Penn State Football: Position Grades versus Akron

[fs_video id="5559684440001" source="fansided"]rn Penn State football's win over Akron went wire-to-wire. The Nittany Lions displayed complete dominance in all three phases in the 52-0 win. rnThe box score and film told a story of a complete 52-0 win in Penn State football's season opener against Akron. Penn State looked like it walked off the field at the Rose Bowl and arrived in Happy Valley just a day later. The rust factor didn't last long and the offense and defense rolled the Zips.rnrnIt'd be easy to just say it was a quality night all around and move on. However, there still needs to be some kinks worked out. Luckily for the Penn State faithful, VBR has the fans covered. In the opening week, the Nittany Lions impressed, but where do they grade out?rnrnFrom quarterback to the coaching job, all involved received a grade. For an offense that scored 52 points, there won't be grades lower than an A-minus. On defense, the unit allowed zero points and just 159 yards so expect high marks there as well.rnrnThe special teams and coaching came out with great grades as well, so it'll be a positive review in week one.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Quarterbacks" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_58720" align="alignnone" width="2544"] UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions delivers a stiff arm as James King #2 of the Akron Zips tackles McSorley during the first quarter on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Quarterbacks rn Trace McSorley nearly received an A-plus had he not throw an opening drive, red zone interception. Against other teams, that's a backbreaking throw, but he got the play out of the way in an easy win. Now that I've gotten my critique out of the way, he played near flawless the rest of the game.rnrnAs a passer, Trace did what Trace does. He completed passes downfield and even in the rain threw well on the run. His passing line came out at 18-of-25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. That's a great line especially since he put it together without playing at all in the fourth quarter.rnrnOn the ground, he added 48 yards and a touchdown opening up Saquon Barkley's feast. He's the perfect counterpart to Barkley, and it continued to show.rnrnTommy Stevens put together a nice game as well. He led Penn State on a scoring drive in the fourth and totaled 65 total yards of offense to go along with a rushing touchdown. He's a great weapon to have the field even giving a trick play taste on the fake jet sweep pass.rn Grade: A- rn[nextslide teaser="Running Backs" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_58722" align="alignnone" width="3712"] UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions hurdles away from a tackle by Alvin Davis #1 of the Akron Zips during a touchdown run that was called back short of the end zone during the first half on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Running Backs rnIt doesn't get more impressive than Saquon Barkley . Penn State's best offensive weapon showcased the entire skill set touching the ball 17 times for 226 yards and two touchdowns. In basically one half of football, he torched Akron and proved why he's a threat.rnrnHis ability to put his foot in the ground and cut past defenders is unmatched. Penn State football needs him in form for another great season, and he showed it from the opening carry. It's difficult to provide many more adjectives for his greatness, and his film does most of the work.rnrnMiles Sanders and Andre Robinson did their jobs by not turning over the football and milking the clock. The stats aren't nearly as important because Akron loaded the box knowing Penn State was trying to finish up the game. To sum up, it's a perfect grade for the RBs in week one.rn Grade: A+ rn[nextslide teaser="Receivers / Tight Ends" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_58773" align="alignnone" width="1798"] UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Mike Gesicki #88 of the Penn State Nittany Lions hangs on to a touchdown reception as James King #2 of the Akron Zips attempts to tackle at 0:49 in the first quarter on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Receivers / Tight Ends rnI so wanted to give this group an A-plus especially with how great Juwan Johnson and Mike Gesicki played. But, a trustworthy veteran didn't quite come through in week one. DaeSean Hamilton had an uncharacteristic performance dropping some early passes, but he's good for a bounce back game. In fact, he began righting the ship early on with three catches for 74 yards.rnrnPenn State football's receiving crop did a brilliant job otherwise. Juwan Johnson made quite an impression as a deep threat snaring four passes for 84 yards. He did it all reaching for tough catches and sticking his nose in against Akron's safety.rnrnMike Gesicki didn't miss a beat leading the team in catches (six) and touchdowns (two). His size and speed still caused fits beating any that covered him. He even showed his awareness on the RPO (run-pass option) taking the pitch for a nice first down gain.rnrnDeAndre Thompkins caught two passes for 29 yards and did well, but he contributed more on special teams. His 61-yard return opened up the scoring, but we credit him in this category.rn Grade: A- rn[nextslide teaser="Offensive Line" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_58768" align="alignnone" width="2728"] UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions passes the ball to Juwan Johnson #84 during the second quarter against the Akron Zips on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Offensive Line rnNo problem grading this one out. The offensive line paved the way for 569 yards on offense. Stats don't tell the whole story, but the picture of Trace McSorley's clean jersey does. They kept him upright and Barkley had plenty of running room.rnrnThere weren't any major differences in last year and Chasz Wright started well at the right tackle spot. He debuted last year, but his first action this season looked