Penn State vs. Rutgers Grades

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Sep 19, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Akeel Lynch (22) scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time this season, Penn State left no question who the better team on the field was during their 28-3 domination of Rutgers Saturday night. This was the game that they put it altogether and dominated in all three facets. That sure was a fun game to watch, especially in the second quarter.

The Nittany Lions had two rushers of over 100 yards with freshman Saquon Barkley nearly hitting 200. The offense racked up 471 yards while the defense was as dominating as ever, limiting Rutgers to 294 yards and keeping them out of the end zone. The run defense was a wall, allowing Rutgers a paltry 1.3 yards per rush on 32 attempts.

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One of the best parts of the game that shouldn’t be overlooked was the special teams. The Nittany Lions heard all week that they must stop Rutgers outstanding return man Janarion Grant. They did in a huge way, completely neutralizing him and only allowing him a combined seven return yards.

It wasn’t a perfect game and Penn State did make mistakes, but overall it was a great performance and hopefully a sign of things to come. The sky is no longer falling like it was two weeks ago and maybe these Nittany Lions can hang with the best of the conference. Penn State needs to build off of this and continue the good vibes when they welcome San Diego State next week.

Let’s get to this week’s grades.

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