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Penn State Football wins third straight against Spartans 39-24

By Lawrence Santa Maria

STATE COLLEGE, PA - DECEMBER 12: Penn State Nittany Lions players celebrate with the Land Grant Trophy after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium on December 12, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - DECEMBER 12: Penn State Nittany Lions players celebrate with the Land Grant Trophy after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium on December 12, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Penn State football wins their third straight as they topple the Spartans 39-24 on Senior Day at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State Football puts together their third straight victory as they dominate the Michigan State Spartans 39-24 on Senior Day in Happy Valley.

The Nittany Lions fell down early after the secondary struggled to cover anyone in green and white, but a solid second half led Penn State football to their third straight victory. It seemed as if they fell asleep in the second quarter of this one as the Spartans outscored them 21-0 and took a 21-10 halftime lead.

On the back of quarterback Sean Clifford and a stout defense, the Penn State football team dominated the second half, with a Michigan State field goal being the only points the Spartans scored after half time.

Special teams played a role as well for the Nittany Lions as a house call for Jahan Dotson on an 81-yard punt return put Penn State football up 15  and they never looked back.

Momentum is building for James Franklin’s squad after a third straight victory.

Here are three key takeaways from todays victory:

Secondary a tale of two halves

Penn State football trailed 21-10 at halftime largely in part thanks to a defensive secondary that allowed touchdowns of 45 and 32 yard sin the first half, but locked up the Spartans passing game in the second half.

Michigan State quarterback Patrick Thorne passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns in the game, however most of the that damage did come in the first half of this one.

Thorne looks to provide Michigan State with something that incumbent starter Rocky Lombardi could not, a downfield passing threat  that keeps the defense honest.

Jailen Nailor, MSU wide receiver caught a 45 yard touchdown pass in the first half but was kept under wraps in the second half, as the Nittany Lions suffocated the Spartans offense. Safety play has been an issue all season long, and it continued today ad safety Lamont Wade was caught flat footed on the Spartans second touchdown of the same, seemingly standing idle in open space as a post routebeat cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Senior Tariq Castro-Fields missed his fifth straight game and allowed the young guns in this secondary to take on the burden, and Penn State has to be happy with the result.

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