What we learned: QBs surge, defense toughens in Penn State football's crushing Delaware
STATE COLLEGE — At every turn, Penn State football running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton were breaking through some type of tackle attempt.
They looked like Electric Football runners, buzzing through scrimmage, appearing through a scrum of defenders for extra yards.
It went like this over and again Saturday in Beaver Stadium against the talented, spirited but, alas, overwhelmed Delaware Blue Hens.
It was a numbing performance on the ground, through the air and even on defense for the 2-0 Nittany Lions, still waiting for a chance to truly prove themselves and rise in the national polls.
Never, through three quarters, did a Penn State player break a truly big play. Not a single long-haul run or reception or turnover return. Heck, the longest run came from backup quarterback Beau Pribula, for 18 yards.
The Lions simply clawed the Hens to death, methodically.
Here are three things we learned from Penn State's 63-7 victory:
Penn State football tailbacks impressive without big yards
Allen and Singleton surely will get their breakaway runs and 100-yard games to come.
They're too talented not to.
And the 225-pound Allen, in particular, looks to be running even more powerfully through scrimmage than when he impressed as a true freshman a year ago.
Both have routinely broken through initial contact in these opening two victories. Allen ran 19 times against Delaware for 103 yards (5.4-yards per carry).
Singleton added 47 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. He also turned his only pass target into an 18-yard completion.
Lions defense hits big (Abdul Carter, Zane Durant)
The Beaver Stadium crowd groaned with the Blue Hens' Marcus Yarns sprinted through a huge hole in the left side of the line and never stopped.
A 66-yard touchdown only heightened the concern about this ultra-hyped defense: Are they really as good as advertised?
Finally, after that breakaway run cut the Lions' lead to 14-7, this defense seemed to regroup and find its footing again. Actually, it was more like would it ever dominate a weaker opponent as expected?
They did, led by defensive tackle Zane Durant (4 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, sack) and star linebacker Abdul Carter (4 tackles, 3 solo). Carter was mostly missing in action last week vs. West Virginia, making only a fourth-quarter tackle behind scrimage.
Later, the Lions forced their first two turnovers of the season. One came on a hard hit by safety Keaton Ellis, the loose ball recovered by KJ Winston.
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A few minutes later, backup linebacker and captain Dom DeLuca picked off a pass and returned it 26 yards for the score.
Granted, this was an FCS opponent this defense was manhandling in the striking heat and humidity. Still, holding it to 132 yards of total offense (66 of them coming on one TD run) is impressive in its own right.
Quarterbacks Drew Allar, Beau Pribula improving
Its one thing for star-in-the-making Drew Allar to fare well against an overmanned defense like Delaware.
Rather, it was the way he went about cutting up the Blue Hens' defense that impressed for his second college start: He put on surgical passing performance, going 22-of-26 passing for 207 yards, throwing for one touchdown and running for another.
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He completed passes to eight different receivers for a second-straight game. And he looked sharp and effortless making his decisions and throws.
Meanwhile, the Lions continued to build critical depth with extended work for redshirt freshman Beau Pribula. After getting one touchdown drive last week, Pribula managed much of the second half against Delaware. He completed 3 of his 5 passes for 22 yards and a score.
He also ran well, displaying impressive acceleration and speed. He ran eight times for 46 yards and another score.
Both quarterbacks protected the ball and did not turn it over for a second-straight week.
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 Twitter @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football: Drew Allar, Beau Pribula beat Delaware
