Can this Penn State football defense get any better? Our grades vs. UMass
STATE COLLEGE − The warmup to next weekend's national showdown went as expected for this Penn State football team.
It dominated with his NCAA-leading defense.
It broke a school record with its special teams.
And, once again, it mauled an opponent with clock-controlling offense, even if that didn't always look particularly pretty, once more, in Saturday's cold rain.
The Nittany Lions' 63-0 steady deluge over the Massachusetts Minutemen in Beaver Stadium seemed to accomplish all potential chores.
Here are the grades for the now 6-0 Lions before their trip to meet the Ohio State Buckeyes:
Offense: B
Drew Allar looked as poised, confident and mistake-free, as always. He even opened things up a bit with downfiled throws against a defense-averse UMass team.
The return of No. 2 wideout Tre Wallace helped (three catches, 44 yards). But he also finally got ultra-talented tight end Theo Johnson in space (four catches, 66 yads, 2 TDs), no better than on a wide-open, 30-yard catch-and-run early in the second half.
The stuffy run game? Still no breakaways (longest run was 18 yards), but dual threats Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton continued to run hard and determined and have beaten down much stronger fronts.
Defense: A
A group really can't do much more.
They assaulted UMass QB Taisun Phommachanh from the beginning, never relenting. He was 6-of-14 passing for 25 yards − game over.
Without their big-play pass game, the Minutemen didn't stand a chance. The Lions piled up 14 tackles for loss, six sacks deep into the fourth quarter and yielded just 64 total yards.
A stunning, driven performance led by edge rushing Adisa Isaac (3.5 tackles for loss) and tackle Dvon Ellies (2.5 TFLs).
Cornerback Cam Miller even registered a couple of sacks on blitzes. A deep, deep group indeed that appears to be hitting its stride at the right time.
Special teams: A-
You break records, you deserve the best grade possible.
Kudos to you, Daequan Hardy, for returning two of your first three punt returns for touchdowns.
Punter Riley Thompson also was clutch on his one punt attempt, downed on the 10-yard line.
Coaching: A-
Job well done having your team motivated and focused against a non-Power 5 opponent following a bye week.
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The Lions didn't look as if they were looking past this rainy day to get to Ohio State. That will come soon enough. Rather, the defense attacked in waves and suffocated as expected, in all means.
They substituted liberally and appear to have the most well-tuned team possible for their biggest games to come.
Overall: A-
An impressive effort with this team seemingly gaining bits of traction each week.
Two weeks ago, defensive tackle Zane Durant and Cozziah Izzard flashed inside. Against UMass, punt returner Daequan Hardy starred and two more linemen (Isaac and Ellies) owned career-type days.
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Wallace's return bodes well.
A warning, though, headed to Columbus: This improved offensive line seems much more equipped at pass blocking. Can Singleton and Allen create enough of their own yards going forward to keep this offense balanced?
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football report card: Drew Allar, Daequan Hardy vs. UMass
