Penn State vs. Illinois Position Grades

Oct 31, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Chris Godwin (12) runs with the ball after a catch between Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Mason Monheim (43) and defensive back Eaton Spence (27) during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State won 39-0. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends 

Wide receiver Chris Godwin continued to show that he is Penn State’s top wide receiver for quarterback Christian Hackenberg. He had another big game in Week 9, reeling in a team-high seven passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Godwin has showed a valuable ability to make the tough catches and help out his quarterback.

DaeSean Hamilton was second in the game against the Illini with four catches. He totaled 54 yards but failed to find the end zone. After being Penn State’s top receiver from a year ago, Hamilton hasn’t found the same success this year.

Geno Lewis has been basically a forgotten receiver all year, and while he only had two catches for 15 yards versus Illinois, he did catch a touchdown for a second-straight week. Lewis dealt with some drops in the game, but still provides a veteran presence in the wide receiver corps.

DeAndre Thompkins made two catches for 31 yards.

In a continued trend, the tight ends were not really used. However, Mike Gesicki made two grabs, something that was nice to see after he’s struggled with drops the last few weeks.

The receivers struggled early in the year to get separation downfield, but have really turned it on as of late.

Grade: A

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