The Penn State Football First-Half Report Card

Grading the No. 3 Nittany Lions after their 6-0 start.

Penn State tight end Tyler Warren runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Bowling Green Falcons at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State's second consecutive 6-0 start resonates differently this year, By score, the 6-0 record of 2023 was more impressive. Those Nittany Lions outscored their six opponents 266-48, winning twice by shutout and outscoring four opponents by at least 28 points. Their largest deficit was seven points, against Northwestern, and that lasted just 4 minutes, 30 seconds before the Nittany Lions outscored the Wildcats 38-3 the remainder of the game.

This season, Penn State has outscored its first six opponents 205-87, winning once by shutout (against Kent State) and scoring a pair of one-possession victories. Yet, the seasons still feel different. The third-ranked Nittany Lions soared into their bye week with an overtime victory at USC, one of coach James Franklin's most satisfying wins, and have two Power 5 road victories heading into the season's second half. They also have a freshly scrubbed offense, a QB1, the best player in the country at his position and a defense with a few anxious blind spots.

So it should be a fascinating second half, with visits to Wisconsin and Minnesota sandwiched around the Holy Grail at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 2 against Ohio State. Penn State is in a prime playoff spot, eyes a home date in December and even is a Big Ten title-game contender. With prime-time in Wisconsin looming after the bye week, let's pause to reflect on the Nittany Lions' first half. To the report card.

OFFENSE: B+

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has breathed new life into a group of familiar players, notably quarterback Drew Allar, tight end Tyler Warren and running back Nicholas Singleton. The Nittany Lions opened the season on an explosive-play tear, bodied Illinois with a physical run game and bewildered USC with their playbook. Allar euphemistically said Penn State wanted to "empty the clip" against USC, which Kotelinicki did.

And don't consider Kotelnicki's scheme simply a collection of trick plays. He doesn't view them that way. Lining tackles wide, motioning a guard, unbalancing the line, having the tight end take Wildcat snaps and snap the ball all feed into his core value: Get the ball to the best players. The primary touches in this offense still go to Warren (tied for 5th in the Big Ten with 40 catches), Singleton (86.8 rushing yards per game), Kaytron Allen (4.7 yards per carry) and Tre Wallace (16.65 yards per catch). Allar has never sounded more confident than he does directing an offense that asks him to process a lot of pre-snap moving parts. He's swinging deep more often, which leads to more mistakes. However, Allar is a better quarterback when he's throwing interceptions. Witness his 391-yard performance at USC, where Allar threw three picks (one on a Hail Mary) but masterfully directed a game-tying touchdown drive late.

The run game rang an alarm the past two weeks, totaling 85 yards without Singleton against UCLA and averaging 3.15 from its backs at USC. And Kotelnicki still has his major test game against the Buckeyes, but the coordinator already has shown he's setting a strong preparatory stage for it.

Penn State's Tyler Warren launches himself into the end zone to score a 3-yard rushing touchdown out of the Wildcat formation against Illinois. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

DEFENSE: B-

Coordinator Tom Allen adjusted plenty early in the season. He moved from the sideline to the press box after two games. He gave up his play-calling mic to defensive analyst Dan Connor during games. And he lost one of his best players, safety KJ Winston, after one game, which required Allen to shuffle responsibilites in his back seven. Maybe that elasticity has helped Allen's defense decode early lapses and fix them. Penn State has allowed 60 first-half points and 27 in the second. The Nittany Lions have allowed first-drive touchdowns in two games but no touchdowns in six third quarters. That drives the dueling narratives of "slow-starter" and "second-half team," which Franklin and Allen want to smooth.

For the most part, Penn State's defensive line has been sturdy, especially tackle Zane Durant. Edge rusher Abdul Carter is such a menace that teams defend him by holding him. Linebacker Kobe King has been sure in the middle. Safety Jaylen Reed is playing at top-speed, and the corners have been handling man coverage with sticky success. Everyone can tackle better, and those exposed gaps don't fill themselves. Further, Ohio State's receiving corps will fully field-test Penn State's secondary. The Nittany Lions might not be consistently dominant, but they're timely.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-

The special teams story belongs to Ryan Barker, the redshirt freshman walk-on who scored 15 of Penn State's 33 points at USC, including the game-winning field goal. Barker, 6-for-6 on field goals in his two games as starter, isn't reinventing the placekick. Still, he solidified a position when needed most and gets an "A" for an otherwise modest group.

Penn State hasn't made any substantial special teams plays but hasn't upended itself, either. With Riley Thompson, Penn State ranks 77th in net punting but has allowed just one return (for zero yards) in six games. Likewise, Penn State isn't giving up much in the kickoff game but isn't generating returns, either. With primary punt returner Kaden Saunders injured, Penn State is content forsaking return yardage for ball protection. Special teams could be better. But they haven't been a liability.

Penn State kicker Ryan Barker (94) hits a field goal in overtime to defeat the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

COACHING: B+

Kotelnicki has breathed new life into the offense, but assistants Phil Trautwein (offensive line), Ty Howle (tight ends), Marques Hagans (receivers) and Ja'Juan Seider (running backs) have contributed from a positional standpoint. Penn State has done a good job rotating player, particularly on the defensive line, protecting snap counts and deploying its best assets. Strength coach Chuck Losey's offseason work with Allar is showing up in the quarterback's improved agility. And Franklin has allowed his coordinators, particularly Kotelnicki, to call their games with input but without interference.

Likewise, Franklin made a head-coaching move that speaks to the team's culure. In a euprhoric moment after the win over USC, some Penn State players tried to plant a flag on the Trojans' midfield logo at the Coliseum. Franklin quickly halted the moment. It was a small but imporant moment that underscored Franklin's vision for this team and season. Franklin celebrates with his team as much as any coach (hence his "Soul Plane" reference postgame) and doesn't apologize when his backups score fourth-quarter touchdowns. However, he wants the Nittany Lions to conduct themselves respectfully in each situation.

OVERALL: B

Players and coaches willfully admit that they haven't worn their best suit yet. The team has flaws and missing pieces, and its roster might not field the elite across-the-board talent of other high-end contenders. But Penn State begins the second half with a metric ton of confidence, particularly in its offense, and callouses born from winning in different ways. It bodes well for the remainder of the season.

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