Just one day after Penn State Athletics announced its new partnership with adidas, the school’s most prolific sport took the field at Beaver Stadium with the Nike swoosh still on their jerseys for a matchup against FIU.
Both squads entered the contest 1-0, but the Nittany Lions would be the ones walking out with the undefeated record, as they took down the Panthers 34-0 behind a dominant defensive performance despite some offensive struggles.
Here’s three takeaways from Saturday’s game.
Run game back on track
After Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen had just 63 yards combined between them against Nevada, the duo returned to their expected form versus FIU, and it was clear from the start that was the goal.
Penn State’s first play from scrimmage featured a wildcat formation with Allen handing off to Singleton, who took it for nine yards. The seniors had 65 yards combined to end the first quarter — two more than they had in the entirety of last week’s contest.
It may have stalled at the end of the first half, but the rushing game picked it up again to start the second, with Allen taking the ball 16 yards on the first play out of the break. To close out the contest, Allen ran 67 yards for his second touchdown of the year and to put him at 144 yards on the day, while Singleton also cashed in on a 5-yard score with less than two minutes left.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Nittany Lions’ running back duo, however. On Penn State’s second-to-last drive before halftime, Singleton could’ve cut outside for an easy first down but rather tried to run through the Panthers’ defenders, setting up a 4th-and-2 instead.
Regardless, Singleton concluded the contest averaging 5.8 yards per carry, while Allen averaged nine. Singleton’s number specifically was a big step up from his 2.9 average a week ago.
Defensive line makes case for best in country
The Nittany Lions’ defensive line was talked about this offseason as one with stars but little depth. All they’ve done throughout the first two games is prove their depth is legit.
Dani Dennis-Sutton showed the country how dominant he can be last week, and he continued to do so in Week 2. He didn’t light up the stat sheet by his terms, but his presence was felt with four solo tackles, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.
Chaz Coleman stepped up in relief of a limited Zuriah Fisher, getting two quarterback pressures and one tackle on the second drive. Later, the freshman tallied a pass deflection, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery on his own forced fumble that he nearly took to the house.
Xavier Gilliam also flashed with a 5-yard tackle for loss when the Panthers were driving in the first quarter, and redshirt freshman defensive end Jaylen Harvey had his fair share of great play with a big pressure that led to a crucial, drive-stalling interception by Alonzo Ford Jr.
Enai White even got in on the party with his first sack in the blue and white. It appears the defensive line is the strength of Jim Knowles’ defense, not a weakness, and is potentially one of the best in the country.
Passing game inconsistent
Penn State’s passing game was rocking and rolling to start the season last week. Saturday was a different story.
Although he finished the first half with 97 yards on 12 completions, Drew Allar was off from the first snap. Among other misses, his low throw to Singleton out wide on a third down toward the end of the second quarter had Allar walking to the sideline visibly frustrated as boos rained down around him.
The Nittany Lions took five trips into FIU territory in the first half alone, but only had 10 points to show for it. Penn State wound up finishing the contest a poor 3-12 on third down.
Allar and company picked things up in the second half in a big way, with Devonte Ross tallying his first touchdown as a Nittany Lion on a 42-yard pass. James Franklin said Monday he wanted to get Ross involved more in the passing game, and Penn State did just that — Ross ended his day with three catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.
The tight ends also got significantly more involved this week, as Luke Reynolds became a bit of a security blanket for Allar with seven catches for 58 yards. The sophomore is seemingly making a push for the starting tight end job, but Khalil Dinkins did have a touchdown Saturday.
Overall, the offense showcased its capabilities at times, but Allar was too rocky for that to be sustainable. Reynolds and Ross, though, significantly boosted their stocks.
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