Instant Analysis: Penn State offense, miserable weather dampen win
Penn State football defeated Northwestern 17-7 on a wet, rainy afternoon in State College Saturday. Blue White Illustrated’s team of Sean Fitz, Greg Pickel, and Nate Bauer were on hand to experience the event and give their instant analysis afterward.
Penn State vs. Northwestern Instant Analysis
Pickel starts by asking Fitz what his major takeaways were from the event, and Blue White Illustrated’s publisher begins with how the weather affected everything. Then, while he acknowledges the players didn’t play well, he discusses how those factors contributed to the poor performance.
Next, Bauer discusses how Sean Clifford played in the first half compared to the second and thinks that the criticism laid at Clifford’s feet is for the wrong half. The trio then dives into how the running backs, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton and Keyvone Lee, performed and how the turnovers affected the offense overall. They also briefly touch on the situation with Devyn Ford.
Finally, they discuss the star unit of the game, the Nittany Lion’s defense. They discuss how well that unit played against the run and some issues that hampered them as the game continued. They wrap up by looking forward to the team’s bye week.
Penn State slips past Northwestern in slop-fest: Highs and Lows
Penn State and Northwestern pushed through sloppy conditions Saturday at Beaver Stadium. In a battle of making the fewest mistakes, the Nittany Lions emerged with the win, 17-7.
But, there were many, many mistakes.
In a game defined by turnovers, errant passes, and dropped reception attempts, Penn State did enough to earn a win. Here’s a look at the highs and lows from the game:
Penn State-Northwestern Highs and Lows
PLAYER OF THE GAME Penn State’s defense put in a group effort to overcome a series of offensive mishaps. In that spirit, the entirety of the unit deserves a nod here, with P.J. Mustipher, Chop Robinson, Hakeem Beamon, and Ji’Ayir Brown earning acknowledgement for highlight plays.
PLAY OF THE GAME Choosing critical mistakes as the plays that ultimately define a game is never the preference. But, at Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon, choosing otherwise was a near impossibility. Certainly, Sean Clifford’s connection with Brenton Strange for Penn State’s first points could be considered. But, Penn State had five fumbles, losing four. Northwestern had lost two of its three fumbles. Sean Clifford and Ryan Hilinski both threw interceptions. Pick any of them. They’re what people will most remember.
