Penn State Needs the Full 60 to Take Care of FIU 34-0 | Game balls, MVP

Is there a memory loss epidemic in this country?

Just wondering, because I can’t figure out why the same questions are being asked about this Penn State Football team, a team that’s ranked No. 2 in the country, and just gave up, wait let me check the math again, um, ok zero plus zero, carry the zero, then bring the zero down, and, wait, forgot the decimal point after the zero, ok, zero points to FIU Saturday.  That’s called a shutout.

For any defense, you can’t have a better day than that.  You did your job.

Remember, it doesn’t matter what the making of the sausage looks like in Division-1 football, same goes for the pros.

A football season at both levels is about three words: survive and advance.

Does it look better when you drop 70 on Grambling in Columbus or 69 on Oklahoma State in Eugene? Perhaps, but looks mean squa-doosh in college football now that there is a playoff system in place.

The last time I checked, the Lions, a team that got off to plenty a-slow start last year, came within an ill-advised throw from Drew Allar in the final minute of the semifinal game, with the right to play for a national championship on the line, last January.

Everyone needs to relax.

I can only imagine what the “experts” and pundits are going to say if the Nittany Lions don’t drop half a hundred on Villanova next week – and I’m pretty sure Jalen Brunson doesn’t have any eligibility left.

So, take some deep breaths, Happy Valley, and stop ruminating about how yesterday’s performance against FIU would look when the Ducks come to town on September 27.

Let me help you out – one has nothing to do with the other.

Penn State Football Game Balls, MVP from 34-0 FIU Win

Game Ball No. 1 – RB Kaytron Allen

Now, as for game balls from Saturday, the first goes to Kaytron Allen, who rushed for 144 yards on 16 carries and punched one in from 67 yards out early in the fourth quarter.

Allen averaged nine yards per carry, and his counterpart, Nick Singleton, added 76 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown for a total of 209 yards and two touchdowns.  The ground game, if I was to give out a letter grade, would get an A+.

Game Ball No. 2 – LB Tony Rojas

The other game ball goes to linebacker Tony Rojas, who was all over the soggy Beaver Stadium field Saturday, racking up 10 total tackles, six solo, .5 for a loss and added two qb hurries in a shutout performance for Jim Knowles’ defense yesterday in a 34-0 win over FIU.

MVP – Jim Knowles, Defensive Coordinator

Jim Knowles has worked wonders with Penn State’s defensive line so far this season through two games.

His stars are just that, as Dani Dennis-Sutton added two more tackles for loss and Zane Durant controlled the middle against the Panthers yesterday.  Defensive tackle Alonzo Ford Jr.picked off a ball yesterday after defensive end Jaylen Harvey delivered pressure on FIU quarterback Keyonne Jenkins

Tony Rojas covered a lot of ground, and the secondary broke up three passes. Safety Zakee Wheatley stopped potential touchdowns on consecutive plays, one with an open-field tackle and the other with a breakup on a deep route. Freshman end Chaz Coleman continues to shine, as he forced a late fumble and almost made a house call.

It might have been a Conference USA opponent, but a shutout by any other name is still a shutout.

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