Highs & Lows: Penn State pushes past Rutgers to earn ninth win

By Nate Bauer

Penn State notched a 27-6 win over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions needed to push through a disjointed start offensively to do so, though.

Responding to a second-half injury to quarterback Drew Allar, Penn State turned to a persistent ground attack that yielded the day’s best results, with Beau Pribula at the helm.

Here, recapping the highs and lows from Penn State’s win on Saturday:

Penn State tops Rutgers, 27-6: Highs and Lows

PLAYER OF THE GAME Against a tough Rutgers defense that again demonstrated the challenges it presents this season, Penn State made no marked improvement on much of its performance this season in the first half. Yet, when the bell was called for Pribula in the wake of a third-quarter injury to Allar, the redshirt freshman quarterback answered resoundingly. 

In a 13-6 game upon his entry, Pribula ripped off eight carries for 71 yards, completing one pass for 9 yards, while doing something far more important. Taking the reins for four possessions, Pribula helped engineer 17 points to give Penn State a comfortable win.

PLAY OF THE GAME Needing a boost offensively following the early exit of Allar early in the third quarter, Pribula stepped in to break off a 39-yard carry, cutting back toward the field to pick up an extra 10 yards. The possession would ultimately end with a turnover on downs, but the message had been sent. 

Offensive highlights

BEST PASS In a competitive game late in the second quarter, Penn State faced a third-and-long with an opportunity to take command of the game. Allar and Omari Evans delivered, connecting for a 25-yard pickup and a first down on a beautiful ball from the Nittany Lion sophomore quarterback.

BEST RUN There were two important ones for Penn State on Saturday. The first was the aforementioned Pribula carry in the third quarter. Before the end of the same frame, Kaytron Allen broke into open space to for a 21-yard carry into the red zone leading into the fourth quarter.

WORST DROP Facing a third down for the first time on Saturday, the Nittany Lions were met by a familiar problem. Patient in the pocket, Allar fired over the middle to receiver Dante Cephas. The ball was tipped, not caught, coincidentally landing in the hands of Tyler Warren farther downfield. Warren also wasn’t able to hang onto the pass, leaving Penn State with two drops on the same play and a forced punting situation.

Defensive superlatives

BEST SACK Tenuously holding onto a seven-point advantage late in the third quarter, Penn State picked up a big defensive play from cornerback Johnny Dixon. The 6-yard sack on Gavin Wimsatt put Rutgers into a third-and-10 situation, but a pass completion kept the possession alive for the Scarlet Knights. However, the Nittany Lions weren’t done with sacks on the drive. Despite the letdown, just four plays later, Chop Robinson unloaded on Wimsatt for a sack fumble.

BEST HIT Speaking of, that blindside hit was the most tenacious of the afternoon for either side. Forcing the ball loose like a volcanic eruption out of Wimsatt’s hands, Robinson handed the Nittany Lions excellent field position as the third quarter came to a close. 

BEST EFFORT During a game in which Rutgers stressed Penn State defensively, Robinson repeatedly helped reverse that trajectory. He made a crucial second-half sack and had two tackles for loss, both coming in key moments. 

Odds and ends

BEST KICK Alex Felkins again provided Penn State with a much-needed boost midway through the third quarter. After deciding to forgo a field goal try on the Nittany Lions’ prior possession, a fourth-and-1 at the 38 left Franklin to call on Felkins for a 48-yard try. Nailing the kick, Felkins delivered a 13-6 advantage. 

BEST DECISION Unpopular as it might have been at times, the “handcuffed” version of Pribula proved the most effective for Penn State’s offense on Saturday. Running the ball eight times for 71 yards, his presence helped change the dynamic with which Rutgers defended the Nittany Lions, also opening up avenues for Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton to thrive. Not needing more than Pribula’s spark as a runner, the choice proved prudent.

WORST DECISION Hardly a bailout, Penn State receiver Dante Cephas was interfered with on the Nittany Lions’ red zone possession that ended with a field goal midway through the second quarter. The pass from Allar on third-and-short had no chance of a completion given the Scarlet Knight cornerback draped over Cephas. 

MOST TELLING MOMENT At 1:55 p.m., Drew Allar walked off the field after throwing away a pass toward the Penn State sideline. The play before, Allar took a hit to his right shoulder and appeared to be favoring it on his way off the field. The result was a quick walk into the injury tent and a deep state of unknown for the sophomore quarterback’s immediate future.