Penn State upset by Illinois 20-18 in 9OT

Penn State has been upset by Illinois 20-18 in 9OT in a game where both sides struggled.

James Franklin made Sean Clifford the starter last minute and the offense struggled to get it going.

The offense as a whole just wasn’t clicking today. There were flashes of the passing game, including some impressive catches by Jahan Dotson and their first six points scored by wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. However, the run game continued to struggle and they were eaten alive by the Illinois defense.

As mentioned, Penn State had been rotating backup quarterbacks all week in wake of Clifford’s injury.

The game started with a lot of the run game, almost trying to be conservative of Clifford’s health.

Speaking of Clifford, he just wasn’t on his game today. There were plays where he tried to do too much and there were overthrown passes for a good amount of the game.

Penn State’s defense made Illinois running back Chase Brown look spectacular today. Brown had two nice runs on the left side to start the game.

Illinois’ offense had two big plays called back from penalties while Penn State had a big fumble recovery touchdown called back early in the game on a questionable call.

Penn State’s defense showed flashes, but this was not their best game.

Penn State heads to Columbus next weekend to take on Ohio State. The buckeyes aren’t as strong as they used to be, and they are a beatable team. However, Penn State needs to play lights out in every aspect of their game. This will be their biggest challenge yet.

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