The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Reviewing Penn State football’s 63-0 win over UMass

When Daequan Hardy caught his first punt return Saturday against UMass, he brought the ball in and immediately shook two defenders, leaving them in the dust and giving himself an opportunity to make something happen for Penn State.

The Nittany Lion cornerback said he just kept running once he got beyond the first line of Minutemen, and realized he had an opportunity to score.

That in its own right is impressive, but even more impressive was the second punt return touchdown he had in the third quarter to become the first player in Penn State history to return two punt return touchdowns in a game.

“We wanted to get him some opportunities and some reps and obviously he did a did a phenomenal job,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “So, we got two guys we feel like we can win with but he obviously showed tonight that he could be special.”

Hardy’s performance capped off an all-around team performance in the Nittany Lions’ 63-0 win. He’s the team’s starting nickel cornerback, playing with the physicality of a safety out of the slot to stifle opposing tight ends, running backs and receivers.

His versatility and ability to contribute in multiple facets of the game could be impactful for the team as it heads into the most difficult part of its schedule.

“We started playing him a little bit more corner now and he showed the ability to do that, nickel and corner,” Franklin said. “And then on top of that now, you know on special teams and a lot of different roles now specifically as a returner. This is going to change things for us. This is going to create issues for people that are evaluating those on film and something that’s going to cause them to kind of think about how they’re going to defend him. Guys that can make big plays and be explosive and protect the football are valuable and he’s done a phenomenal job for us, and I’m not surprised. This is kind of who he’s been.”

Good

Daequan Hardy: Well, he earned the intro so I may as well start with him. Daequan Hardy is a high level slot cornerback who has played at an elite level in that regard since he returned after missing the first two games for undisclosed reasons. That week he made an elite play, intercepting a pass on a play where Illinois targeted him in a one-on-one situation. Now, he’s proving to be a weapon on special teams.

He was able to shake defenders on both punt return touchdowns Saturday and showed off the type of long speed that all of the best returners possess. While Kaden Saunders has done a very good job as a returner, it seems Hardy should be the guy in that spot moving forward.

Kaytron Allen: I was a firm believer heading into this season that Nick Singleton was Penn State’s best running back. Six weeks into the year, I’ve been proven wrong. Kaytron Allen is the more decisive of the two running backs and that’s brought more value than I anticipated to this offense. Singleton has struggled to break off the signature big gains he did last year and is not getting downhill as efficiently as Allen. Allen is also the better receiver of the two and the better pass blocker, giving him the versatility to be in the game in more situations.

It’s no guarantee that this is the case at the end of the year, but right now Allen should be getting 65% of the team’s carries.

Harrison Wallace III: Penn State hasn’t had Harrison Wallace III at full strength since the Delaware game due to an undisclosed injury, and Saturday night he showed why he’s so valuable. Wallace’s return wasn’t necessarily about what he was able to do, but it was about what he opened up for the rest of the offense. His involvement in routes across the middle opened everything up for KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who wasn’t relied upon as the team’s only consistent target. Penn State was able to have two receivers on the field who had sophomore quarterback Drew Allar’s trust, and it made everything more available to the offense.

It should be no surprise that tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren found themselves open more with Wallace attracting more attention than the team’s other receivers.

Pass rush: There isn’t a better pass rush in the country. If Penn State wins against Ohio State next week (it should, by the way), I’m willing to bet it’s in part because the team’s pass rushers ruin the game for the Buckeye offense. Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac and Dani Dennis-Sutton combined for five of the team’s seven sacks and are all elite off the edge. It was obvious early on that UMass’ offensive tackles wouldn’t stand a chance and the Penn State edge rushers dominated from the outset of the action.

This may as well be a permanent spot for the pass rush in the “good” section because it’s impacting the game every week. That’s not going to change any time soon.

Bad

The UMass defense: I had watched the Minutemen play going into Saturday evening, and knew this was one of the worst defenses in college football, but this was bad. Really bad. Head coach Don Brown is a defensive-minded coach who’s known for his unorthodox style, but right now it’s clearly not working at UMass. The unit was able to force a fumble (more luck than anything) and a punt on the first two drives and then got destroyed the rest of the game. One of Theo Johnson’s touchdown’s was so wide open that it seemed like even he was surprised after he walked in for the score.

This is the worst defense Penn State has on the schedule, and yes, the Nittany Lions did play an FCS team in Delaware. This group was somehow worse than that one.

Offenses’ chances of scoring on Penn State: Yes, more talk about the Penn State defense. The James Franklin era with the Nittany Lions has been defined by elite defense and elite offensive weapons for the most part, and this might be the best defense he’s had in his tenure. The back four is dominant, with two corners that can lock down very good receivers. The pass rush wrecks the game every single week and now the linebackers have begun to make even more plays in the middle of the defense.

This might seem repetitive, but I don’t think many teams will be able to sniff 20 points against this unit. I’m starting to think next week’s matchup with the Buckeyes is going to be much more low scoring than anticipated.

Ugly

The weather: You know it’s a good week when I’m bringing up the weather. You could say Penn State’s slow offensive start was ugly but it was really about two mistakes that caused the whole thing. Instead, I will complain about the rain. The weather has been great all week in State College, but Saturday comes and suddenly it’s raining and cold all day. That led to a lessened environment and a little bit sloppier of a game. That being said, Penn State fans deserve credit because it was still a relatively full crowd despite the miserable conditions.