File-This Oct. 14, 2017, file photo shows Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh walks the sidelines while playing Indiana in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Bloomington, Ind. For a guy who has dealt with so many high-profile people, Jerry Jones, Harbaugh, Pete Carroll to name a few, Jed Hughes manages to stay out of the limelight. That's just fine with Hughes. Brokering deals is what he's all about. (AP Photo/AJ Mast, File)
Following the Nittany Lions’ 42-0 thrashing of Michigan State on Friday night at Ford Field in Detroit, the Land Grant Trophy will remain in the Penn State football building for another two years. Penn State dominated the Spartans on both sides of the ball, amassing 586 yards of offense while allowing only 68. Penn State’s report card includes a holiday bonus. Let’s get started.
THE OFFENSE: A Aside from two red-zone penalties and two missed blitz pickups in the first half, the Lions looked as sharp, clean, and explosive as they have all season. This was the offense Penn State hinted at three months ago against West Virginia, but it never materialized. The Lions were creative without being gimmicky on Friday, schemed to their talent rather than vice versa, and proudly shared the wealth. Kaytron Allen (career-high 137 yards rushing) had his best game of the season, and Nicholas Singleton (season-high 118 yards rushing) finally got to the edges where he roamed last year. Drew Allar displayed no signs of injury, and Beau Pribula demonstrated that he should have been on the field a long time ago.
A DEFENSE: Penn State’s defensive version of Avengers: Endgame, the conclusion of a two-year journey with coordinator Manny Diaz and his bottomless well of superhero talent. All night, Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac, Abdul Carter, and Curtis Jacobs dominated the Spartans. Quarterback Katin Houser, who took six of Penn State’s seven sacks, was relieved when that came to an end. Penn State had 12 tackles for loss, five first downs, and limited the Spartans to minus-32 yards of offense in the second half. Jaylen Reed had a pick-six. Just a fantastic performance by a defense that could look very different in the bowl game.
B+ SPECIAL TEAMS
Alex Felkins, Penn State’s special teams MVP, went 2-for-3 and hit his eighth field goal of 40 yards or more, a 49-yarder early in the game when it still mattered. He’s been a fantastic portal find. Riley Thompson had another quiet day, kicking two of his three punts for 50 yards or more, and Daequan Hardy nearly broke Penn State’s single-season punt-return record with a third punt-return score. Unfortunately, instead of going to the house, he went 38 yards.
COACHING: Congratulations to co-offensive coordinators Ja’Juan Seider and Ty Howle for reinvigorating this group with what head coach James Franklin described as a smaller and tighter offense.They assisted Allar in regaining his value and identified Omari Evans as a big-play target. Seider even called a few late runs for Singleton to push him over the 100-point mark for the first time this season. The coaching staff put in a lot of effort to get this kind of performance in a road game on a short week.
OVERALL: Penn State desperately needed this game. It won’t completely wash away the disappointment of losing to Ohio State and Michigan, and 10-2 may feel stale. However, the Lions maintained their position to take the next step. Which is an important position to be in.
