Here are 5 takeaways from Penn State football’s 44-13 victory over Ball State
Penn State (2-0, 1-0) defeated Ball State (1-1) in convincing fashion in its first home game of the season by a score of 44-13.
The defense flew around and generated two turnovers on the game and a sack. The offense moved efficiently ending with 493 total yards. The No. 12 ranked Nittany Lions now look to take on Auburn in their White Out game next Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Here are five takeaways from Penn State’s Week 2 victory over Ball State.
Penn State’s defense somewhat bent, but never broke
While Ball State’s offense gained 153 total yards in the first half, the Cardinals were held to just six points. The Cardinals went 3-for-10 on third down plays. Despite being on the field for 15:42, Penn State’s defense never faltered.
The second half saw even more success for the Brent Pry-led defense. Playing the defensive end position, Jesse Luketa intercepted Ball State quarterback Drew Plitt and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter. Luketa immediately read Plitt’s eyes and jumped up for the interception. Cornerback Daequan Hardy followed up with an interception of his own with 31 seconds remaining in the half.
It was just another day at the office for the Nittany Lion defense.
Jahan Dotson may be the best receiver in the Big Ten
Dotson often turns nothing into something. His final reception made it evident that he has all of the talent to cause nightmares for any defensive coordinator. He looked like he would get stopped 6-7 yards in front of the first down marker and he broke multiple tackles to gain 12 yards and the first down.
The senior receiver finished with five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, and could’ve had far more yards.
Clifford found 10 different receivers in the game, but Dotson found himself open again and again throughout the day. While Dotson may not be the tallest, standing in at 5-foot-11, he plays like a larger receiver and went up for passes against larger defenders consistently.
More on Clifford next.
Just another day at the office for QB Sean Clifford
Clifford had a strong first half, finishing 16-for-21 on passes with 178 yards and a 163.1 passer rating. He finished his day going 21-for-29 with 230 yards, a touchdown and a 150.4 passer rating through the air. The redshirt senior also had a strong day on the ground with 11 carries for 66 yards (six yards per carry) and a touchdown.
At times, Clifford held onto the ball too long, resulting in two sacks for a 13 yards lost.
Getting Ta’Quan Roberson some playing time is important
Roberson, who entered the game with less than seven minutes left, could use the extra seasoning. He’s had just one attempt as a Nittany Lion and it was an incompletion. Unfortunately for Roberson, his first drive saw a 3-yard rush by Caziah Holmes, followed by an incompletion and a sack for a loss of five yards.
The second drive went much better. Roberson and company engineered a five-play, 50-yard drive, ending with a 23-yard play action pass to Theo Johnson from Roberson for the duo’s first collegiate touchdowns.
Be careful what you wish for, Penn State fans
Nearing the end of the game, Penn State fans broke out into a “We want Auburn” chant. While Auburn’s opponents have been Akron and Alabama State, the Tigers have scored a combined 122 points and have only allowed 10 points. Playing on ABC at 8 p.m. next Saturday should be enough motivation. Giving a very good Auburn team chalkboard material isn’t ideal, but the enthusiasm can be respected for Penn State’s fans in their first home game back since Nov. 30, 2019.
This story was originally published September 11, 2021 at 7:43 PM.
