It was the Jahan Dotson show for Penn State football on Saturday night against Illinois.

Although the Nittany Lions put up 56 points when the dust settled, Dotson’s explosive plays early on were what launched an eventual offensive onslaught for Penn State.

Dotson tallied 189 yards and two scores on just six catches. Combine those numbers with a 50-yard punt return, and you’ve got one hell of a performance. Every time the ball was in his hands, there was anticipation for the play he was going to make.

Dotson made guys miss and blew past defenders all night, but he really set this tone on the very first play of the game.

The entire first quarter was a whirlwind. Penn State scored 14 points in just 4:09 of game clock en route to a 21-21 score when the quarter ended. Quarterback Sean Clifford said Dotson’s house call on the first play was huge for the offense.

“You like to hop out early and often,” Clifford said after the game. “When the first play goes for 75 yards, it sets the tone and shows you that we’re not messing around.”

Illinois was able to go punch-for-punch with Penn State through the first quarter, but Dotson’s playmaking ability helped Penn State pull ahead quickly in the second.

His 50-yard punt return at the beginning of the quarter set Penn State up on the 10-yard line, where Caziah Holmes cashed in the score. He had a shifty 24-yard play on the next drive and a speedy 70-yard score on the next.

Although he’s already had an impressive season, Dotson’s continued playmaking against Illinois made him much more confident in what he can do with the ball in his hands.

“My confidence is at an all-time high right now,” Dotson said. “I just know that whenever I touch the ball, I can make something happen.”

It’s easy to see where Dotson’s confidence comes from as he’s easily Penn State’s most dangerous offensive weapon. No matter where on the field he gets the ball, he’s likely to make something happen. He can take screens to the house and streak down the sideline for one-handed catches all the same.

Clifford realizes that Dotson is Penn State’s best playmaker, too.

“[What makes him special] is how electric he is, that’s the best word to use for Jahan,” Clifford said. “You see it on offense, you see it on punt return, every time the ball gets in his hand he’s making a play.”

It wasn’t long before Illinois adjusted to Dotson by punting the ball out of bounds and throwing different coverages at him. This opened up the rest of the offense for Penn State, which opened the floodgates. The Nittany Lions’ 56 points is by far the most they’ve scored all year.

Dotson’s near and distant future in Happy Valley is currently unclear. Penn State is yet to announce if it will play in a bowl game, although Dotson did say after the Michigan State game that he would, personally, like to play in one.

Even after that, the prospect of him declaring for the NFL Draft is on the horizon. The season could be done, and these difficult decisions may need to be made soon. But for now, Dotson is just having fun playing with his teammates.

“I live by once I stop having fun with it, I’ll be done with it,” Dotson said. “I’ll always be having fun. It’s fun to be succeeding next to your brothers, we have a great brotherhood on this team.”