3-0.

Penn State football annihilated Villanova 52-6 in the Nittany Lions’ final non-conference matchup of the season. First-half offensive issues were apparent once more, but Penn State poured it on in the second half with three consecutive scores to end the game.

Here’s a quick review of each position group’s performance against the Wildcats.

Quarterbacks: C

Drew Allar looked uncomfortable once more. To be fair, Villanova defensive back Jamie Tyson was all over Trebor Peña and broke up passes all game, but Allar just hasn’t looked truly like himself so far in 2025. He ended his day on 16 for 29 passing for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one bad interception in the third quarter.

Ethan Grunkemeyer checked into the game and immediately threw a pick on a touchdown shot to Liam Clifford before officials ruled Villanova defensive back Anthony Hawkins out of bounds. Grunkemeyer later threw his first career touchdown on a solid 19-yard pass up the seam. Both throws represented his only passing attempts.

Running Backs: A

What more can you ask of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen?

The running back duo carried the Penn State offense once again in week three. Singleton pounded in two touchdowns while adding 84 yards on 20 carries. Allen tabbed 86 yards on 10 carries and had an 18-yard score at the top of the fourth quarter. Three touchdowns and 170 yards between the two? Not too shabby, folks. Not too shabby.

Wide Receivers: B+

Peña stole the show against Villanova with his first touchdown as a Nittany Lion. The Syracuse transfer reeled in a 23-yard dart from Allar near the end of the first half. He ended his day with four receptions for 60 yards and added 33 rushing yards on four carries.

Kyron Hudson had a semi-productive day, but the USC transfer has yet to match his week one efficiency. He caught three passes for 30 yards. Devonte Ross and Liam Clifford caught one pass each.

Tight Ends: B

Luke Reynolds looked like a safety valve for Allar for the second week in a row, building off of his performance against FIU with 73 yards on four receptions. Reynolds consistently shook off defenders and made shifty moves in the open field to extend plays. Through three games, he looks the most ready to take on the TE1 spot with Tyler Warren’s departure.

Joey Schlaffer connected with Grunkemeyer in the fourth quarter to score his first career touchdown. Andrew Rappleyea also had one catch for 11 yards and played the most productive game of his career so far, with around 30 snaps. Khalil Dinkins didn’t record any stats, but was involved heavily in pass blocking.

Offensive Line: A+

Allar had a clean pocket throughout the whole game. The line didn’t allow any quarterback hurries, tackles-for-loss, or sacks. Their dirty work up front is also apparent in the running backs’ performance. The Wildcats simply couldn’t break through.

Front Seven: A+

On the other hand, Penn State’s front seven terrorized the opponent once again.

The Nittany Lions tabbed a staggering 11 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble on the Wildcats. Amare Campbell led the way with seven solo tackles, one sack, and three tackles-for-loss. Tony Rojas and Dom DeLuca rounded out the linebacker trio with the third and fourth-most tackles against Villanova, respectively.

Secondary: A+

The Nittany Lions clamped the Wildcats down through all four quarters. Elliot Washington II snagged the secondary’s first interception of the season in the third quarter before freshman Jahmir Joseph made one of the highlights of the year so far with an evasive pick-six in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Penn State also had two pass breakups to showcase its dominance over Villanova. Wildcat quarterbacks Pat McQuaide and Tanner Maddocks combined for 96 total yards and two interceptions on 13-for-27 passing.

Too bad the Nittany Lions couldn’t keep the Wildcats out of the end zone as time expired, though. It would’ve been Penn State’s first time with consecutive shutouts since 1996.

Special Teams: A

Nothing went wrong with the special teams unit on Saturday for the first time this season. Ryan Barker was automatic whenever he was called upon to finish a Penn State drive. He went 3-for-3 and hit a season-long from 45 yards out.

Punter Gabe Nwosu bombed two punts for 83 yards. Ross also demonstrated his punt returning chops with four returns for 52 yards and a 34-yard long.