Penn State Football Report Card: Purdue Edition

James Franklin called the Nittany Lions' performance their best four-quarter game of the season.

Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula (9) runs the ball for a touchdown during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

No. 4 Penn State made clear Saturday that it wants to host a first-round game in the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions replaced their starters but not their conviction in a 49-10 win over the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Penn State (9-1) did not go passive against the Big Ten's lowest-ranked offense and defense, opening the game with touchdown drives of 75 and 93 yards and closing it with a touchdown pass inside the final 2 minutes up 32 points (albeit from the backup quarterback to a true freshman).

Penn State coach James Franklin called the game his team's best four-quarter performance of the season, one that includes highlights in every phase. To the report card.

OFFENSE: A

Penn State clearly knew Tyler Warren not only could get open against Purdue's defense but also outrun it. So offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki tailored the early game plan to his tight end, who responded with 190 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns and another day of versatile showmanship. Penn State couldn't control Purdue's coverage lapses but did exploit them. Warren was open often, Tre Wallace was left alone on a 46-yard touchdown catch (because a defensive back was cheating toward Warren) and the running backs caught six passes.

Aside from the touchdown pass to Wallace, quarterback Drew Allar didn't get downfield much but was precise: 17-for-19, 247 yards, three toucdowns. His back-shoulder touchdown throw to Warren was a gem. Allar also dodged two tackles (one high, one low) on a 14-yard run for a first down, demonstrating that he's pretty healthy after the Wisconsin injury. And Beau Pribula shouldn't get overlooked. He threw three touchdown passes, though only one was caught (by Luke Reynolds). The other two were gems lost by true freshman receiver Tyseer Denmark still making his way.

DEFENSE: A-

With Dani Dennis-Sutton healthy, Penn State has a playoff-caliber pair of edge rushers. He and Abdul Carter combined for four tackles for loss, were constantly in the backfield and prompted a quarterback change. Carter missed at least two sack opportunities after being held, which Franklin noted postgame. Purdue ran just eight plays, for 16 yards, in the first quarter against a defense that suffocated much of its early plan.

Purdue scored its touchdown, its first in two quarters, against the reserve defense, so no points off for that. However, the Nittany Lions' starters gave up second-quarter series that allowed the Boilermakers into the red zone, largely via the run. A missed field goal saved Franklin from entering the locker room fuming at giving up points before halftime.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

Punter Riley Thompson put two of his four attempts inside the 20-yard line, though he didn't have quite the day that Purdue punter Keelan Crimmins had: eight punts, three of 50+. A 58-yarder could have been shorter had returner Zion Tracy fielded it, which would have been a tricky play moving to his right. Penn State looked livelier on punt returns as well, as Tracy (three returns, 21 yards) and Denmark (16-yarder) made a little bit happen.

COACHING: A

Franklin was more animated in the fourth quarter, when his young roster took over, than he was in the first half. At one point, Franklin was furious with an illegal substitution penalty for 12 players on the field. Details matter. The head coach and his staff also weren't shy about turning loose their second-team offense late in the game. Penn State can't gain much ground in the playoff rankings but it certainly can lose it. Perception matters.

OVERALL: A-

For the second straight week, Penn State's offense went after an opponent and took over the game. Its defense cleaned up the remains. The Nittany Lions have outscored opponents 84-16 in their two games following the loss to Ohio State. In other words, exactly what they needed to do.

More Penn State Football

The Penn State-Purdue breakdown, featuring Tyler Warren

How 18 months changed James Franklin's career arc at Penn State

Penn State releases first ticket details for potential College Football Playoff home game