Grades: Illinois
QUARTERBACKS: McSorley didn’t put up some of the gaudy numbers we’ve seen in the past, but he was consistent in the passing game and made some excellent reads in the rushing game. He finished 12 for 19 with 160 yards passing, three touchdowns and one interception. Trace added 92 yards rushing, averaging 6.1 yards per cary.
GRADE: A
RUNNING BACKS: Miles Sanders totaled exactly 200 yards rushing, averaging 9.1 YPC. He wasn’t the only back to have a great game, as Ricky Slade added 94 yards and two scores, averaging 9.4 YPC. Journey Brown also had a score. This unit could do no wrong.
GRADE: A+
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: Juwan Johnson led the Lions with four receptions, scoring just the second touchdown of his career. Six players recorded at least one catch, and while there were still some drops, it was a better overall performance compared to some previous games.
GRADE: B
OFFENSIVE LINE: Penn State racked up 387 yards rushing, averaging 7.6 YPC. Illinois also had just two tackles for loss and one sack on the evening. The offensive front played great, but they’ll face their first true test next weekend.
GRADE: A+
DEFENSIVE LINE: This unit has struggled to create pressure and that was evident again Friday evening. Penn State did record 5.5 tackles for loss, but just one sack isn’t enough against an Illinois offensive front that is mediocre, at best. For some perspective, South Florida had 11 tackles for loss and five sacks against the Illini last week. Even Kent State had 6 tackles for loss and three sacks in week one. Give them credit for stepping up when they needed to in the third quarter, but they also need to disrupt more if PSU is going to have any shot at winning the Big Ten.
GRADE: C-
LINEBACKERS: There’s a lot of youth on this unit, but there were multiple drives where the linebackers were simply manhandled. If that’s the case next weekend, Ohio State will easily reach 40 points, probably more. Give credit to Jan Johnson for coming up with a huge play that helped seal the game.
GRADE: D
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Penn State played very conservative in the secondary and it showed. They knew that if they didn’t beat themselves, freshman QB MJ Rivers wasn’t going to do it either. There were a few individual performances that were worrisome, but overall, they did hold the Illini under 120 yards passing until the game was out of reach. Even then, Illinois only totaled 149 yards passing. Tackling needs to improve, but the main issue tonight was the rushing defense. Credit Garrett Taylor and Jonathan Sutherland, as both played well. However, whenever your safeties are leading the team in tackles, that’s not a good thing.
GRADE: C
SPECIAL TEAMS: Penn State had a kick go out of bounds in the first quarter and it didn’t get much better for the kickers, as Jake Pinegar missed his lone field goal attempt from 44 yards. There wasn’t much to note in the return game and Blake Gillikin only had one punt for 42 yards.
GRADE: C
COACHES: As we saw a few weeks ago, second-half adjustments played a big role in the overall outcome. At the same time, Penn State has come out slow in a few games now. That can’t happen next week.
GRADE: C