Penn State 63, Illinois 24: What we saw and wondered
Centre Daily Times writers Johnny McGonigal and Josh Moyer critique Penn State’s game at Illinois.
#PennState alma mater after a 39-point win pic.twitter.com/ut79151tbm
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
FINAL: Penn State 63, Illinois 24 pic.twitter.com/KyEnwXgw12
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Watching a Penn State game:
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
First 2-3 quarters: Man, I just don't know how good this team actually is.
End of game: Color me impressed.
James Franklin and RBs coach Ja’Juan Seider congratulating Journey Brown on his first career touchdown pic.twitter.com/qDaJ1ClIH3
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
As Penn State linebacker Ellis Brooks picks off Illinois, QB 1 is making a kid’s night pic.twitter.com/IyIRI6nVOQ
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Sean Clifford time
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Who thought an hour ago that we’d be at this point? pic.twitter.com/KXFVO1OGXj
#BadBeat alert. Illinois was a 26- or 27-point underdog, depending when you placed your bet.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
That wager looked good for a long time. I'd be getting nervous about now ...
Penn State up 49-24 with 10 minutes left, and this final could get uglier
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
But another uninspiring defensive first half looms with Ohio State coming up
Jonathan Sutherland, hello
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Redshirt freshman safety making a nice play on that reverse try
And Illinois' student section is emptying out
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
You can go sleep now, Nittany Nation.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
PSU 42-24 with 14:09 left.
Hell of a pass by McSorley and better job by Hamler to get in position to catch that ... and the over hits
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Penn State leads 42-24 with 14:09 to go in regulation
Juwan Johnson, touchdown
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
McSorley steps up in the pocket and finds the wideout — who had been fighting drop issue so far this season
Huge play by Johnson
That was almost the most-talked about play of the week.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Who was the ineligible receiver? https://t.co/5LOgf1h1Om
Ineligible receiver downfield negates Miles Sanders' touchdown pass to Trace McSorley
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Woof
That was definitely, 100 percent not a catch ... but smart move by PSU to get the next snap off quickly.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Penn State staff showing its trust in Ricky Slade there, keeping him in on 3rd down run
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
You have to give this OL a lot of credit too. Honestly, what position group is more improved compared to 2017 than the offensive line?
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Perhaps more impressive than averaging 9.4 yards per carry: Miles Sanders has not been stopped behind the line of scrimmage tonight
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
On 19 rushing attempts
60 more rushing yards and Miles Sanders will tie Curt Warner for 10th all-time in PSU history for most rushing yards in a single game.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Warner had 238 yards in 1981.
That play displays Kevin Givens' smarts and athleticism
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Great stop in the open field on Illinois' tunnel screen
Penn State defensive tackle Robert Windsor and linebacker Ellis Brooks combine on the sack
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Huge play there to pile on after block in the back
Punch, counterpunch. @BoobieMilesXXIV scores TD No. 3 on the night for @PennStateFball. pic.twitter.com/f27qZqOMYd
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) September 22, 2018
Sanders ought to finish this game with 30 carries
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Illinois has no answer
Sometimes, stats can be misleading. Other times, they say all that needs to be said.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Miles Sanders: 19 carries, 178 yards, 3 TDs
Hello, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (as long as PSU wins).
Miles Sanders, see ya
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
48-yard touchdown run to give Penn State the lead again
178 rushing yards on 19 carries for the junior so far
Reminder that Miles Sanders averaged 8.1 yards per carry in the first half
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
This is a microcosm of Penn State's season: https://t.co/ixa1Q853wV
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Illinois student section going mad right now
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Reverse touchdown pass for the Illini, who lead 24-21 with 10:36 left in the third
And then he's called on a PI
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Easy call
Tariq Castro-Fields gives Illinois wideout a 10-yard cushion on 3rd-and-8
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Illini convert easily
It was third-and-8 ... and PSU gave a cushion of several yards past the first-down marker. Huh. https://t.co/yxNrnnUjre
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
That roughing-the-passer penalty was way too easy of a call. No excuse there. https://t.co/WD0QWr2mEc
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Penn State redshirt freshman corner Donovan Johnson down with an injury
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Important part of this defense. Used as nickel corner without John Reid
Well, Penn State shot itself in the foot there
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Had a 3rd-down stop but late hit by Cam Brown keeps Illinois' drive alive
Brent Pry had to do it. Reid's a smart, nice kid -- but he was still off his game in the first half.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Maybe best to ease him in in the future, rather than start him. https://t.co/fxUWsMhpWm
Worth noting: Penn State will be kicking into the wind in the 4th quarter
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Illinois had seven rushes of 10 yards or more in the first two quarters
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Like they did at Pitt, the Nittany Lion defense needs to make adjustments at the break
#Halftime #PSUvsIllinois
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
The good for PSU: It has 206 rushing yards and is averaging 7.4 ypc
The bad: It's allowing 7.9 ypc
The ugly: Score at halftime -- PSU 21-17
McLaughlin's field goal is good, and James Franklin can't be happy with how that first half went
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Penn State leads 21-17 — but Nittany Lions gashed on the ground for 7.9 yards per carry
And Illinois gets the ball to start the second half
Stop me if you've heard this one before:
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Penn State is clearly the better team in this one, but the other team is putting up more of a fight than we expected. It's close on the scoreboard.
