Here’s what surprised us most in Penn State’s 79-7 thrashing of Idaho

The No. 15 Penn State Nittany Lions upended the FCS Idaho Vandals by a score of 79-7 Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. Here’s what surprised us most in the season opener:

Josh Moyer: Kicker Jordan Stout is going to be fun to watch

Did I just type that a kicker is going to be exciting? Yes — and it’s not because of caffeine withdrawal. Stout might’ve had the most impressive kicking debut in Penn State history. Seriously.

Sure, he’s not even the starting field-goal kicker. But the strong-legged Virginia Tech transfer nailed a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter — it was outside starter Jake Pinegar’s range — which already puts Stout in the record books. Only three Nittany Lions have ever hit longer field goals, including Chris Bahr (55 yards), Herb Menhardt (54) and Sam Ficken (54).

Stout boasts a legitimate shot to break that record this season. And it’s not as if the long field goal came out of nowhere, either. Stout also had 13 touchbacks Saturday — which is another school record. That’s the most in a single Penn State game since at least 2011, when kickoffs started taking place at the 35-yard line.

The redshirt sophomore is going to be a force this season. And that isn’t something I expected to write after Week 1. There was plenty of good to choose from Saturday, but nothing surprised me more.

Jon Sauber: How quickly James Franklin pulled the Penn State starters

Penn State head coach James Franklin has made a habit of leaving his starters in the game until the fourth quarter, no matter the score. Saturday, he pulled the first unit early in the third quarter and never put them back in the game. That’s big for several reasons, but the biggest is the ability to keep the team’s starters healthy.

By pulling Sean Clifford and company, the Nittany Lions were able to ensure health heading into Week 2 and, quite frankly, that should be the main goal in a game like this. It was highly unlikely that the Vandals were ever going to challenge Penn State, so getting the starters enough reps to get them in a rhythm and then getting them out was crucial.

On top of that, the second unit gets desperately needed experience. Backup quarterback Will Levis had never seen game action at the college level prior to this week. Giving him the chance to get real reps at Beaver Stadium could pay dividends for the Nittany Lions down the road. Levis is the main beneficiary, but getting other young, and talented, players game reps can only benefit Penn State in the long run.

Lauren Muthler: RB Devyn Ford stands out in a crowded field

During a game in which five running backs scored, it can be hard to stand out. However, true freshman Devyn Ford did just that against the Vandals on Saturday.

As a summer enrollee, the former four-star recruit was widely expected to be the No. 4 back heading into the 2019 season. But with 107 yards on six attempts — including an eye-popping 81-yard touchdown run — Ford made sure to tell the college football world he’s arrived.

Penn State is quickly evolving into a “Running Back U,” of sorts, buoyed by the success of guys like Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders, who are now living out their NFL dreams. While Ford’s performance was impressive, so was that of his colleagues, Ricky Slade, Journey Brown and Noah Cain, who each found the end zone at least once.

With that depth, Ford still has a tough task ahead of him if he wants to move up on the depth chart. But he certainly made a strong case Saturday.

This story was originally published August 31, 2019 at 10:32 PM.