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Penn State Football: Players of the game at Illinois

By Barry Leonard Jr.

CHAMPAIGN, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Juwan Johnson #84 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs the ball after a catch as Cameron Watkins #31 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reaches for the tackle at Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Juwan Johnson #84 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs the ball after a catch as Cameron Watkins #31 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reaches for the tackle at Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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There were some big performances for Penn State football at Illinois. 

Penn State football traveled to Illinois for a unique Friday night primetime matchup. It was certainly a slow start for the Nittany Lions, as they actually find themselves down early in the third quarter. However, the Nittany Lions used a giant second half, fueled by 42 unanswered points, to pull away to the 63-24 victory.

While the defense continued its struggled to stop the run game, the offense shone once again, particularly on the ground. Penn State put up 387 rushing yards as a team and 581 total yards.

There are still plenty of things for James Franklin and the coaching staff to work on, but the Nittany Lions appear to be finding a groove heading into the meat of the Big Ten schedule.

Before moving ahead to the big game with Ohio State, let’s look back at the standout players from Penn State’s big win over Illinois.

Offense – Miles Sanders, Running Back 

Of all the Nittany Lions who played well Friday night, none stood out more than running back Miles Sanders. After spending two years in the shadow of Saquon Barkley, Sanders has used this season as a breakout.

The clear “top dog’ in the Penn State backfield, Sanders has improved each week and used the game against the Illini to put on the best performance of his collegiate career.

Against Illinois, Sanders rushed 22 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns — all of which are career highs. He was an absolute beast each time he touched the ball, showing a good mix of strength and speed.

Sanders has embraced his new role as Penn State’s starting running back and took another big step Friday night towards becoming the next great back in school history.

Honorable Mention: QB Trace McSorley, RB Ricky Slade 

Defense – Jan Johnson, Linebacker 

Penn State once again struggled on defense to begin the game, but as has been the trend recently, the Nittany Lions locked down in the second half. After moving down the field for the first half of the game, the Illini struggled on offense and managed just seven points after halftime.

Senior linebacker Jan Johnson was a standout on defense for the Nittany Lions against Illinois. He finished second on the team with six total tackles and also added an interception.

Johnson made plays all over the field for the Nittany Lions Friday night and was the best player on the Penn State defense.

Honorable Mention: LB Micah Parsons, S Garrett Taylor 

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