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Penn State Football’s Post-Wisconsin Report Card

Penn State football is 7-0 after defeating Wisconsin 28-13 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison last week. It was a gritty win as multiple starters got hurt, but the Nittany Lions’ depth was sufficient to pull off the comeback. The offense typically did well, but the defense and special teams struggled. Let’s break down how each position group performed against the Badgers.

Quarterbacks: A+

Drew Allar looked great before he got injured and left the game shortly before halftime. He was 14-for-18 on passing attempts, with 148 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for eight yards.

Beau Pribula’s first two drives resulted in punts, but he too played well. The native of York, Pennsylvania, was 11-for-13 with 98 passing yards and a touchdown. He also had 28 rushing yards.

Both quarterbacks did exactly what was needed to pull out the win, and Pribula guiding Penn State to a comeback in front of a tough away environment on short notice made it even more impressive.

Running Backs: B+

Penn State’s running backs took advantage of Wisconisn’s weak run defense by rushing for 163 yards and a touchdown. Kaytron Allen led the way with 86 yards and 7.8 per carry, and his fourth-quarter touchdown ended the Badgers’ comeback bid. Nick Singleton had a smaller role in the run game with 49 rushing yards and 4.1 yards per carry, but he had one touchdown and 37 yards through the air. Allen also had four catches for 22 yards.

Wide Receivers: B-

Trey Wallace led all wide receivers with 67 receiving yards. Liam Clifford continued his involvement with three catches for 40 yards, while Julian Fleming’s lone reception was a 16-yard play on 3rd-and-5 on Penn State’s first drive. Those three were the only wideouts to make catches in the game, and they were decent enough.

Tight Ends: A-

Tyler Warren had seven catches for 46 yards. He didn’t score a touchdown, but his physicality and strength made it difficult for Badgers to tackle him throughout the game. Warren also had two rushing attempts for two yards.

Meanwhile, Khalil Dinkins had two catches worth 18 yards and a touchdown. He’s only had five catches this season, but two have been touchdowns.

It’s hard to give the tight ends anything less than an A- as long as Warren is on the field. His versatility has been valuable all year for the Nittany Lions, and Dinkins’ sporadic yet productive plays tend to score points.

Offensive Line: A

The offensive line lost Anthony Donkoh to an apparent injury, and Nolan Rucci entered in his return to Wisconsin. The group still paved the way for the run game’s success and allowed one sack. As a result of the group’s ability, Allar and Pribula consistently had ample time to make plays.

Front Seven: C+

The Badgers were held to 81 rushing yards, including just 10 in the second half. Although it didn’t notch any sacks, the front seven tallied 4.5 tackles for loss. Standout tailback Tawee Walker had 59 yards, his third-fewest in a game this season. There have been better performances, but the second-half turnaround undoubtedly had a huge effect on the game.

Secondary: D

Jaylen Reed’s third quarter pick-six was the turning point in the game, as it gave Penn State the lead and momentum for the rest of the night. Although that’s great, the secondary struggled all night against a very beatable passing offense. The secondary allowed 217 passing yards despite Locke completing 52% of his passes. The Badgers averaged 155.9 passing yards per game heading into the matchup, so this wasn’t a good look.

Special Teams: D-

Atticus Bertrams fooled the punt return team with a 15-yard run on 3rd-and-9 on Wisconsin’s opening drive. Zion Tracy’s night yielded two punt returns for two yards, an experience he’ll learn from. Riley Thompson had five punts for 219 yards, his most this season.

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About the Author

Nolan Wick

Nolan is a senior journalism major from Silver Spring, Maryland. He's an avid D.C sports and Liverpool fan who loves going to games in his free time. Nolan mainly writes about Penn State football, men's hockey, and baseball. You can follow him on Twitter @nolan_wick or email him at [email protected].

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