Which Penn State backups, young players, impressed?: One Big Thing

STATE COLLEGE -- Penn State put 66 players onto the field Saturday at one point or another during a 44-13 blowout of Ball State.

By doing so, head coach James Franklin gave valuable snaps to backups and young players while also giving his starters a much-needed breather late in the game following a hard-fought affair at Wisconsin just seven days earlier.

It was a winning recipe for success, both in the short- and longterm, as while guys like safety Jaquan Brisker and quarterback Sean Clifford could use the break, so many of their teammates also needed the chance to see what it's like not only playing in a college football contest but also doing it in front of 100,000-plus fans.

"I'm going to be interested to see what the rep count was, specifically on the defensive side of the ball," Franklin said. "Our rep count was way too high last week at Wisconsin, so to be able to play well today and get some of those guys off the field and out of the game early, so that we can be as fresh as possible come Sunday and practice well, that wasn't going to come at the expense of winning today and playing well today, but I thought if I had to say before the game that it would play out that way today, I would have been happy."

Simply looking at the stat sheet, backup quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson connecting with tight end Theo Johnson for both players' first touchdown in blue and white was a highlight once the reserves came into the game, and the same can be said for just seeing Roberson in general. He throws a nice ball and Franklin had hoped to give him a third series. However, while the scoring pass was good, it's hard to say that it's easy to feel better about the situation behind Clifford after just those couple of drives, but the experience will help down the road should his number be called upon again.

Marquis Wilson is another name to point out. He became the first player since Justin King to play offense and defense for the Nittany Lions in a game and finished with a catch for three yards in addition to two tackles.

"You think about it a lot because it's an opportunity, so you never know when it's going to come or how it's going to come, so you just have to be ready," Wilsons said.

"You get excited, especially being out here getting a lot of fans and everything, the emotion and everything get to you, but just being a little older, I was able to control it, just calm down, and just take the moment in and do the best that I can."

Another backup corner, Daequan Hardy, also made a big impact on the game. It might not be totally fair to list him here since the third-year player is the starting slot corner, but he saw more time than usual in a regular role and made it count to the tune of three tackles and an interception that came as the byproduct of perfect coverage.

"I would say a guy on defense that impressed me was Daequan Hardy," receiver Jahan Dotson said. "He had a huge interception down there. It's been great to see him ball out, locking up guys one-on-one, trusting his training; we see him in practice every day, and he's doing a great job and translating it to the field."

There are of course some other players deserving of a shoutout. Safety Tyler Rudolph had five tackles and played plenty before he was ejected for targeting in the second half, and corner Kalen King had three tackles and a forced fumble as the freshman continues to show why so many are betting big on his future in blue and white. Fellow first-year players Tyler Elsdon, Jamari Buddin, and Fatorma Mulbah also recorded tackles, and upfront, transfer Jordan van den Berg made his debut along the defensive line.

All told, it was a win for everyone to feel good about because so many players contributed, and that's going to help both later this season and further down the road.

"It's real important," safety Jonathan Sutherland said. "Trying to get as many guys experience, and getting them snaps in the reps, and so when their numbers called later down the year, they have that game experience."

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