PSU: Opener vs UCF – Grading the Nittany Lions by Position

By Blair Thomas

Penn State University (PSU) recently traveled to Ireland to battle the University of Central Florida (UCF) in their season opener and the Lions came away from the game with a 26-24 win. To follow is a summary of grades earned by the team, by position group.

Quarterback: B+

For the first time in school history, a sophomore was voted as one of the team captains. Christian Hackenberg lived up to the hype. He managed the game like a seasoned veteran rather than a second year starter. He only threw two ill-advised passes that were intercepted, finishing the game by completing 32 out of 47 passes attempted for a career high 454 yards. He was clearly the games’ most impressive player.

Offensive line: B-

The offensive line did a great job protecting Hackenberg, giving up only two sacks in 49 passing attempts. It did not do as well in the running game however, clearing the way for only 57 yards with an average of 2.03 yards per carry because of Central Florida’s experienced defensive front.

Running Backs: B

The running backs were not a big part of the game plan for Penn State’s first game and when they were on the field, they didn’t do a great job executing the wild cat offense. The Nittany Lions, who lost five linemen to graduation last year, actually expected the running game to get off to a slow start. Bill Belton and Zach Zwinak showed flashes of their capabilities in the ground game but some of their positive yards were negated due to penalties. The unit did a good job of picking up the blitz and protecting the football however.

Receivers: A-

With Hackenberg having a career day, the receivers were poised to have career performances as well. Redshirt freshman wide out DaeSean Hamilton finished the day with 11 receptions for 165 yards and Eugene Lewis finished with eight receptions and 173 yards. Tight ends Jesse James and Kyle Carter were also big targets for Hackenberg, mainly on third down.

Defensive Line: A

The defensive line played extreme well, rotating a lot of players. The front four did a good job of gap control and applying pressure when needed. Defensive tackles Anthony Zettel and C.J Olaniyan had one sack each. Zettel also recovered a fumble after Central Florida quarterback Justin Holman mishandled the ball on a play action pass. The D-Line was effective in the red-zone, getting penetration to control the gaps.

Linebackers: B+

Zone blitzing was the main strategy of the game for the linebacking corps. Nyeem Wartman and Mike Hull did well applying pressure in those situations and they kept everything in front of them on zone drops.

Defensive Backs: B

PSU’s cornerback Jordan Lucas got after it covering the Knights receivers. There were a couple of times when the Lions’ DB’s were out of position and this resulted in big plays on first downs for UCF. But the D-line applied enough pressure on Florida’s quarterbacks in the first half to disrupt their offense… this, in turn, helped the secondary.

Special Teams: A-

Special teams is one of the areas that needs vast improvement if Penn State is to compete with the upper-tier teams of college football. They are off to a great start, however. The kickoff coverage squad only had one breakdown which allowed the Knights a return of 68 yards. But PSU place kicker Sam Ficken was made all four of the field goals attempted which over-shadowed any mishaps on special teams. His kicks were made from 22, 33 and 24 yards, as well as his most important: a 36-yard game-winner with .03 seconds remaining in the game.

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