Penn State football hung 55 points on Buffalo on Saturday, posting a season-high 573 yards of total offense in the process.

Despite the fair share of deep balls and flashy runs, the most notable part of Penn State’s explosive day moving the football came in an entirely different statistical category.

The Nittany Lions tabbed Zay Robinson as the main return man on special teams in the team’s opening game against Marshall two weeks ago. After a performance that featured a 34-yard kick return and a punt return average of 13.7 yards, Penn State knew it had a brewing talent in the redshirt freshman wideout.

Every rising star has a breakout game. For Robinson, it was Penn State’s rout of the Bulls from western New York.

Robinson began the afternoon with a 38-yard punt return to set the Nittany Lions up deep in Buffalo territory, but that was just the opening act to his 126-yard show.

Before his sophomore season of high school, Robinson had never taken reps as a returner. To learn the ins and outs of the role, he took a great interest in watching film of former Chicago Bears return specialist Devin Hester, studying his explosiveness in particular.

Robinson currently enjoys learning from Jaylin Noel, who racked up 799 yards on special teams in his rookie season with the Houston Texans.

Although some players can make it look easy, being the return man is not a job cut out for just anyone. Knowing when to call a fair catch and analyzing the field of play are two key responsibilities whose difficulty levels are often overlooked.

“At first, I’m really just seeing how the ball’s kicked, seeing if it’s like a run job or it’s carrying, seeing how the ball is spinning,” Robinson said. “It’s a lot going into the returns, but then kind of just seeing the gunners and the jammers are the biggest for me because those are probably the fastest guys on the field.”

Robinson hasn’t been able to break free for a touchdown yet this season, but he proved in the game against Buffalo that his vision and ability to find open space are indeed elite.

In the contest, Robinson accounted for two punt returns of over 30 yards and recorded two instances in which he set the offense up in opposing territory. The team was able to capitalize on these opportunities, generating 10 points from the positive field position.

“When you’re talking about winning field position, being great in special teams, having the ability to, you know, even just get a first down on a punt return, those things are awesome,” Matt Campbell said. “I think our kids really believe in special teams and the value of that.”

This idea of playing complementary football is something that Penn State has proven to be a strong suit through three weeks of play. Whether it be Andrew Rappleyea aiding in pass protection, Daryus Dixson blocking a field goal, or Robinson flipping the field, working in all three facets to benefit the others is key to the Nittany Lions’ sustained success.

Playing as a cohesive unit involves many players taking on thankless responsibilities, but no effort goes unnoticed for Penn State.

Kooper Ebel plays on the other side of the ball from Robinson, but as teammates dating back to their time at Iowa State, Ebel recognizes Robinson’s work ethic as the driving force behind his ability to reap the fruits of his labor.

“Man, no one wants to be the punt returner. That is an extremely hard job,” Ebel said. “There’s some ‘wow’ moments of [Robinson], and again, that goes back to his process.”

Heading into Big Ten play, Robinson recognizes that there’s a lot of room for improvement in his own game and that of the team. As an offensive player himself, he understands the inconsistencies that exist in the passing game and the run game, and will be the first one to call out any areas for improvement.

Getting “1% better every day” is an integral mindset as the Nittany Lions prepare to face tougher, more physical competition, but Robinson knows the team is ready for the challenge.

He will continue to act as a force as the primary returner in hopes of giving his team the spark it needs to sustain drives and convert them into points.

And with an energized Beaver Stadium behind him, exploding in a crescendoed roar with each return, Robinson is confident he will soon score some special teams points of his own.

“For me, [it’s] just another day in the office,” he said.