Here are 3 takeaways from Penn State football’s 79-7 win over Idaho
Penn State football took down Idaho, 79-7, in its season opener Saturday afternoon. Here’s our three instant reactions from the game — thoughts on the Nittany Lions’ newest kicker, its vaunted defense, and the youth on the roster.
1. Jordan Stout is the best kicker on the Penn State roster
Nittany Lion kicker Jordan Stout played his first game in Beaver Stadium Saturday afternoon like a seasoned veteran. The former Virginia Tech walk-on boomed 13 kickoffs against Idaho, all of which went for touchbacks. As a matter of fact, all but one kick went to, or through, the end zone. The lone exception was his third kickoff of the game, 6:25 into the first quarter, which landed in the arms of Idaho returner Jeff Cotton at the 2-yard line.
Stout took Penn State’s only long field goal attempt of the game as well, splitting the uprights on a 53-yard attempt in the first quarter. The redshirt sophomore shined on Saturday and should bring stability to Penn State’s field goal and kickoff units for the next two-plus seasons.
2. The Penn State defense did what a top-10 defense should do
The Idaho offense didn’t stand much of a chance on Saturday. The Nittany Lions have one of the talented defenses in the country and they showed it against the Vandals. The Penn State defense didn’t allow a first down until halfway through the second quarter and didn’t allow a score until there was 12:35 left in the game, when it was already well in hand and the starters had long left the field.
The team’s defensive line was too much to handle for Idaho all game long. The defensive line had five sacks and six tackles for loss in the first half alone. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos accounted for 2.5 of each in the first half and set the tone for the Nittany Lions. He overpowered the Idaho offensive line on numerous occasions, collapsing the pocket and filling running lanes. He laid the groundwork for he and the rest of the defense to have an impressive 2019 season.
3. Penn State’s youth flashed in a big way against Idaho
The talent of the 2019 Penn State football team was never in question, although the experience was an issue heading into the year. If Saturday was any indication, the team’s young talent is ready to roll for Penn State. True freshman running back Devyn Ford showed what he can do as a runner, sprinting to the end zone on an 81-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the game. Fellow true freshman running back Noah Cain ran for 45 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns, while redshirt freshman wide receiver Justin Shorter finished the game with 36 receiving yards and hauled in three passes.
On the other side of the ball, redshirt freshman Jayson Oweh notched his first sack of the season and true sophomore linebacker Jesse Luketa played well in place of usual starter Cam Brown in the first half. Local product Keaton Ellis also saw time in the game, breaking up a slant route early in the third quarter. While the opponent wasn’t a strong one, the Penn State youth showed it’s more than ready to play on Saturdays.
This story was originally published August 31, 2019 at 7:05 PM.
