opportunities, but ultimately the six points it earned from those field goals proved insignificant, while touchdowns in those situations could have certainly put some game pressure on the Nittany Lions and perhaps could have put this game on a different path.

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