Penn State Football: Players of the game at Rutgers
It was a struggle for much of the day, but Penn State football left Rutgers with a victory.
Penn State football didn’t exactly play up to expectations Saturday, but was able to knock off Rutgers 20-7 in the final road game of the regular season for the Nittany Lions. The win gave Penn State eight on the season and kept the hopes of a bigger bowl bid alive.
In what was expected to be a big day for the offense, the Nittany Lons actually struggled to get much going. Trace McSorley, although he finished with two touchdowns, still appeared a bit hindered by injured and missed several wide-open throws.
Aside from the inconsistency at quarterback, the conservative game plan also hurt the Nittany Lions.
Fortunately, the defense was stout and all but shut Rutgers down. The 20 points by Penn State were less than expected, but proved to be enough to leave Piscataway with a victory.
During the win, who stood out as the players of the game for the Nittany Lions?
Offense – Pat Freiermuth, Tight End
It wasn’t a very productive day for the Penn State offense, but freshman tight end Pat Freiermuth stood out as a star. Filling the shoes of the graduated Mike Gesicki, Freiermuth has really come on as of late.
The true freshman has emerged over the past few weeks as a favorite and reliable target for quarterback Trace McSorley, particularly in the red zone. That trend continued Saturday against Rutgers, as Freiermuth caught two touchdown passes — the only touchdowns of the game for Penn State.
He finished the day with three total catches for 47 yards to go along with the two scores.
If Freiermuth can continue to develop as he has, he’s got a chance to be the next great tight end at Penn State.
Honorable Mention: WR KJ Hamler, QB Trace McSorley
Defense – Micah Parsons, Linebacker
Saturday was a breakout performance for freshman linebacker Micah Parsons. The talented linebacker has been trending up in the past few weeks, and he proved to be a force against Rutgers. He spent the day disrupting the Scarlet Knights on offense and showed what made him one of the most sought after recruits of the 2018 class.
Parsons finished the day second on the team with seven total tackles. He also recorded a sack, two tackles for loss, and forced a fumble.
Next. Penn State quarterback report post Rutgers. dark
With his performance against the Scarlet Knights, Parsons showed his skill and showed that “Linebacker U” is in good hands moving forward.
Honorable Mention: LB Jan Johnson, LB Koa Farmer