What they're saying about Penn State football's win over Villanova
Penn State Nittany Lions football claimed a 38-17 win over Villanova at Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It wasn't a perfect victory for the Nittany Lions, but it was a comfortable one as they moved to 4-0 on the season.
Here's what they're saying about Penn State's win.
Nate Bauer, BWI, Analysis: Comfortable Penn State win directs focus toward areas for growth
"Having endured a lengthy session with the media in which he acknowledged the shortcomings of the day’s performance for the offense, pointing to all of the areas the Nittany Lions will look to be better when they study the film Sunday, Clifford offered a brief retort, though.
Facing an FCS Villanova program that had effectively established its dominance defending the run in its first three games of the season, allowing just 29.3 yards per outing on the ground, Clifford gave credit to the Nittany Lions’ opponent.
“We do a lot of things. We have a pretty complex offense and we do a lot of different concepts and plays, and it’s a lot of different things that teams gotta scheme,” Clifford said. “I think Villanova did a very good job today. They gave us some different looks that we hadn’t seen from their film. They made plays when the plays were there. That’s a really good football team.”
Absent running back Noah Cain for the majority of the game, the Nittany Lions’ starter limited to just one 2-yard carry after seeing less practice time this week due to injury, Penn State’s offense saw that quality firsthand in the form of physicality in the trenches.
Struggling to keep the Wildcats at bay along the defensive front, Franklin pointing out a down day for the Nittany Lion tight ends’ help in run-blocking, the result was a three-sack day on Clifford and a failure to generate a single carry longer than 13 yards. Instead, Penn State turned to the quick passing game and screens to supplement its rushing attack as it has done all season, an element Franklin discussed as something of a counterbalance to his disappointment in the running game.
“The one thing I would say that probably isn't being talked about a whole lot - if people are going to outnumber you in the box,” he started. “We've had a lot of success throwing the perimeter screens. That's an extension of the running game.
“I thought we got the ball on the perimeter a decent amount… I think that's an extension of the running game as well if people are going to defend you that way.”
David Eckert, BWI, James Franklin feels Penn State football lacks 'edge' in Villanova win
"Franklin cited a poor practice from his team on Wednesday as part of a week that did not see his team meet expectations from a mindset perspective.
Linebacker Brandon Smith described that practice as "weird" when he spoke after the game. He said he didn't know why it happened, but that the players will use that practice and the week as a whole as an opportunity for growth.
"We've had very little of that since I've been here," Franklin said. "... We haven't really had a lot of that during camp, but I thought Wednesday we did not have a good practice, so I think they're getting patted on the back. I think they are reading articles, and we'll make sure that there's no leftovers of that come Sunday. I'll make sure that we clear all those things out of the fridge."
There were certainly aspects of the performance that left room for criticism on the day.
The running game has emerged as the main target for critique among onlookers through the early portion of the season, and the Nittany Lions did nothing to address those concerns in this game.
If anything, those worries heightened, as Penn State rushed the ball 34 times for only 80 yards against an FCS defense.
Franklin also directed some criticism toward the performance of Penn State's backups after they entered the game in the fourth quarter — a quarter Villanova won 14-7.
Still, Franklin said he felt it was important that the locker room felt like a winning locker room after the game. He's wary of being too critical in the moments right after a victory, and it's something that's appreciated by his players.
Greg Pickel, BWI, While not flawless, PSU's perfect start sets season's trajectory
"Penn State is 4-0 for the first time since 2019, and unlike most years, that is not something to take for granted.
There are two reasons for that. For starters, the Nittany Lions opened with the toughest September stretch in recent memory. They won as underdogs at Wisconsin, fended off MAC favorite Ball State, fought off Auburn in front of a home White Out crowd, and didn't let letdown fever bite it in a 38-17 triumph over Villanova on Saturday here at Beaver Stadium.
Back in August, it's fair to say that most members of Nittany Nation were hoping for an unblemished start while expecting 3-1 or maybe even worse. This brings us to the other reason: It wasn't all that long ago that a trying 4-5 2020 season ended and cast doubt about the trajectory this program was on.
We now know that was a lot of handwringing about nothing during a crazy pandemic year. Head coach James Franklin's team has found different ways to win, mostly thrived under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich (though the ground game must get going), and have played simply stellar defense over the first four weeks of the season with the kind of play that has blown away even the most optimistic fans' expectations for a group with lots of news faces in big roles.
So, maybe you had a sour taste in your mouth after the win over the Wildcats wasn't as visually appealing as most thought it would be, but guess what? One thing matters, and it's that a top-10 Penn State team has everything ahead of it as October and a full-on Big Ten slate from here begins with Indiana next Saturday night at 7:30 p.m."
Ben Jones, StateCollege.com, Penn State Will Have to Improve Run Game, but History Says Passing Attack Will Still Carry the Day Under Yurcich
"The difficulty is determining what success in the running game actually is in Yurcich’s offense. The answer might not be so much the raw numbers themselves as much as the ability to run when you absolutely have to, something Penn State has not been able to do by and large through four weeks."
Mark Wogenrich, SI Penn State, For Penn State, a Big-Play Victory With Very Little 'Edge'
"They can't all be White Outs vs. SEC opponents in which your left tackle collapses half an offensive line to produce a vital rushing touchdown. Sometimes your mind wanders, your crowd allows it and your opponent notices — and takes advantage."
Marty Leap, Black Shoe Diaries, Four Takeaways From Penn State’s Victory Over Villanova
"Penn State ran the ball 34 times for 80 which comes out to a woeful 2.4 yards per carry. That would be a bad number against any team. Against a FCS defense? Inexcusable. Phil Trautwein and company must fix this offensive line and in turn the rushing game ASAP."
Justin Morganstein, The Daily Collegian, Penn State football’s win over Villanova highlights talent, depth in wide receiver room
"Inconsistency among certain positional groups like the running game, tight ends and offensive line have become a small issue for James Franklin’s team, but there’s one area that seems to be continuously hitting its stride.
The Penn State wide receivers, led by reigning Big Ten receiving yards leader Jahan Dotson, are making a significant impact for this offense right now and are the biggest reason why some of the struggles have been hidden."
Colin Beazley, The Villanovan, Backup Quarterback Turns Punter Against Penn State
"The differences between the Penn State football program and Villanova’s are many, but the difference Saturday was best encapsulated by one player’s story: Villanova’s backup quarterback turned emergency punter, Connor Watkins.
Watkins usually spends his Saturdays on the sideline, helping the team however he can, yet he rarely sees the field until victory is no longer in doubt. Saturday was a marked difference from the norm for Watkins, as he was one of the busiest players on the Villanova sideline, forced into emergency action after the team’s punter, senior Nathan Fondacaro, was ruled out of the game with a non-COVID related illness. Backup kicker sophomore Will Bartel has done little punting, so instead of throwing Bartel into the fire, Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante chose to turn to his backup quarterback to handle the job in front of 105,000 people, against one of the best teams in the country."
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