Penn State stock report after Week 5: Lions overcome sleepy start to post program’s 10th straight decisive victory

Penn State’s steady march toward a showdown of undefeated top 10 teams at Ohio State in 3 weeks time continued unabated Saturday in a 41-13 dismantling of Northwestern.

Penn State was competing against a standard as much as the Wildcats at Ryan Field, a standard established over the previous 4 Saturdays in September. It took most of the first half for the Nittany Lions to wake up and make some noise following the 11 a.m. kickoff in Evanston. They committed their first turnover of the season before the clock struck noon and were in a tie game at the break, 10-10.

But starting with a touchdown drive late in the first half, No. 6 Penn State (5-0) outscored the Wildcats 38-3 — and again did so with little flash but a lot of substance.

Player of the Week: Zane Durant

The defensive tackle had 3 of the Lions’ 12 tackles for loss and 1 of their 7 sacks.

At 6-1, 285, the sophomore from Florida is growing into a major role on the interior of Penn State’s deep and balanced defense.

Unsung hero: Trey Potts

The senior transfer from Minnesota scored on a 13-yard run shortly before halftime to tie the game and hauled in a 30-yard pass from backup QB Beau Pribula for the game’s final points, making certain gamblers happy. Potts had 3 carries for 21 yards, and will take on a greater role if Kaytron Allen’s injury is serious. Allen left the game in the second quarter and spent the second half on the sideline sans helmet.

Biggest surprise: O-line’s mixed results

First, the good stuff: Penn State is 10-of-11 converting fourth downs after going 2-for-2 Saturday, with most of them on quarterback sneaks. This unit has provided the tough yard when needed. Also, the line surrendered 1 sack, bumping the season total to 3. Allowing less than 1 sack per game is a big reason Drew Allar has been able to protect the ball and ease into the starting QB job.

On the other hand, the home run running play remains absent from Penn State’s arsenal. No one busted a run of 20+ yards against the Wildcats, meaning that neither Nick Singleton nor Allen have 1 yet. Even with Singleton getting a season-high 21 carries, he still didn’t break through for his 1st 100-yard game of the season. finishing with 80 yards. The Lions averaged 3.4 yards on 39 carries Saturday.

Left guard JB Nelson left with an injury, replaced by Vega Ioane. Nelson and Allen will have 2 weeks to heal, with a bye week on tap.

Biggest concern: Lack of big plays

Penn State ranks tied for last in the B1G in runs of 20+ yards with 2 (Pribula, Potts) and 11th in pass plays of 40+ yards (1, the 72-yard Allar TD pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith vs. WVU for PSU’s first points of the season).

Developing trend: Stingy defense

After Whiting Out Iowa’s offense a week earlier, Saturday’s limiting of Northwestern to 13 points, 175 yards and 12 first downs almost feels like a disappointment. But let’s not be silly.

The Lions produced a season-high 7 sacks, with such balance that no one had more than 1. The 12 TFL were also a season high.

On 9 of its 13 drives, Northwestern was held to less than 10 yards. On 4 of its first 6, it lost yards.

Key stat: < 20

Penn State’s defense is so deep and balanced that individuals don’t stand out. It’s a unit in the truest and best sense of the word.

Thus, not a single Lion has reached 20 tackles through 5 victories. LB Curtis Jacobs leads with 18 total takedowns, with more in Week 1 (10 vs. West Virginia) than he’s had in the 4 games since. Next on the list is safety Jalen Reed with 15. No one else averages even 3 tackles per game. By contrast, Northwestern LB Bryce Gallagher has 51 tackles after making a game-high 7 on Saturday.

Is this a good thing? Well, Penn State entered the game leading the country in total defense (219.5 yards allowed per game), passing D (138.0) and fewest first downs surrendered (46). And it held the Wildcats to 175 yards and 12 first downs. So yes, sharing the fun while staying healthy and fresh counts as a good thing.

5  final Week 5 notes …

Penn State committed its first turnover of the season when Nick Singleton lost a fumble on the opening kickoff. The Lions are now tied with Oregon for fewest turnovers with 1. They had 2 other fumbles (Allen, Allar) but were able to recover them. … PSU is now 16-5 all-time vs. Northwestern, and has won 9 of the past 11 meetings. … Allar threw for 1 TD and ran for another in improving to 5-0 as a starter. He was 18-of-33 passing for 189 yards. … Lambert-Smith led the team in receiving yards for the 4th time in 5 games, catching 4 balls for 86 yards. The other WRs combined for 4 catches for 26 yards, with Dante Cephas snaring 2 for 21 yards. … PSU has scored 30+ points in 12 straight games and has scored points in 32 consecutive quarters — both leading active streaks in the nation.

Market update: More upside remains

The team continues to look solid but far from a finished product. Allar hasn’t been spectacular since his 325-yard starting debut, but he remains without a turnover through 5 starts and 15 appearances. Singleton and Allen both remain without a run of 20+ yards this season. Abdul Carter has 12 tackles and 1 sack. In a lot of areas, the best may be yet to come.

And even with all that, Penn State has won 10 straight games — all by at least 14 points.

First impression about Week 6

Bye: The Lions essentially have a double bye ahead of their Oct. 21 trip to Ohio State, because UMass (1-5) visits Beaver Stadium following the off week.

If the squad can maintain the workmanlike approach it has had to games and practices so far, it should be as primed as possible for its shot at the No. 4 Buckeyes.

Luke Glusco

Luke Glusco is a Penn State graduate and veteran journalist. He covers Penn State and occasionally writes about other Big Ten programs and topics. He also serves as the primary copy editor for Saturday Tradition.