Penn State defeated the Badgers 16-10 in a game that came down to the wire. There were gutsy performances on offense, despite them getting hot in the second half.
Let’s go ahead and grade Penn State’s performance today over the Badgers.
Quarterbacks: C
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This is a fair grade, seeing as Sean Clifford struggled early in this game. He finished strong and performed well when it mattered. However, he was still making careless mistakes early in the game.
Penn State heads back to State College next weekend for their home opener against Ball State. This should be an easy one for the Nittany Lions and one for Clifford to really find his groove in the offense. He didn’t play four-quarter football against Wisconsin, but a game with a new offense is now under his belt.
Next: Running Backs
Running Backs: D+
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Despite the late performance by Noah Cain, the run game just wasn’t clicking today. Cain was their top rusher, finishing with eight carries, 48 yards and a touchdown.
Cain looked very promising late in the game and even got involved in the passing game. However, the run game as a whole struggled to find momentum.
Next: Wide Receivers
Wide Receivers: C+
Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
The passing game was a little bit more efficient than the run. As mentioned, the offense didn’t get clicking until the second half, when Jahan Dotson used his elite speed to create separation against a struggling Wisconsin secondary.
We saw flashes from Parker Washington and KeAndre Lamber-Smith, but both also had a few key drops throughout the game. Dotson was their most reliable target all game.
Next: Defense
Defense: A
eff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The defense was lights out all game. The secondary didn’t disappoint, as Ji’Ayir Brown and Jaquon Brisker each picked off Graham Mertz in the final 2 and a half minutes of the game.
The linebacker core of Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks played like they haven’t missed a beat after last season and losing several key players to the draft.
One of the big reasons why Wisconsin’s offense struggled was because the Penn State defensive line lead by PJ Mustipher was simply on fire all game.
This defense was nothing short of impressive the entire game today.
Next: Special Teams
Special Teams: B-
AP Photo/Andy Manis
This is a fair grade, seeing as Penn State struggled in the first quarter on special teams. However, the special teams also kept this game scoreless for the entire first half.
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