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While not flawless, PSU's perfect start sets season's trajectory

STATE COLLEGE -- Penn State is 4-0 for the first time since 2019, and unlike most years, that is not something to take for granted.

There are two reasons for that. For starters, the Nittany Lions opened with the toughest September stretch in recent memory. They won as underdogs at Wisconsin, fended off MAC favorite Ball State, fought off Auburn in front of a home White Out crowd, and didn't let letdown fever bite it in a 38-17 triumph over Villanova on Saturday here at Beaver Stadium.

Back in August, it's fair to say that most members of Nittany Nation were hoping for an unblemished start while expecting 3-1 or maybe even worse. This brings us to the other reason: It wasn't all that long ago that a trying 4-5 2020 season ended and cast doubt about the trajectory this program was on.

We now know that was a lot of handwringing about nothing during a crazy pandemic year. Head coach James Franklin's team has found different ways to win, mostly thrived under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich (though the ground game must get going), and have played simply stellar defense over the first four weeks of the season with the kind of play that has blown away even the most optimistic fans' expectations for a group with lots of news faces in big roles.

So, maybe you had a sour taste in your mouth after the win over the Wildcats wasn't as visually appealing as most thought it would be, but guess what? One thing matters, and it's that a top-10 Penn State team has everything ahead of it as October and a full-on Big Ten slate from here begins with Indiana next Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.


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"We are 1-0, and we continue to build this thing and look forward to next week's opportunity," Franklin said on field level following the victory.

How do you sum up September? Multiple Nittany Lions were asked to do just that late Saturday afternoon.

"It's hard work paying off," safety Ji'Ayir Brown said. "We've been working since January, so these four wins have been no surprise to us. It says our hard work we put in and the dedication the coaches put in is all coming together now."

Added defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo:

"This is a group that loves to play together. We're the closest group of guys and we're just going to come out here and fight."

And receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith hit the nail on the head.

"It was just a taste of what we're capable of as a whole," he said.

You can't doubt any of those statements, because the Nittany Lions didn't just speak them but also backed up their words on the field. This team is tough, resilient, can adapt, and is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Questions do linger, of course. Can the run game do enough so that the attack isn't one-dimensional? Will the offense continue avoiding turnovers while the defense gains them in bulk? Is the field goal kicking situation something that can be trusted? Was the win over Wisconsin maybe not as good as we thought? And what about those upcoming trips to Iowa and Ohio State?

Those are fair questions, and ones that will be pondered now and answered in the weeks ahead.

Penn State's 4-0 start was perfect but not flawless, and that's OK. It has a tremendous foundation to build on heading into the season's second month, and that's all any college football team, and its fan base, can ask for.

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