solid. If he can continue to fill in well it'll only solidify the position when Andrew Nelson returns from injury.rnrnThe only complaints might come with the backups who allowed the defense to get some penetration. Regardless, the defense played downfield knowing the Nittany Lions were trying to milk the clock. They did score on the first drive and allowed Tommy Stevens to operate well.rnrnCan't quite give them an A-plus, but it's an A effort for sure.rn Grade: A rn[nextslide teaser="Defensive Line" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_58775" align="alignnone" width="3000"] BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 12: Devine Redding #34 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs the ball as Shareef Miller #48 of the Penn State Nittany Lions tries to make the tackle at Memorial Stadium on November 12, 2016 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Defensive Line rnSo dangerous and so multiple, this defensive line owned the trenches against Akron. Between Tyrell Chavis, Ryan Buchholz, Curtis Cothran, Robert Windsor, Torrence Brown, Parker Cothren and Shareef Miller, the D-Line held the running game to just 73 total yards.rnrnThey also managed to sack the Zips three times and showed no drop-off losing two key contributors from last year. The pressure up front forced ill-advised throws including a key interception early on. It's tough to find a better outing especially when shutouts are such a rarity nowadays.rnrnPenn State football should feel special to have this unit at their disposal. Thomas Woodson was supposed to be a difference maker on the offensive end, but he never had an opportunity to do so. They suffocated him and it resulted in a zero on the scoreboard.rn Grade: A+ rn[nextslide teaser="Linebackers" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn <img class="wp-image-58776 size-full" src="https://victorybellrings.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/627486520-big-ten-championship-penn-state-v-wisconsin.jpg.jpg" alt="INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 03: Bradrick Shaw #7 of the Wisconsin Badgers is tackled by Jason Cabinda #40 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second quarter of the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)" /> rn Linebackers rnIt's tough for a linebacker group to get judged when a defensive line and secondary dominated the way Penn State football did. It shouldn't be an indictment on the unit, especially because they cleaned up well. Nevertheless, it's not fair to hand them the highest grade if they didn't have to make all the plays.rnrnStill, Manny Bowen, Cameron Brown, Jarvis Miller, etcetera did a nice job of containing things. If anything got past the D-Line, they were quick to shut it down. They'll need the linebackers to continue to play at this level and rise up when the team needs them.rnrnAlthough the offense didn't get on the linebackers a lot this week, they'll see more reps against better teams. Luckily for Penn State football, this team's strength lies in the front seven.rn Grade: A- rn[nextslide teaser="Secondary" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_58777" align="alignnone" width="1620"] UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Amani Oruwariye #21 of the Penn State Nittany Lions makes a diving interception during the first quarter thrown by Thomas Woodson #4 of the Akron Zips on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Secondary rnArguably the best unit for Penn State football came on the back end of its defense. In the pass happy world of college football, there are few instances where a defense holds a team under 100 yards passing. The Nittany Lions did that and it didn't just come from pressure up front.rnrnAmani Oruwariye earned the unofficial defensive MVP title. He made the diving interception early on and deflected a key long to keep the offense dormant. Marcus Allen recorded three tackles and Christian Campbell recorded two tackles as well.rnrnJohn Reid's injury worried fans, but those concerns all but disappeared in week one. Now, the defenses' strong week one performance is something to build off of. It's not a guarantee of success for the season, but it's a great start.rnrnIt's an a-plus effort all around for this defense, but it starts with a great effort against the pass.rn Grade: A+ rn[nextslide teaser="Coaching" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_58734" align="alignnone" width="2679"] UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions congratulates Mike Gesicki #88 following a touchdown reception during the second half against the Akron Zips on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Akron 52-0. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Coaching rnTop-tier coaches don't panic or second guess the approach. After an early interception, head coach James Franklin and OC Joe Moorhead stuck with their approach and stayed aggressive when given chances. The offense shoved the ball down Akron's throat, and the coaching allowed the playmakers to make plays.rnrnOn defense, Brent Pry had loads of help from a swarming Penn State football defense. Honestly, he didn't have to do a whole lot, but he's coached them up well.rnrnAlthough the coaching staff got a great effort out of its players, the greatest decision came from the top. Franklin found ways to use Tommy Stevens, and he also got him reps at the QB spot. Stevens isn't the starter, but he's a future star with what he's shown. In order to keep from transferring, he needs to continue to see the field, and Franklin is making sure that happens. A smart move for sure.rn Grade: A rn[morestories url="https://victorybellrings.com/2017/09/04/penn-state-vs-pittsburgh-preview/" title="Must Read" teaser="Penn State vs Pittsburgh Preview" /]

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Penn State Football: Position Grades versus Akron

Penn State football’s win over Akron went wire-to-wire. The Nittany Lions displayed complete dominance in all three phases in the 52-0 win.

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