Here’s 3 takeaways from Penn State football’s 23-7 win over Rutgers in Piscataway
Penn State football has won back-to-back games. The Nittany Lions took down the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 23-7, improving to 2-5 on the season and earning a two-game winning streak in the process.
Here are three takeaways from the victory.
1. Kirk Ciarrocca has simplified the offense
Sean Clifford is no longer standing in the pocket for a few seconds and working through a progression on almost every play. Instead, the redshirt junior quarterback is making quick decisions and quick throws to get the ball to his weapons. That’s a stark contrast from early in the season when Clifford would work through several options on pass plays and often panic in the pocket or take off downfield.
The change has allowed the quarterback to simplify his game and focus on making accurate short and intermediate throws to a group of wide receivers and tight ends that have excelled this season. That kind of game plan isn’t likely to be a long-term solution to the problems Penn State has faced this year at quarterback, but it’s a good short-term one until the team improves at quarterback.
2. Penn State’s offensive line dominated
The Nittany Lions were able to move the ball on the Scarlet Knights because of the play-calling and because of the team’s dominance in the trenches. The offensive line pushed Rutgers off the ball throughout the game and created rushing lane for the running backs to burst through. Even in obvious running situations, the line was able to get a push and force the Scarlet Knights backward. That success led to 248 rushing yards for Penn State, including 95 by Keyvone Lee to lead the team on 17 carries.
The offensive line was able to keep Clifford and Levis relatively clean as well, giving the two quarterbacks time to operate in the backfield. They weren’t blocking for as long as they usually would because of the play-calling, but the line still gave the team’s quarterbacks plenty of time and space to succeed.
3. The Nittany Lion defense was at the top of its game
Penn State’s defense has looked listless at times this season but on Saturday it looked like the unit it was projected to be heading into the season. For the second week in a row the Nittany Lions held their opponent under 20 points. This week, however, they looked much better while doing it.
The defensive line got penetration against the run and the pass, while the secondary covered for long enough to force Rutgers into difficult situations. Even the linebackers, which have struggled this season, were able to force a turnover and attack the Scarlet Knights in the run game. It’s been a very long season for the Penn State defense but for two weeks in a row it’s looked like a unit capable of reaching the heights the team had originally aspired to reach when the 2020 campaign kicked off in October.
This story was originally published December 5, 2020 at 3:25 PM.
