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Penn State at Pitt: Players of the game

By Barry Leonard Jr.

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 08: KJ Hamler #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes for a 32 yard touchdown i the first half against Dane Jackson #11 of the Pittsburgh Panthers on September 8, 2018 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 08: KJ Hamler #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes for a 32 yard touchdown i the first half against Dane Jackson #11 of the Pittsburgh Panthers on September 8, 2018 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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It was an impressive performance for Penn State Saturday night on the road against Pittsburgh. 

After struggling against Appalachian State in Week 1, Penn State got off to another slow start in Week 2 against Pitt. Fortunately, the Nittany Lions were able to wake up and ended up playing like the team everyone expected to see last week. Penn State exploded on offense and locked down on defense, ultimately knocking off the Panthers, 51-6.

The conditions Saturday night at Heinz Field were poor to say the least. Rain fell throughout the game and made for a difficult playing surface.

Penn State put up 390 yards of total offense, a number that seems a bit small when compared to the 51 points. The win was a total team effort for the Nittany Lions. While most of the individual statistics won’t jump off the page, there were a few players that clearly stood out Saturday night.

Offense – KJ Hamler, Wide Receiver

For the second week in a row, redshirt freshman KJ Hamler showed his exceptional talent and what he can add to the Penn State offense. The speedy wide receiver is a dangerous playmaker who can make plays in many ways.

Hamler got the scoring started on Penn State’s third play from scrimmage when he took a handoff on a jet sweep and ran 32 yards to the end zone. Late in the first half, with Penn State clinging to a one-point lead, Hamler caught a 14-yard touchdown to give the Nittany Lions some breathing room at halftime.

He finished the game with three receptions for 40 yards and the 32-yard rush.

Aside from his role on offense, Hamler has turned into an important piece special teams this season. Against Pitt, he returned three kicks for a total of 73 yards.

Honorable Mention: QB Trace McSorley, RB Miles Sanders

Defense – Kevin Givens, Defensive Tackle 

After missing last week’s game due to a suspension, defensive tackle Kevin Givens made an instant impact in his return to action against Pitt. Givens has high expectations this season and he showed why on Saturday night.

The redshirt junior has developed into a dominant force on the interior of the defensive line. He played an excellent game against Pitt and was disruptive all night. He finished the game with seven total tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also added a quarterback hurry.

Penn State’s defense failed to create any pressure last week, but that changed with the return of Givens. Now that he’s back the problems that Penn State had on the defensive line to start the season should be over.

Honorable Mention: LB Micah Parsons, CB Amani Oruwariye

Special Teams – Blake Gillikin, Punter

The kicking game struggled a bit Saturday night, but as per usual, the punt game was strong. Blake Gillikin played a key role in changing field position and putting the Panthers back in their own territory.

For the night, Gillikin punted five time for a total of 213 yards. He averaged 42.6 yards per punt and booted a long of 52. Two of his five punts soared over 50 yards.

Perhaps even more important that the distance was the fact that Gillikin was able to drop four of his five punts inside the 20.

Obviously, the punt return by DeAndre Thompkins was a big play in the game, but overall, Gillikin had the best night for Penn State on special teams.

Honorable Mention: WR DeAndre Thompkins, WR KJ Hamler  

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