All Penn State

The Penn State-Purdue Report Card

Grading the Lions after their 35-31 win over the Boilermakers in a manic Big Ten opener.

Mark Wogenrich

In this story:

On his celebratory lap to the locker room, Penn State coach James Franklin paused for a moment with men's basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry. The former Purdue assistant, who worked not far from Ross-Ade Stadium, gave Franklin a big hug and bigger smile.

Penn State rallied from three deficits, including one in the game's final minute, to escape West Lafayette with a 35-31 win over the Boilermakers. It was a big, beautiful, sloppy mess of a Big Ten opener, one that included seven lead changes, 832 yards of total offense, five second-half touchdowns and an interception return for a touchdown that has been dubbed the "puke six."

From Penn State's perspective, a masterful game in many ways nearly came undone in the fourth quarter after quarterback Sean Clifford threw that pick-six, the first of his career. Then Clifford, fighting what Franklin called cramps, orchestrated an expert 2-minute drill that culminated with Keyvone Lee's game-winning touchdown catch with 57 seconds remaining.

Opening-day report cards often trend excessively toward the positive or negative, particularly in games of this magnitude. So we'll try to remain measured while grading the Lions after their 35-31 win over Purdue.

OFFENSE: B-

The Lions did not fare well in a few advanced stats. Their rushing success rate (the percentage of successful run plays based on down and distance) was 29 percent. Forty percent or lower is considered below average. Their total offensive success rate was only marginally better (30 percent).

Further, Penn State's run game averaged 3.1 yards per carry (sacks included), below last year's season average of 3.2 ypc. The longest rush was 12 yards, the Lions dropped three passes and Clifford threw the program's first pick-six since 2018.

However...

After getting an IV (and nearly needing another) Clifford completed 6 of 7 passes on Penn State's game-winning drive. New receiver Mitchell Tinsley was among the most polished players on the field, catching seven passes for 84 yards and a score.

Freshman backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for 53 yards, with both having some lively moments. And Brenton Strange, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Tyler Warren and Devyn Ford made timely plays.

The offensive line remains a perpetual work in progress, and the explosive run plays Franklin expected never materialized. Yet the Lions scored 35 points on the road in a Big Ten game against a team that did not allow more than 30 at home last season. All things considered, a good start.

Penn State receiver Mitchell Tinsley
Penn State receiver Mitchell Tinsley caught a team-high seven passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 35-31 win over Purdue :: Alex Martin/USA Today Sports Network

DEFENSE: B-

Coordinator Manny Diaz will bring a flash drive filled with mistakes to his next defensive meeting. The Lions gave up 426 total yards, 356 in the air, and committed three pass-interference penalties. Their high-profile secondary got caught out of position on several occasions, and the defensive line mustered little pass rush until Chop Robinson forced an incompletion on the game's final play.

And of course, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. dropped a first-quarter interception that he could have turned into a touchdown.

Again, however...

Safety Zakee Wheatley forced a momentum-shifting fumble that Porter recovered and Penn State turned into points before halftime. After giving up two third-quarter scores, Penn State's defensive stopped Purdue on five consecutive drives (with the help of some penalties and coach Jeff Brohm's clock management). The Lions broke up 10 passes, three each by Porter and safety Keaton Ellis. Cornerbacks Johnny Dixon and Daequan Hardy made huge third-down breakups in the fourth quarter, contributing to quarterback Aidan O'Connell's 50-percent completion rate. O'Connell completed 71.8 percent of his passes last season.

Diaz played an astonishing 23 players in the game, including a bunch of linebackers after freshman Abdul Carter was ejected for targeting following his first college play. There's promise here that withstood a first-game onslaught well.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Barney Amor had not punted since November 2019, when he played for Colgate in a game against Lafayette. His Penn State debut could not have gone much better: Amor averaged 46.9 yards on eight attempts, put two inside the 20 and should have had a third downed at the 2-yard line (it was muffed into the end zone).

Parker Washington demonstrated some moxie on a punt return, though his elbow was ruled down, and Singleton actually had 64 yards in kick returns. A fourth-quarter coverage penalty forced Penn State to start a drive inside its 10-yard line, and the Lions didn't attempt a field goal. Amor was the night's special teams revelation.

COACHING: B

Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich played Establish the Run almost obsessively to start the game, perhaps to give their line a chance to quiet its critics. That goal lingers, though the line protected Clifford well.

Meanwhile, Diaz called a bunch of blitzes, to which O'Connell responded with a few big plays. So there's room for improvement.

Yet Yurcich made a cagey fourth-down call in the first half, giving Clifford a play-action toss to Ford that both handled expertly. Franklin and Yurcich went for Purdue's throat after getting a late first-half turnover, which Strange turned into a touchdown. And that 2-minute drive was among Penn State's best in years, demonstrating a level of preparation born from practice.

In the end, Franklin and his staff outcoached Brohm and his.

OVERALL: B

Winning, especially so dramatically, masks mistakes and makes everyone happier to correct them. The Lions now get a few bonus days to work on their issues before hosting Ohio and heading to Auburn.

Read More

What we learned from Penn State's 35-31 win over Purdue

Penn State asked celebrating fans to disperse or face potential arrest

The 7 key story lines that will decide Penn State's season

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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