Penn State football wins fourth straight to cap off the regular season as the Nittany Lions defeat the Illinois fighting Illini 56-21 at Beaver Stadium.
After a wild first quarter that saw 42 points scored between both teams, Penn State football settled in and pulled away with 35 unanswered points to defeat Illinois 56-21 Saturday.
it was a dominant effort from Penn State Football, outgaining the Illini 580 yards to 273 and the Nittany Lions got contributions from all the phases of the game. Special teams yet again played a big role when senior Lamont Wade ran back a a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to give the Nittany Lions a 14-7 lead.
The story of this one though was junior wide receiver Jahan Dotson dazzling once again, and possibly for the last time in the blue and white. Dotson caught six passed for 189 yards and two scores.
It was all about quick strikes for Dotson, who took a short pass on the opening play of the game 75 yards for a touchdown, eluding the defender and then turning on the jets. In the second quarter, the junior caught a screen and got great downfield blocking from his linemen and once again went 70 yards with it for a score, putting Penn State football up 42-21 in what felt like a knock out blow.
The defense looked like they were on the ropes early, after Keaton Ellis got his first career interception on Illinois’ first drive of the game, they responded with three straight scoring drives on only 11 total plays. Yet, like they did in last week’s victory over the Spartans, made in game adjustments and held the Illini scoreless over the final three quarters. The defensive line really stepped up with three sacks and seven tackles for loss, making things difficult on freshman quarterback Isaiah Williams.
After the game, coach James Franklin met with the captains and seniors and it was decided that Penn State football will forego a bowl game this season, concluding the 2020 season. To the credit of this team and staff, after a nightmare 0-5 start, this team held it together and responded with four straight victories, building momentum going into the offseason.
Here are three player grades from Saturday’s win and a game MVP:
TE Brenton Strange
Grade: B
Redshirt freshman tight end Brenton Strange was thrust into a starting role earlier this season due to star tight end Pat Freiermuth’s shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Strange has responded well to the increased work load but had maybe his best game as a Nittany Lion yesterday, catching four passes for 31 yards and a touchdown late in the third quarter. The seven yard touchdown grab came via quarterback Will Levis, his first passing touchdown of the season.
The redshirt freshman has become a security blanket for Penn State football quarterbacks but is also a great blocking tight end and has helped improve the play of this offensive line and improve the Nittany Lions ground game over their four game winning streak.
Strange has put together a nice season with 17 receptions for 164 yards an two touchdowns. The future is bright for him and Penn State football at the tight end position going into the offseason.
LB Brandon Smith
Grade: A-
The linebackers have been the ire of a lot of criticism this season from not only Penn State Football fans, but also defensive coordinator Brent Pry, citing tackling issues.
Saturday night, sophomore Brandon Smith starred in that linebacker unit, leading the team with eight tackles and collecting three tackles for loss in the 56-21 victory.
Smith has freakish athleticism and top end speed and it shows when he flies into the backfield blowing up plays before they even start. He played a crucial role in the defense putting the clamps on the Illini after a first quarter that had the Nittany Lions looking confused and on their heels.
The defense held Illinois scoreless through the final three quarters allowing the offense to pull away and never letting the Illini back up off the matt after going into halftime with a three touchdown lead.
The sophomore put together a great season with 37 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, an interception and two pass breakups. That stat line is indicative of him being all over the field on Saturday’s.
RB Keyvone Lee
Grade: B+
Penn State Football was facing an Illinois defense that surrendered 411 yards on the ground the week prior to Northwestern so it figured we would see a lot of the ground game, and yet again freshman Keyvone Lee was rock solid as the lead back.
Lee rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, once again shoulder the brunt of the duties with sophomore Devyn Ford sidelined with an injury. As a team, the Nittany Lions rushed for 253 yards and four scores on the ground.
The Florida native is a stabilizing force for this offense, as he was crucial on two long scoring drives in the pivotal second quarter and it seems when all else fails offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca feels comfortable sticking the rock in Lee’s gut and turning him loose.
At six-foot and 230 pounds Lee is a thumper, bowling over defenders and even lacking that top end speed is very effective when he gets going down hill north and south.
Due to injuries Lee has taken on a role that almost certainly nobody expected this season and has been stellar, rushing for 438 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Game MVP
WR Jahan Dotson
In what was maybe his final game at Beaver Stadium and in the Penn State football blue and white, Dotson dazzled one more time and was an easy choice for game MVP.
The junior caught six passes for 189 yards and two scores, and once again made his presence felt on special teams, running back a punt to the ten yard line, just nearly being tripped up and not bringing it all the way back for a score like he did last week. It set up a quick two play score that put Penn State football up 28-21.
The junior wasted no time in this one, scoring on the first play of the game taking a short curl route for a 75 yard touchdown just blazing right by the corner. Later in the first half, he took a screen pass 70 yards for a score to put the Nittany Lions up three scores and all but putting the Illini to bed.
It will be seen if Dotson returns for his senior season, but if Dotson decides to forego his senior year and enter the NFL draft, he has certainly made himself a lot of money this season. D
Dotson hauled in 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns with a punt return touchdown as well.