The Penn State Nittany Lions have defeated the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 63-7. The team is officially 2-0 and has built up a ton of momentum on offense. Between the starting quarterback and even the second string, there was no slowing down the Nittany Lions on Saturday. Here is a look at how Penn State got the win and where they go from here.
Penn State’s Dominant Run Game
It was quite the game for the Penn State running backs. The longest run of the day was for 20 yards, but the team had everyone involved when running the ball. The rushing leader of the day was Kaytron Allen. According to ESPN, the sophomore rushed the ball 19 times for 103 yards and one rushing touchdown. While Nicholas Singleton had fewer carries and only 47 rushing yards, he was an impactful player. Singleton ended the game with three rushing touchdowns. The running back duo continues to demonstrate why they are so impactful when they both play in games.
Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton (10) – Joe Hermitt/PennLive
That was not all that happened on the ground though. Transfer running back Trey Potts had a big game against Delaware. Potts went in when the majority of the first team was pulled. He had 59 total rushing yards, but a 20-yard run gave the Nittany Lions a chance to keep scoring late in the game.
Both Penn State quarterbacks were able to get involved on the ground in a big way, too. Drew Allar scored a touchdown on a quick run down the middle. Beau Pribula showed what he could do on his legs this game as well. Pribula went into the game with still a decent amount of time left in the third quarter. Pribula rushed the ball for 46 yards and one touchdown.
By the end of the game, the Penn State Nittany Lions had 315 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. The way the offense was able to control the clock was a big reason for such a dominant win.
Penn State QB Drew Allar (15) – Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Two Quarterbacks Set Up to Win
In these past two games, sophomore quarterback Drew Allar has shown why he is the starting Penn State quarterback. Allar has shown composure and smart decision-making while on the field. He ended the game with 22 completions out of 26 attempts for 204 yards and one touchdown, according to ESPN. He did not even play for a full three quarters and was still able to pass for 200 yards. This is, overall, a great sign for the future of this Penn State group.
When Allar was pulled out of the game, Pribula went in. There was a competition for the starting role, but as known, Allar won the starting spot. Pribula is fortunate to still be able to get reps, which is great for him but also for Penn State. If something were to happen to Allar, it is important for Pribula to have this experience. In addition to his rushing yards and a touchdown, Pribula completed three out of five passes for 22 yards. He also threw a touchdown pass, boosting the Nittany Lions lead even more.
Pribula is comfortable when running with the ball, but getting that passing touchdown is going to help him continue to grow as a player. The experience was a big factor in Allar being able to come in this season and play as well as he has been. If something were to happen, this playing time would be beneficial for Pribula.
Penn State S Keaton Ellis (2) – Dan Rainville/USA TODAY NETWORK
Strong Defense
As strong as this Penn State defense is, they were rarely on the field on Saturday. The Nittany Lions clearly won the time of possession, totaling a time of 42:22. Starting with the bad, that one touchdown by Delaware should have never happened. Running back Marcas Yarns had a 66-yard run for the touchdown, going right through the Nittany Lions’ defense. Yes, the reserves were in, but that was a bad look. Luckily for Penn State, that was the worst part of the game and the only scoring play Delaware had.
Now for the highlights of the game: Delaware only had 58 passing yards the entire game. That was between two different quarterbacks. They completed just six passes, according to ESPN. This Nittany Lions defense showed up. The defense ended the game with seven tackles for loss and four sacks.
Former walk-on linebacker Dominic Deluca had a big play late in the game. He becomes the first player on the defense this season to not only have an interception but to have a pick-six. Last weekend, the Nittany Lions’ defense did not have any turnovers. This week, they also had two, as safety Kevin Winston Jr. also recovered a fumble.
Aside from that one bad play, this is the Nittany Lions defense that fans expected to see. Hopefully, next weekend, they will be able to avoid allowing their opponent big explosive plays, especially ones that result in a touchdown.
Penn State RB Kaytron Allen (13) – Matthew OHaren/USA TODAY Sports
What to Look for Next
The biggest way for this team to improve is to fix those small mistakes on the defense. That is now two weeks in a row that they let a lesser opponent have an explosive play. The good news is that after their mistakes, the defense does tend to step up. It is also important to avoid penalties. There was a period of time at the beginning of the game where there were holding calls on the offense. It looked like that would continue, but luckily, they cleaned it up. This will still be something to watch for.
Next up for Penn State is a game against the Fighting Illini, their first Big Ten opponent of the season. The Nittany Lions will be heading to Illinois for the first away game of the 2023 season. Illinois is coming off of a rough loss against the Kansas Jayhawks. The most important thing for Penn State is to keep their composure.
In the Illinois loss, the Illini were getting blown out but put up a fight in the end. Penn State will need to make sure to keep fighting, no matter what the score is. The game will take place on Saturday, September 16th, at 12 p.m. Eastern.
