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Final score: No. 14 Penn State 35 Rutgers 6
Quick recap
Things didn’t start well for Penn State, which fumbled the opening kickoff and surrendered six points in the first quarter to Rutgers. It wasn’t exactly the start James Franklin and Co. had hoped for following back-to-back losses.
But the Nittany Lions were able to regroup and dominated for the final three quarters, outscoring the Scarlet Knights 35-0 in the last 45 minutes. It was a nice recovery win for a team that had dropped a few tight games to Ohio State and Michigan State.
Penn State really didn’t do anything fancy and, really, if you just look at the box score, you’d think Rutgers did a pretty good job of keeping a potent Nittany Lions offense in check. They totaled just 304 yards and Saquon Barkley only posted 35 rushing yards and 13 receiving yards.
It was the defense that really won the game. The Scarlet Knights had just 43 passing yards, converted on 3-of-15 third down attempts and had trouble sustaining any drives. Even when the offense wasn’t playing well, Penn State was able to rely on its defensive effort to come through.
Key play: Trace McSorley’s 20-yard touchdown
The offense had been anemic in the first quarter and McSorley kicked-started things for Penn State midway through the second period.
McSorley faked a handoff to Barkley and was able to slip past a few defenders for a 20-yard touchdown run to give the Nittany Lions a 7-6 lead in the second quarter. Penn State went on to score on four of its final seven possessions and put Rutgers away by the third quarter.
Stat of the game: Rutgers’ 43 passing yards
Rutgers did have a lot of success on the ground, especially considering the defensive front it was fighting on Saturday afternoon. But the Scarlet Knights needed to be more effective through the air to have a chance in this game.
Penn State eliminated that possibility, shutting down the passing attack. Giovanni Rescigno completed just 7-of-20 passes and struggled with the pressure the Lions were bringing. It definitely hurt the offense as the game progressed.
What it means
With games against Nebraska and Maryland remaining on the schedule, Penn State should finish the season at 10-2 and reach a pretty nice bowl bid. But the offense needs to be more productive moving forward.
Poor offensive play likely won’t cost the Nittany Lions in their final two games of the year, but this was just an uncharacteristic performance from Franklin’s crew. Maybe it just took some time to shake the last two weeks, or maybe it was a lack of enthusiasm. Whatever it was, it wasn’t Penn State.
For Rutgers, hopes at earning a bowl bid continue to dwindle. But this was another solid performance against a quality opponent. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks, Chris Ash has this program headed in the right direction.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB