Fiesta Bowl Game Grades

Story posted December 30, 2017 in CommRadio, Sports by Jeremy Ganes

Offense: A-
The Penn State attack was humming early, with senior wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton breaking free from a would-be tackler to score on a 48-yard touchdown reception. Hamilton caught five passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns on the night. Senior quarterback Trace McSorley had a solid game overall, passing for 342 yards and breaking off a few big scrambles.

In what might very well end up being junior running back Saquon Barkley’s final game as a Nittany Lion, the potential top-five pick in the NFL Draft had a memorable game. Barkley rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns, the second of which was an electric 92-yard score. Barkley was also involved in the passing game, catching seven balls for 38 yards. Interestingly, the shovel pass made frequent appearances in Penn State’s play calling along with some laterals, one of which resulted in a fumble lost when sophomore running back Miles Sanders was not expecting the football to come his way.

Other big contributors were junior wide receiver Juwan Johnson, with six catches for 66 yards, and senior tight end Mike Gesicki with six receptions for 62 yards. The difference in time of possession was important, as sustaining longer drives to total 35 minutes and 55 seconds of possession helped keep the defense fresh.


Defense: A-
Penn State’s defense played a solid game that, while often leaky, was able to get key stops in big moments. The Nittany Lions’ rush defense was strong, containing junior running back Myles Gaskin besides a 69-yard run.

The Penn State pass rush was instrumental in stalling the Huskies’ passing game, flushing junior quarterback Jake Browning from the pocket and forcing him to throw on the run, which severely hurt his accuracy.

Penn State also made a temporary home in Washington’s backfield, racking up eight tackles-for-a-loss. Despite not winning the turnover battle because of some mistakes by the offense, the defense was able to stall enough Washington drives to win. The secondary of Penn State did an excellent job in coverage, not letting Husky receivers to get separation and establish much of a downfield passing attack.


Special Teams: B+
With Barkley not in his typical role as kick returner, Miles Sanders got some action in his place, returning four kicks for 56 yards. Junior wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins returned three punts for 15 yards. Senior kicker Tyler Davis, who has had a very up and down year, missed a field goal in the fourth quarter that would have sealed the game, but the defense was able to get one more stop to get the victory.

Sophomore punter Blake Gillikin only made two appearances with the Penn State offense clicking, punting for 86 total yards. Some violent tackles in kick coverage helped control the field position battle as well.


Coaching: B+
Penn State head coach James Franklin had his team ready to play, starting fast on offensive and aggressive on the defensive rush. The most interesting part of this game was how newly promoted offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne would do in his first game calling plays. Despite getting too flashy at times with trick plays, he ultimately found ways to get the ball to his best playmakers.


Jeremy Ganes is a Freshman majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, email jlg6097@psu.edu.