Penn State 27 Buffalo 14: Offense still needs work

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Penn State 27 Buffalo 14: Offense still needs work

Last Saturday, I attended my first Penn State game of the 2015 season. I traveled to Happy Valley with my uncle Mark, my cousin Marky, and my Dad. Marky planned the whole trip, and I thank him a great deal for doing so.  I had a fun experience in State College as I always do, but not a whole lot of the experience took place in Beaver Stadium. It poured rain, and the weather was so miserable to be in that we the 4 of us decided to leave halfway through the 2nd quarter. Nevertheless, it was a fun experience and I'm grateful that I was able to spend my Saturday afternoon at Penn State.

Now to talk about the game. Although it was a much better showing than that woeful Temple game, there are still some question marks that remain unanswered. I will tell you what I think those are in my ''Nittnay Lion Report Card'', in which I will give letter grades to the offense, defense and special teams.

Offense: C-
Yes, John Donovan's offense is still not clicking. While 27 points may not seem too bad, it must be considered how those scores were set up. The first score was set up by a massive 58 yard punt return from DeAndre Thompkins, which put the ball on the Buffalo 24 yard line. Penn State would proceeded to score 2 plays later on a 22 yard TD run from Brandon Polk. This touchdown was brought to you by special teams, not the offense.

The 2nd score of the game was set up by an interception by Carl Nassib on the ensuing Buffalo possession. This put the ball on the Buffalo 12 yard line, and only resulted in a Joey Julius field goal. Getting the ball on the opponents 12 yard line and only managing 3 points is a massive underachievement, and one that Penn State can not turn into a habit if they want to have a competitive season in the Big 10.

If you take away these 10 points that were set up by other parts of the Penn State team, that leaves 17 points that the offense truly had to earn. 17 points is not an impressive showing, especially against a team like Buffalo. Things simply need to change. Christian Hackenburg is still an enigma as the blue chipper had another sub-par performance, going 14-27 with 128 yards passing, 1 touchdown pass, and a QB rating of 58.6. Not acceptable numbers for a prospect with that much talent. There were some bright spots, as Chris Godwin had 5 receptions for 75 yards. Saquon Barkley took over the game in the 2nd half, rushing for 115 yards on just 12 carries.

There are plenty of weapons on this offense to make things work, but things just aren't moving yet and it's very frustrating. John Donovan needs to open up the field more with his play calling, as painfully short passes just aren't getting things done. I am not sold on the Pro Style offense as I think that going to a spread or multiple type could be more effective as those styles fit Penn State's speedy receivers that have the potential to do a lot of damage.  Although the offensive line performed light years better than in the Temple game, it received a blow when tackle Andrew Nelson left the game with an undisclosed injury. It is not certain if Nelson will be available this Saturday against Rutgers.

Defense: B+
Solid as usual. The Penn State D was on the field more than it should have been in the first half, and they did a admirable job keeping the team in the game as it was a rough half offensively. Not a whole lot to say about the defense. They were expected to limit the Buffalo attack and they did, and I won't give them more than a B+ because they did not really prove anything that fans did not know already.

Special Teams: A
Certainly the biggest eye-opener of the game for me was the special teams. Nick Scott had a 58 yard return on the opening kickoff, although the offense could not turn it in to points just because. DeAndre Thompkins had a huge punt return in the 2nd quarter, which led to the Penn State's first points on the board. In my mind, whenever there is more then one play made on special teams that can have an positive impact on the game and doesn't make any big mistakes, it is worthy of nothing less than an A.

Overall: C
Seems somewhat harsh, but Penn State as a whole did not make a big splash in week 2. A win is a win, but the quality of play is still not where it should be. Next week is another home game, this time against Rutgers. Hopefully we see more of a statement, as the Lions are going up against the team that will likely be the bottom feeders of the Big 10 east.

Thank you for reading, and Fight On State!