The much-anticipated Penn State football season is finally here, and I don’t know about y’all, but I had a blast watching this game and then rewatching this game for this article. Let’s get into it, folks.
1. A few things were important about Saturday.
2. Come away with the win. Look as good as possible of course, but winning was the most important.
3. Get out of the game as healthy as possible. Unless there’s a secret injury that happened that we aren’t aware of, it seems like Penn State is as healthy after the game as it was going into the game.
4. Your star players should look like they are above the Nevadas of the world. By and large, I think the DudesTM for Penn State looked like DudesTM.
5. Let’s start with our BSD MVP, Dani Dennis-Sutton. Not to say I was lower on DDS than the consensus coming into the season, but I wasn’t sure if he was going to necessarily take his game to another level. I thought who he was in 2024 — 8.5 sacks and 13 TFLs — might be the peak for DDS at the college level. Which, hey, is a really good player and possibly a first round pick. I just wasn’t sure if he was “next up” in the Abdul Carter, Tamba Hali, Courtney Brown sense at defensive end.
6. His first test though, he passed with flying colors. The forced fumbles, sacks, and TFLs will get the headlines, and rightfully so, but I thought his impact was felt on just about every snap he played. Not to compare him to Saquon Barkley, but in the same way that teams *felt* Saquon regardless of if he got the ball or not, that’s how DDS felt to me pre-snap. Just someone who is an absolute terror and needs to be identified specifically.
7. I thought it was a really nice day for the defensive line as a whole. In the trenches is where the really good programs usually have a significant advantage over the not-so-good programs, and that was certainly the case for Penn State against Nevada on Saturday.
8. If we’re keeping track of “Young DTs” (Xavier Gilliam, Tyriq Blanding, Owen Wafle, Liam Andrews, etc.) versus the “Young DEs” (Chaz Coleman, Jaylen Harvey, Mylachi Williams, etc.), I’d give the edge to the Young DTs for game one.
9. Just given the buzz around the program, I think we all expected Gilliam to be solid, but I thought Blanding was right there as someone who could provide real snaps at defensive tackle. If Alonzo Ford can stay healthy, Zane Durant with Ford, Gilliam, and Blanding is pretty damn good.
10. I thought the Young DEs looked like, well, young defensive ends. Chaz Coleman flashed his athleticism and twitch, but the rawness sticks out as he wasn’t able to finish any plays. Similarly, I thought Jaylen Harvey looked a bit disoriented at times, maybe thinking more than reacting and just playing. Next two games will be big for those guys with Zuriah Fisher battling an injury that kept him out against the Wolf Pack.
11. How did I make it this long without talking about the wide receivers? I know this sounds like hyperbole, but watching Kyron Hudson and Trebor Pena play wide receiver for Penn State felt like a religious experience. Hudson on the comeback route, AMEN! Pena on a crosser, HALLELUJAH! I was citing Bible passages I didn’t even knew existed by the third quarter.
12. Hudson had six receptions and Pena had seven. Do you know how many Penn State receivers had at least six receptions in a game last season?
15. Liam Clifford? Six crisp blocks, but no, not six receptions.
16. It was NONE. And we got two that did it in game one.
17. Now was I on here after the West Virginia game last year perhaps asking if maybe Trey Wallace could be a bonafide WR1? Possibly. Should I learn from that experience and not get too hyped on Hudson and Pena? Potentially. Will I? No. Move along if you want measured takes, I am fully converted to Hudsonpenaolicism.
18. Personally, I would have preferred for Nicholas Singleton to average more than 2.4 yards-per-carry, but I also am not concerned at all. First game of the season, not everyone can go off.
19. Kaytron Allen still looked like Kaytron Allen, which is a good thing for the Nittany Lions.
20. I would like for Penn State to throw more inside the red zone and specifically inside the 10. I am confident of the running game with Singleton and Kaytron when they are in close. What I want to see more of is Allar threading throws into smaller needles, whether it’s to wideouts, tight ends, or even the running backs.
21. Like at some point this season it’s going to be third and goal from the four against a really good team in a big spot, and they will need Drew Allar and the passing game to get it done. I think Nevada (and FIU and Villanova) is a nice time to do that, but perhaps Andy Kotelnicki just wants to keep everything close to the vest.
22. Speaking of Allar, nice game. His is still a very good QB, and I thought he did a better job with his footwork and using his bottom half to actually step into throws more consistently.
23. In previous years, that is a throw his lower half probably isn’t in sync with his upper half and then the ball either ends up with too much air underneath or it’s not accurate enough. So little things like that, good to see he’s still improving.
24. Was fun to see Arch Manning struggle in the Horseshoe against Ohio State. Who would have thought even the most talented of quarterbacks aren’t going to look so hot against the very best defenses?
25. Audavion Collins going from No. 29 to No. 2 is like taking steroids for his aura.
26. Got to see some Kolin Dinkins at the nickel spot and I’d really like to hear why he was a walk-on coming out of high school. Played at a good WPIAL school in North Alleghany. His brother, Khalil, was obviously a highly-touted enough of a prospect to end up at Penn State. His dad played in the NFL for nine seasons. Size/length was there at 6-foot-0. But yet, chose a preferred walk-on spot in Happy Valley over his only offer: Robert Morris. Really, Bob Morris was the only school? Not the plethora of MAC schools? Not Temple, Delaware, or even Villanova? Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse? Just crazy because he was one who shouldn’t have slipped through the cracks, but hey, happy to have him here.
27. I once compared Andrew Rappleyea to Brock Bowers. Provided health is on his side the rest of his career, my super power is that I still believe Rappleyea is the best tight end on the team. He had the leg sleeve on his right leg as he works himself back 100% from injury, but this play highlights the power and twitch that made me AND STILL makes me excited.
28. Nevada’s offense was so overwhelmed by the defensive line, it’s tough to grade some of the other positions/players, but I thought Amare Campbell’s athleticism popped. Not that he’s NaVorro Bowman out there, but he fits athletically with the defense.
29. Brad Nessler thinking it was Khalil Dinkins and not King Mack on the kick return is something, man. Nessler is usually great and I understand mistakes can happen, but you gotta know it’s the 5-foot-10, 187-pound defensive back returning kicks and not the 6-foot-4, 251-pound tight end.
30. I think I enjoy CBS’s broadcast the most out of them, FOX, and NBC. They all love commercials for sure though.
31. Semi-hot take here? I don’t particularly that Penn State doesn’t have a “marquee” out-of-conference matchup. I think in a perfect world I’d switch Villanova for like Virginia or NC State to get a fake “Power Four” win, but I like opening the season with a glorified scrimmage.
32. Last thought isn’t so much a thought as much as it is a reminder. We had beautiful late summer/early fall weather on Saturday, Penn State is ranked No. 2 in the country, and they beat the hell out of some Mountain West team. Let’s enjoy these Saturdays, and every one that comes next.
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