Game Grades: Penn State vs. Akron
Quarterbacks: B
Let’s start with the positive. By throwing for over 300 yards, 319 to be exact, Christian Hackenberg tied Matt McGloin’s Penn State record for career 300-plus yard passing games. In only the 15th game of his career, Hackenberg showed why he is one of the most touted quarterbacks in the country. He completed 61% of his passes and although he did not amass the amount of yardage he did against Central Florida, he did throw for three touchdowns, two more than he did against the Kinghts. However, Hackenberg also showed he still has room to improve. For a large stretch of the game, from the Bill Belton touchdown to about midway through the third quarter, Hackenberg could not find a rhythm. He threw behind several receivers and also forced balls into double coverage resulting in two interceptions. Still with Hack at the helm the Nittany Lions are in good hands.
Running Backs: C+
The running game was absolutely abysmal once again in the first half. Penn State gained a total of 23 yards on the ground through the first 30 minutes. Part of the running struggles can be attributed to weak offensive line play as the tandem of Belton and Zach Zwinak could not find any holes. However, the Nittany Lions were able to find more success on the ground in the second half, due in part to the implementation of the wildcat package. Akeel Lynch led the ground charge for the lions with 45 yards on seven carries. Despite another below average ground performance the Nittany Lions improved greatly on their previous effort against UCF, averaging 3.8 yards a carry as opposed to just 2.0 yards a carry.
Wide Recievers/Tight Ends: A
As Hackenberg goes, so does this group. Jesse James caught two passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Geno Lewis, who seems to be developing into Hackenberg’s go-to man, caught six passes for 98 yards. DeaSean Hamilton added 69 yards and even Belton got in on the action catching four passes for 49 yards and a score. The receivers had to do a good amount of work as Penn State called multiple bubble screens when Hackenberg was struggling with his accuracy. Again, though not as dominant a performance through the air as the UCF game, the Nittany Lion wide outs are certainly making life after Allen Robinson fairly easy.
Offensive Line: D
Yes they are young, but the line was once again the weak link for Penn State. Hackenberg looked more comfortable in the pocket this time around, but the running game struggled mightily due to the fact that the line could open up no holes for them. Now that they seem to have figured out the pass protection to a degree, the unit needs to start focusing on aiding the running game.
Defensive Line: B
Dealing with a dynamic Kyle Pohl, the line held its own. The shifty Akron quarterback avoided a lot of pressure and kept plays alive with his legs. Many times a defensive back was right on top of him but he managed to scamper away. Still the line was stout against the run, allowing 69 total yards. The line stood tall up 21-3 with about nine minutes left, forcing four consecutive incompletion from Pohl to essentially seal the deal. Anthony Zettel and Parker Cothren both had sacks.
Linebackers/Secondary: B
Good not great for the linebacker and secondary units. Akron used their spread offense to open up the middle of the field and exploited the Penn State defense with quick passes. However the linebackers, like the rest of the defense, stepped up big when it counted with a few key stops. Mike Hull had a sack and was in on numerous tackles. The unit was also key in stopping the Zips running game. Although Akron did have success in the air, the secondary kept them from breaking off any big plays and kept them in check for the most part.
Special Teams: B-
It’s hard to give a unit who really didn’t have much to do a high grade. Sam Ficken followed up playing hero by hitting all three extra points he attempted. Penn State allowed almost nothing in the return game, and save for a solid return out to the 35 to start the third quarter, gained little as well. Chris Gulla had a good game, averaging 48.8 yards a punt and thrice pinning the Zips inside the 20. The unit was solid as a whole, but didn’t do anything special.
Game Atmosphere: A
Any Penn State home game is going to be high energy, no matter who the opponent. Although the crowd didn’t have much to cheer about for a good chunk of the game, they were still loud throughout. James Franklin’s home opener saw over 97,000 fans pack Beaver Stadium, a very sizeable crowd considering the opponent. If the Nittany Lions keep winning, the game atmosphere will continue to be superb.
Photo credit: (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Jack Milewski is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jbm250@psu.edu.
