Penn State Football: Potent PSU offense takes over at any moment

Watching Penn State football the last few years, especially recent games, one major takeaway is that the offense can turn a close game into a blowout.

As much as Penn State football’s first half offensive struggles have caused some fans to worry, the second half domination should be cause for celebration.

In two of the last three weeks, Penn State led at half but didn’t quite have its foot on the throat of the opposing team. Even against Kent State a week ago, the team exited with a lopsided second-half performance in its favor.

First, Penn State football led Pitt 14-6 at the end of the first half. The offense rolled from that point on outscoring the Panthers 28-0 in the second half (the other nine points came on defense and special teams). A week later against Kent State, the Nittany Lions followed up a 28-10, first-half lead into a 35-0 run the second half.

Finally, the offense reached its highest point in Friday’s 63-24 win over Illinois. PSU trailed 24-21 with 10:36 to play in the third quarter. James Franklin’s team answered with authority, rolling up a 42-0 run to close out the game. From those three contests, the offense has outscored opposing teams 105-0.

A major reason for the explosion, the team’s depth at the skill positions. It starts at the running back spot. Miles Sanders is a workhorse that can carry the load throughout games, but should he get tired, Mark Allen and Ricky Slade can give him a rest. The trio has combined for 821 yards of offense and 11 touchdowns on 6.3 yards per touch.

A backfield like that forces teams to respect the run game and the group’s ability to catch passes. Those three can only break free with the help of Trace McSorley‘s steady, veteran composure at quarterback. When games are on the line, who else would fans want to have in control of the offense? He’s bigger in clutch moments than anyone else.

He makes the correct reads and decisions on the ground and in the air. When the point explosion happens in the second half, who’s usually keeping the team out of trouble and moving them down the field? McSorley, plain and simple.

McSorley’s success wouldn’t be achieved without a brilliant supporting cast around him. Penn State has a wealth of talent at the receiver and tight end spots. In fact, 12 different players have caught a pass this year – that goes back to depth. When defenses have to try to contain Penn State’s offense for all four quarters, eventually KJ Hamler, Juwan Johnson, DeAndre Thompkins, Brandon Polk, etcetera will get going.

Entering the Ohio State game, the second half will be a key to watch in how Penn State responds. One things for sure, if they can come out in the second half and seal a major win up, it’s time to start calling PSU’s 2018 roster as closers.