Penn State football narrowly escaped a massive upset by defeating Bowling Green 34-27 at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions struggled to contain the Falcons’ offense in the first half, allowing almost 300 yards. Meanwhile, Andy Kotelnicki’s offense was steady and efficient throughout the game, which kept the team in it and allowed for the second-half comeback. It wasn’t a great day for Penn State despite ultimately getting the win.

Here’s how each position group performed during Saturday’s contest.

Quarterbacks: B-

It wasn’t a great day for Drew Allar, but it was good enough.

His stat line, aside from an interception, displayed a 65% completion rate, along with 204 passing yards and two touchdowns. “Lamar Allar,” as he was dubbed by James Franklin, ran periodically and scrambled when facing pressure. It didn’t always work out, but this isn’t something he did much last season. His confidence is better, and that bodes well for Penn State.

Running Backs: A

Penn State’s running backs were reliable, efficient, and game-changing. Nick Singleton rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown while also catching a 14-yard touchdown pass. Kaytron Allen, meanwhile, had 101 rushing yards.

Both players’ explosiveness was on full display. Singleton’s longest run of the day was a 41-yard touchdown to put the game on ice in the fourth quarter, while Allen’s longest carry was for 26 yards. We again saw the best traits that made the pair into a dangerous backfield in 2022, which added another layer of excitement to Kotelnicki’s offense.

Several second-half runs went nowhere and led to unsuccessful drives. Some of those play calls were confusing, but Singleton’s late touchdown gave a glimpse into what the coaching staff might’ve been thinking.

Wide Receivers: C

Omari Evans had a 29-yard touchdown, but he only had one more target for a five-yard reception. He was also called for pass interference on a play that would’ve otherwise been another touchdown.

Despite having an incredible performance against West Virginia in week one, Trey Wallace was targeted just three times against Bowling Green. The only other wideout targeted was Julian Fleming, who made a three-yard catch.

The lack of consistency with Wallace, who made a strong case to be the WR1 in Morgantown, is troubling. That’s especially the case against a team of Bowling Green’s caliber. It’s worth watching how that, and Liam Clifford’s lack of involvement, plays out over the next couple of games.

Tight Ends: A+

Tyler Warren was everything that makes him such a valuable member of the Penn State offense on Saturday. He blocked, but he also made play after play. He led all receivers with 146 yards for his second career game with at least 100 and added a 30-yard catch, his longest of the game. He caught all eight targets and was hard to bring down, with 62 yards after contact.

Warren is one of the best tight ends in the country, folks. Remember the name.

Offensive Line: D+

There were two holding calls in the game on Saturday after Franklin said it needed to be worked on, which wasn’t great. The line allowed two sacks and two quarterback hurries, which was even worse.

Sure, the unit helped the run game thrive, but letting Allar be chased around the way he was at times shouldn’t have happened against Bowling Green.

Defensive Line: F

It was a tale of two halves for the defensive line. The unit gave up 94 rushing yards and allowed 6.5 average yards per carry in the first half, including a 41-yard rushing touchdown. That is unacceptable against Bowling Green.

The defensive line turned it around in the second half, though. Only 27 rushing yards were allowed the rest of the game. Run plays were repeatedly blown up for little to no gain, and Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak was chased around by linemen throughout the half.

Despite turning it around in the second half, penalties were an issue again, with two offsides calls. The first came in the second quarter on Hakeem Beamon and helped Bowling Green line up a 33-yard field goal. The second happened in the fourth quarter, as Amin Vanover was called on 3rd-and-9. That drive didn’t result in points, but Jaison Patterson had an easier time picking up the first down on the ensuing play.

If the grade was based on the average of two halves alone, it’d be a C. The first half was an F, but the second was an A. However, a big reason why the Nittany Lions almost lost to a MAC team was because of how abysmal the defensive line was in the first half. Patterson looked like Marshawn Lynch at times, and the urgency wasn’t there enough. A slow start like this can’t happen again.

Linebackers: B-

Kobe King and Tony Rojas both had good games. King had seven total tackles, while Rojas had five. Rojas continued to prove he can be an asset, with an interception, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry.

Cornerbacks: F

Bazelak had his way against Penn State’s secondary, throwing for 254 yards with a 64% completion rate. He also had two touchdowns and two interceptions, but neither was by a cornerback.

Tight end Noah Fannin Jr. was Bazelak’s top weapon, with 137 yards and a touchdown. Malcolm Johnson Jr. was effective to a lesser extent, with 81 receiving yards.

The cornerbacks didn’t do much, as the only breakup came from Elliot Washington II. The game felt like a step back for the group.

Safeties: C+

KJ Winston’s status is in question after suffering an injury, and he didn’t have the chance to make the same kind of impact he did against West Virginia. Zakee Wheatley, though, was lights-out in his place with six total tackles, an interception, and a pass breakup. Jaylen Reed built off an excellent performance in Week One, with a team-most 10 total tackles.

However, the group does have some responsibility for Bowling Green’s passing success, albeit not as much as the cornerbacks. Still, it wasn’t horrible.

Special Teams: C

Sander Sahaydak converted two field goals, from 43 and 28 yards, and made all of his extra point attempts, so that’s a plus. Kaden Saunders had -7 yards on punt returns, which is a minus (no pun intended). Riley Thompson averaged 47 yards on punts, but Tyrece Mills took a personal foul on a kickoff. A mixed bag overall.