Penn State vs. Maryland Position Grades

Oct 24, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Brandon Polk (10) tackled by Maryland Terrapins defensive back Elvis Dennah (37) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams: 

Overall it was a solid day for Penn State on special teams compared to other games this season. Coming into the game the big concern was Maryland’s return man William Likely, He was held in check by Penn State kick coverage team. Likely returned four kicks for an average of 24 yards and brought back three punt returns for an average of just eight yards.

Punter Daniel Pasquariello had a good day punting the football. Though his average was just 39 yards, he did a nice job of keeping the ball away from Likely and did manage a big punt that went 55 yards.

The kicking game also did a good on kick coverage, but Joey Julius missed another field goal that could have turned out to be crucial. He missed from 45 yards but did convert a a 40-yard try.

Penn State’s special teams did struggle in this one in the return game. Nick Scott and Brandon Polk both averaged around 20 yards on their kick returns and never really broke one to give the Nittany Lions good field position. Scott had a chance at a good return in the fourth quarter but the play ended with a costly fumble.

It wasn’t the best day from the special teams group, but compared to what’s happened recently it was a minor improvement. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done in this area.

Grade: B-

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