[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Illinois
Penn State football took care of business on the road Saturday.
The Nittany Lions defeated Illinois 30-13 in Champaign, Illinois, in the team’s Big Ten opener. Following a bitter nine-overtime defeat in their previous encounter, the blue and white set the record straight on their first road game of the season.
Our photographers were on the field to capture the moments of Illinois’ Orange Out in Memorial Stadium.
The Nittany Lions rolled onto campus early ahead of the group’s 11 a.m. CT kickoff. Sporting game faces and dapper polos, the team headed into Memorial Stadium with 3-0 on the mind.
Penn State’s road whites stood out against a stadium of orange.
The Nittany Lions’ defense took center stage and quickly delivered a commanding performance that included four crucial interceptions, three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery.
Kobe King recovered a Dominic DeLuca-forced fumble at Illinois’ 43-yard line to light a fire under the blue-and-white faithful in the stadium.
A clutch nine-yard pass to Kaytron Allen set the Nittany Lions up at the Fighting Illini’s six-yard line. Just two plays later, he found the end zone with a four-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 13-0.
Manny Diaz’s squad really showed up in Champaign. There’s no doubt regarding the talent of the defense after the front seven held Illinois to just 62 rushing yards. A feat even less than what it allowed against Delaware in week two.
The “Lawn Boyz” notched consecutive touchdowns as Nick Singleton sprinted 16 yards to the end zone, marking his lengthiest run of the season.
Trey Potts tried his hand at quarterback and found Tyler Warren in the end zone to secure a 16-point lead.
A familiar face made the trip to the Midwest to hype up the Penn Staters who turned out in full force in Memorial Stadium.
The Symbol of Our Best doesn’t rest.
Job completed.
Despite the offensive struggle throughout all four quarters, Penn State prevailed against the Fighting Illini to jump to a 3-0 record.
Now, Penn State football has the White Out on its mind. 1-0, folks.
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