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Well, the stripe-out was pretty cool, right? Except for this:
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Not only the Rutgers fans up there but I'm not sure some of those people know what constitutes a stripe.
Also, in case anyone was wondering where Penn State fans get their(sometimes undeserved) poor reputation:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Seen at a Penn St tailgate. As usual I can't read the jersey numbers for Rutgers. <a href="http://t.co/DUE9A6IIb7">pic.twitter.com/DUE9A6IIb7</a></p>— Adam Helfgott (@AdamHache) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamHache/status/645357045068247040">September 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Can't forget the tweet of the night!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It was time, <a href="https://twitter.com/StevePoliti">@StevePoliti</a>. <a href="http://t.co/6toTYYxz2k">pic.twitter.com/6toTYYxz2k</a></p>— Adam Mumma (@AdamMumma89) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamMumma89/status/645413814956126208">September 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Now, unfortunately, on to the game :(
Penn State Notes
Saquan Barkley Judas is a stud
It pains me to say this, but the former Rutgers commit is a baller. He flashes shades of Dion Lewis, yet another freshman HB to shred Rutgers. Barkley made some really great cuts and was carving his way through the Rutgers defense. He will be a problem.
What the hell do NFL scouts see in Christian Hackenberg?
He just isn't that good. He put up a poor stat line against the worst secondary in the conference. He completed mainly bubble screens and most of his yardage came on massive YAC on a slant route. His interception actually served as a really good punt but was also a poor throw and a bad choice unless he was trying to throw a pick. The O-Line surprisingly kept him clean, and I am shocked he didn't make the most of that.
Their Special Teams is elite
Maybe the best thing that Penn State did was containing Janarion Grant in the kicking game. Their punter consistently pinned him deep and their coverage was always right in Grant's face whenever he caught a punt. Joey Julius is quickly evolving into America's favorite kicker and was great in his role as a kickoff specialist.
Rutgers notes
This team does not look talented
Rutgers got dominated in the trenches and Penn State had a field day running the football. Rutgers couldn't do anything in the running game and Chris Laviano looked like 2014 Chris Laviano. Paul James is clearly not the same player he used to be. Darius Hamilton is clearly not close to being 100%. The secondary is the Rutgers secondary. Nothing new there.
#FREEHAYDENF***INGRETTIG
Paging Norries Wilson, A.K.A. "Daddy"? Have some stones, bro! Everyone is calling for it. Laviano played ugly and threw a very very bad interception. If Kyle Flood won't do it, Wilson needs to. This team's only chance of salvaging this season is changing it up at the game's most important position.
What happened to the D-Line?
This unit was supposed to be the strength of the team. With Darius Hamilton back, these guys had their leader injecting them with energy and motivation. They failed to respond. The defensive line was absolutely dominated by an offensive line that was considered high school level only two weeks ago. It wasn't just the passing game , however, as the Penn State "big uglies" paved the way for 300+ rushing yards. What a bad night for these guys
Position Grades
QB: C-
HB: C+
TE: B-
WR: B+
OL: D
DL: F
LB: B
CB: B+
S: B-
Players of the Game (Rutgers Only)
Kaiwan Lewis
Lewis was one of the lone bright spots on the team. He was always around the ball and made plenty of tackles. His SEC experience is really showing. He could be the middle staple of what could be a really special linebacking group.
Carlton Agudosi
Despite his late and quite frankly irrelevant fumble, Agudosi had a very strong game. He had career highs in receptions and yards (5 catches for 58 yards). Somehow, Chris Laviano managed to overthrow his 6'6" frame multiple times. However, Agudosi has finally showed what all the coaches have been raving about.
The Corners
Finally, the cornerbacks showed their raw talent. They figured out Penn State's game plan in the passing game and did a great job of limiting the bubble screens and big plays. The lone big play came on a slant route when there was no safety help and the receiver hit the hole with great acceleration.