Blue White Illustrated

GAME GRADES QUARTERBACK Trace McSorley had another up-and-down game. In the first half, it was clear that he was un- comfortable in the pocket, which ulti- mately led to some knocked down passes and forced throws. He loosened up a bit as the game went on, but it was- n't until the final two minutes that he put together a complete drive. Overall, it was an average, at best, performance for McSorley, but the clutch play late in the game moves him up a bit. GRADEB- RUNNING BACKThis was a prime time, nationally televised game, so it was clear from the start that the staff was going to showcase Saquon Barkley. He rose to the occasion, racking up a Penn State-record 358 all-purpose yards. If Barkley can put together just one or two similar performances in the next eight games, he should all but as- sure himself a seat at the Heisman cer- emony in December. GRADEA RECEIVERThe entire unit struggled to create separation, but when it was all on the line, both Saeed Blacknall and Juwan Johnson came up with huge receptions. GRADEB OFFENSIVE LINEThe O-line will catch a lot of flak from fans this week, but most of that pressure all came from the right tackle spot. Andrew Nelson looked rusty, while Will Fries was forced into a tough position. Chasz Wright was sorely missed GRADEC DEFENSIVE LINERemember last week, when people were questioning Penn State's depth and talent along the de- fensive front? Well, you're not going to find too many fans questioning their potential now, as Sean Spencer's unit put together one of the most complete D-line performances that we've seen in the post-Paterno era. GRADEA LINEBACKERSAkrum Wadley had less than 50 yards rushing up until Iowa's final play on offense. A big part of that was due to the aggressive play from the linebackers. However, their miscom- munication on Iowa's final score could have cost this team dearly. That was a big mistake that requires a hefty penalty. GRADEC DEFENSIVE BACKSPenalties were an issue throughout the night, although one or two of those calls were ques- tionable. Overall, Nate Stanley didn't challenge the secondary all that much, and that may be the reason why this performance feels average to above av- erage, at most. A turnover or two could have really changed the makeup of this game. GRADEB- SPECIAL TEAMSThe Nittany Lions have put together some excellent cov- erage teams this year, but punter Blake Gillikin has proven to be a major weapon all on his own. However, Tyler Davis' stock has fallen a bit, as he missed a field goal attempt for the sec- ond week in a row. He then had a very makeable 31-yard kick blocked with less than three minutes left in the game. GRADEC COACHESJoe Moorhead has been an excellent play-caller throughout his short career at Penn State, but there were definitely some questionable calls. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Brent Pry put together an aggressive and effective game plan that worked almost to perfection on all but one or two drives on the evening. C for Moorhead, A for Pry. GRADEB S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M 6 R Y A N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . c O M Sizing up the Nittany Lions' performance in their narrow escape at Iowa McSorley strug- gled at times but came through on Penn State's final drive. Barkley was spectacular throughout the evening, rushing for 211 yards. Photo by Steve Manuel

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