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STRONG START GAME GRADES QUARTERBACKS Christian Hackenberg com- Christian Hackenberg makes big debut for PSU NAT E   BAU E R | NBAUER@BLUEWHITEONLINE.cOM pleted 22 of 31 attempts, which was good enough for 278 yards and a couple touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, but a few mistakes were to be expected. GRADE B RUNNING BACKS Zach Zwinak was outstand- EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Thousands of Penn State fans were on hand at MetLife Stadium to witness its official start, but at 3:36 p.m., the Christian Hackenberg era began with something slightly less auspicious – a false start penalty. Hackenberg was only the third true freshman in Penn State history to open the season as the team's starting quarterback, following in the footsteps of Eugene "Shorty" Miller in 1910 and Rob Bolden in 2010. The penalty at the very start of the game cost the Nittany Lions 5 yards, but Hackenberg, the consensus No. 1 passer in the Class of 2013, shrugged it off. He then took the ensuing snap and delivered a screen pass to Zach Zwinak in the flat. Said Hackenberg, "[As a] freshman coming in, the first snap was always big for me, but once I got that out of the way and started getting more completions under my belt, the team started moving the ball, and I definitely felt more comfortable. " Hackenberg went on to complete his next five passes, and by game's end, he had connected on 22 of 31 pass attempts for 278 yards, two touchdowns of more than 50 yards, and two interceptions. His yardage total was the third-highest for a freshman in Penn State history, and with the effort, he quickly established himself as the 27th quarterback in school history to throw for more than 200 yards in a game. Not bad for an 18-year-old kid, said Bill O'Brien. But the second-year head coach also injected a note of caution into his postgame remarks. "He's a very poised kid," O'Brien said. "He's a young guy, he's only 18. He's got a tremendous future, but we're not ready to waltz him into the College Football Hall of Fame or certainly the NFL Hall of Fame. A U G U S T ing in the first half, but the entire rushing attack fizzled in the second. Bill Belton had one good run, but otherwise did a lot of spinning and juking without GRADE C+ advancing the ball. RECEIVERS The pass catchers got off to a slow start, but when Allen Robinson returned in the second half, this position unit took off. GRADE B+ OFFENSIVE LINE The line began the game with an energetic burst but slowed down by the beginning of the second quarter. GRADE BDEFENSIVE LINE After giving up a couple big runs early, the line clamped down at the end of second half and continued to improve as the game went on. GRADE A- Steve Manuel POINTING THE WAY Hackenberg completed 22 LINEBACKERS This unit gets bonus points because of its newest, unofficial member: Stephen Obeng-Agyapong. The linebacker/safety made plays all over the field. GRADE A of 31 attempts in his first college game. DEFENSIVE BACKS Safety Malcolm Willis "We're just saying, Look, the guy is a talented guy. He's got a long way to go. It's one game. He made some nice throws, he made some mistakes. I made some bad play calls, put him in some bad situations. We'll just keep learning from each other. He's a fun guy to coach. " If Hackenberg's postgame comments are any indication of his maturity level, he could be fun for his teammates to play with, too. Hackenberg praised his teammates for helping ease his transition and consistently put their efforts ahead of his own. He also said he was gratified to be given the opportunity to try and make things happen on the field even though he was playing in his first college game. "It's great to know they have that confidence," he said. "It always helps to know the staff is behind you and what you can do and to also have the team understand that I can make a play. " 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 6 missed an interception on Syracuse's opening drive and was later burnt on a 55-yard pass. Otherwise the secondary was formidable. GRADE B+ SPECIAL TEAMS Holder Ryan Keiser barrelled his way to a first down on a fake field goal attempt in the second quarter, and kicker Sam Ficken converted 3 of 3 field goals, including a career-long 46yarder. GRADE A COACHES O'Brien admitted to a few mis- takes, like asking Hackenberg to throw the ball on third-and-11 late in the third quarter – a pass that resulted in an interception. Also, why didn't Akeel Lynch get any carries? He might have provided GRADE B a change of pace. CROWD The estimated attendance – 61,202 – seemed a little high. But about two-thirds of the stadium was filled with Penn State fans, and they were at their loudest when it was a one-possession game with just a few minutes to GRADE Bplay. Props to them. B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M

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