Penn State report card: Grading the Nittany Lions’ win over Massachusetts

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State blasted Massachusetts Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions moved the ball at will and pitched another shutout with a dominating defensive performance against the extremely overmatched Minutemen.

The Lions are now 7-0. And, the report card is in from the latest triumph. How did the team grade out this week? Read on to learn more.

Penn State grade on offense: A

Penn State moved the ball pretty much at will on Saturday. The Lions’ attack was methodical at times and explosive in other instances. Starting quarterback Drew Allar was 16 of 23 yards for 162 yards and three touchdowns. He again did not throw an interception. Coordinator Mike Yurcich’s attack put up over 350 yards of offense. There were no issues with drops. Blocking was fine for the most part. The backs had big holes to run through often and made plays after contact, as well. PSU had seven rushes of 10 yards or more and three passes of 15 yards or more. Would they like those numbers to be bigger? Of course. But, they controlled the game on this afternoon and evening with ease and moved the ball well. The lone issue? A Harrison Wallace III first quarter fumble. That’s why this was not an A+. But, it was close to a perfect effort.

Nittany Lions grade on defense: A+

What more could you ask for out of the Penn State defense? UMass did not reach the 100-yard mark until late in the fourth quarter with nothing but backups in. The Lions pitched another shutout. The stats in this game are gaudy. Penn State had seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss. It allowed only 109 total yards. The Minutemen averaged a paltry 1.8 yards per play. And, they turned it over once. This was a clinch by Manny Diaz’s bunch again an admittedly extremely overmatched foe. But, you can only dominate who you play. And, Penn State certainly did that on this day.

Penn State grade on special teams: A

Daequan Hardy made Penn State program history by returning two punts for a touchdown in a single game. The veteran cornerback and special teamer raced one punt back 56 yards and the other was a 68-yard scoot to the end zone. Kaden Saunders was fine when he was the punt returner, too. The kickers were accurate on extra point attempts. There were no issues in the kickoff game or the return game in that capacity. Riley Thompson boomed his one punt 47 yards, as well. The lone problem here was UMass punt that hit Cam Miller, causing a fumble that the Minutemen recovered. It was unintentional and unfortunate but a blemish nonetheless. It was the only one on this day, however.

Nittany Lions coaching grade: A

Penn State started slow again, which kept us from handing out a perfect grade. However, James Franklin and co., managed this beautifully. They got the starters needed work but got them out early enough to prevent any unnecessary injuries. The backups were ready to go on both sides of the ball and upheld the program’s standard. And, the Lions were disciplined, for the most part, in the penalty department.

Final Penn State grade for UMass: A

There is not much more to say about this game. It was not a perfect contest. But, it was pretty close to it. And, Penn State will take that as they move onto their biggest test of the year to date: Ohio State.

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