Blue White Illustrated

S E P T E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M 3 against one of the country's most ball- hawking defenses. THE BAD • Two disastrous kickoffs hurt the Nit- tany Lions badly. App State didn't even need to run an offensive play to even the score at 7-7. Mountaineers return man Darrynton Evans was barely touched on Penn State's first kickoff of the season, and his 100- yard touchdown set an ominous tone. With all the upheaval on defense due to graduation and other forms of attrition, the Nittany Lions can ill-afford to give up touchdowns in the kicking game. In the fourth quarter, App State caught the Lions flat-footed on an onside kick. That one led to a touchdown that tied the score at 31-31. "We typically have been pretty good [on special teams], but obviously we weren't" against App State, Franklin said. "The onside kick was a huge play in a game. And the kickoff return early in the game swung momentum back in their direction." • It was no surprise that Appalachian State enjoyed some success against a Penn State defense that has had to re- place nine starters from last year. But even so, few would have expected the Mountaineers to outgain the Lions 451 yards to 434. "I think our inexperience showed up a few times," Franklin said. "We did not play the way we are capable of playing." LOOKING AHEAD That trip to Pitt this coming week is cer- tainly looking a bit more ominous than it did previously. As expected, the Panthers warmed up for their week two matchup against Penn State by thrashing Albany, 33-7, in their opener at Heinz Field. Pitt rushed for 238 yards and took a kickoff back for a touchdown. Run defense and kickoff coverage were not areas in which Penn State excelled against App State, so while Franklin encouraged his players to celebrate their victory on opening day, he was also mindful of the big picture. Said the coach, "We've got a lot of things that we've got to get cleaned up and get cor- rected before our next game." A NEW WAY TO ACCESS POSTGAME COVERAGE Starting with the Appalachian State game, Blue White Illustrated's postgame cov- erage will be available via bwi.rivals.com. All of our game stories, including the story above on Saturday's overtime victory over Appalachian State, can now be ac- cessed from the website. The change in format allows us to bring readers more gameday coverage than ever before: game recaps, player features, notebooks, high- lights and lowlights, game grades and recruiting news. To find BWI's postgame cov- erage, visit the link below: https://bwi.rivals.com For a complete statistical recap of the game, visit the following link: https://gopsusports.com/documents/2018/9/1//psuapp.pdf Slade, a true fresh- man making his Penn State debut, had a 27-yard touchdown run that gave the Lions a 24- 10 lead in the third quarter. Photo by Steve Manuel

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