And that was a bad decision by Trace McSorley
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Safety was hovering the whole time, tried to squeeze it in there to Brandon Polk
Illegal block in the back on John Reid
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
He has not had a good first half whatsoever
This was a very silly play in the Penn State-Illinois game.
— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) September 22, 2018
Illinois tight end fumbles. Penn State DB tries to scoop it up. He fumbles. Illinois guy recovers. Illinois ball. pic.twitter.com/kYuDD9HIqd
Illinois averaging 9 yards per carry
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Not ideal for the Nittany Lions' front-seven
Penn State goes empty set on third down, and Trace misses DeAndre Thompkins high
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Blake Gillikin's first punt goes 42 yards, putting Illinois at its own 13
Three targets, three catches, 35 yards
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Nice first half for Juwan Johnson
Wonder if we'll see Tariq Castro-Fields play opposite Amani Oruwariye on the next drive. https://t.co/gQJ1k5gaZ0
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Touchdown, Illinois
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Cam Brown's edge blitz left his side wide open. Looked like a miscommunication between the DBs, and M.J. Rivers hits Ricky Smalling
Friday night Big Ten football at its absolute finest https://t.co/25REpUba6S
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Illini RB Reggie Corbin breaks loose for 51 yards — shaking Nick Scott and avoiding John Reid's diving tackle attempt. Cam Brown blitz off the edge did not work
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Freiermuth gets his first career touchdown, as long as the call on the field stands https://t.co/mDvNEM3a8Y
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Saquon Barkley's career-high was 211 rushing yards last year against Iowa.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Miles Sanders has 101 rushing yards with 9:04 left in the second quarter.
Just sayin'.
Trace McSorley with 69 rushing yards on 10 carries
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Penn State's last TD drive:
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Run
Run
Run
Run
Incomplete
Run
Run
Run
Complete
Run
Incomplete
Run
McSorley/Sanders already have 131 combined rushing yards. We're not even 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter.
Chasz Wright makes an appearance at right tackle for the Nittany Lions
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Miles Sanders finds the end zone again, his fourth on the season
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Faking the RPO into a traditional option was an interesting wrinkle https://t.co/v4rBsHGOK4
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
McSorley and the RPO doing some work on third-and-short today.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Sanders with 74 rushing yards on 9 carries in the first quarter
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Nittany Lions could feed him every play if they wanted to
Illinois crowd cheers, thinking the Illini just stopped Ricky Slade in the backfield on 3rd-and-2 — but McSorley kept it for a 16-yard gain
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
End of the first quarter
Maybe stop doing that. https://t.co/cl6DzeyGiE
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Penn State had only two first-teamers out there on defense, and it showed
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Oof ... do we have an actual game here? Really?
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
That was way too easy
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Illinois with a 6-play, 74-yard touchdown drive, capped by Reggie Corbin's 2-yard run
7-7 with 2:16 to go in the first
That's just it. So far this season he has 14, 16 and 19 carries. Without Allen tonight, he should have more.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Give the man more volume. Odd they abandoned him late the last drive. https://t.co/7iwqdymm79
Freshman kicker Jake Pinegar misses 44-yard field goal wide left
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Not sure if there was a bad hold, but that was not pretty
Miles Sanders: 165 rushing yards
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
At this point, would you take the over or the under on that? Obviously on his way to a big game already ...
Freshman tight end Pat Freiermuth — who was named a co-starter this week on the depth chart — featuring on back-to-back series
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Only a matter of time before he takes over that No. 1 spot, IMO
Well ... at least it wasn't a punt. I can't fault Illinois for trying for the 55-yarder, especially if it's going with the wind.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Illinois kicker Chase McLaughlin misses his 55-yard attempt wide right
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
With 6:09 left in the first quarter, Penn State gets the ball at its own 37
Penn State redshirt freshman safety Jonathan Sutherland getting some early run
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Strong, decisive touchdown run by Miles Sanders
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Makes a guy miss around the 10 and overpowers two Illini defenders at the goal line
Nittany Lions up 7-0 with 9:17 to go in the first quarter
RB2 Mark Allen may not have traveled tonight but, on the plus side for PSU, that means more Miles Sanders carries.
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 22, 2018
Already has 4 attempts for 34 yards.
Jon Holland gets popped over the middle and fumbles — and Trace McSorley lays out Illinois safety Michael Marchese
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Play confirmed
Electricity in the air for this fine Friday night tilt pic.twitter.com/N4lcMF99mc
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Penn State cornerback John Reid announced as a starter on Memorial Stadium videoboard
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
The veteran will get his first game action since App State
Defensive tackle Ellison Jordan did not travel, either
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Penn State senior running back Mark Allen did not travel with the team
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
Looks like Ricky Slade will be first option to spell starter Miles Sanders
Kick is an hour away — so here are a few things to watch for in tonight’s game between #PennState and #Illinois
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 22, 2018
(Thx to @audsnyder4 for the world-class camera work) pic.twitter.com/7BNsUbcXRt
#PennState arrives for tonight’s game against the Illini pic.twitter.com/nAZV0C6yRa
— John McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) September 21, 2018
Some #PennStatevsIllinois pregame reading:
— Josh Moyer (@ByJoshMoyer) September 21, 2018
5 things to watch: https://t.co/TVir8PkErA
Key matchup: https://t.co/M490Zackag
Sean Clifford: https://t.co/tcLCmasyEt
Blake Gillikin: https://t.co/fEDMwSSyZF
This story was originally published September 21, 2018 at 8:14 PM.