What We Learned From Penn State's Win Over Illinois

The Nittany Lions dominated at the line of scrimmage but still struggled to put away the Illini.

Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton runs for a touchdown during the third quarter against Illinois at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State improved to 4-0 on the season with a gritty 21-7 win against Illinois under the lights Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Here are the top takeaways from the Nittany Lions' sescond win over a ranked team this season. 

Offensive line, running backs dominate

Penn State’s offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, leading to a big day on the ground. Kaytron Allen tallied 102 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Nicholas Singleton had 94 yards and a score on 16 carries. Combined, the duo averaged 5.8 yards per carry. 

“I don’t know if there’s a better combination of running backs in the country,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “There was physical runs out there today, so I just couldn’t be more proud of that group and how they’re playing.”

On top of Penn State’s two-headed monster at running back, gadget quarterback Beau Pribula added 17 yards and do-it-all tight end Tyler Warren had 13 yards and a touchdown. In total, the Nittany Lions racked up 239 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, getting a consistent push on a solid Illinois defensive line. 

Franklin said with how well Penn State was running the football against Illinois, it would’ve been “stupid to get away from it.” 

Pass rush goes to town

The Nittany Lions had four sacks and 15 tackles for loss in their first three games. Against Illinois, they had seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Penn State made five of those sacks in an assertive second half.

Defensive end Abdul Carter led with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble to seal the game. His partner at end, Dani Dennis-Sutton, had a sack of his own. Zane Durant, Jaylen Reed and Kobe King each had a sack, and Smith Vilbert picked up a half-sack. 

“Everybody’s got a game plan for him [Carter], but he’s doing a great job still finding ways to make plays for the team when we need him to,” Reed said.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was under constant duress and did a good job of avoiding sacks on several plays early. But when the Fighting Illini needed completions in crunch time, the Penn State pass rush proved too much. 

Penn State struggles to put Illinois away

Despite outgaining Illinois 181-59 in total yards in the second half, Penn State just couldn’t put the Fighting Illini away. On their second drive of the half, the Nittany Lions marched 43 yards in nine plays. But faced with a 4th-and-3 from the Illinois 17-yard line, Franklin kept his offense on the field rather than give kicker Sander Sahaydak a chance from 34 yards. On the fourth-down play, Julian Fleming made the catch but came up just short of the first down. 

The following possession, Penn State again drove downfield. With a 3rd-and-7, Penn State ran the ball for three yards (tight end Tyler Warren handed off to Kaytron Allen) to set up 4th-and-4. This time, Sahaydak was sent on to try from 40 yards, and he hooked it wide right.

The goal might have been to set up a 4th-and-short and go for it, but Franklin apparently liked his odds with Sahaydak more than he liked his odds to convert on a 4th-and-4. At the end of the day, these were two prime chances to put Illinois away. With the way Penn State’s defense was playing, a two-score lead would’ve been a nice cushion, but Penn State couldn’t find the knockout blow until late. 

Late in the fourth, cornerback A.J. Harris could have had a pick-6 to seal the deal, but a block in the back on Zion Tracy negated the touchdown. Penn State eventually scored late in the fourth to make it 21-7, but this game was close for way too long.

Against elite teams, Penn State won’t get away with playing with its prey. 

Sahaydak struggles

Sahaydak missed two 40-yard field goals on Sunday, and questions are resurfacing again about Penn State’s kicker situation. The junior is now 2-of-5 on the season. He missed a 47-yarder against West Virginia before making field goals of 43 and 28 yards against Bowling Green. 

After Sahaydak’s second miss against Illinois, he was replaced by redshirt freshman Ryan Barker, who made an extra point in his first career kick. It appears Barker would be the next man up if Penn State makes a change. Tulsa transfer Chase Meyer, who made 17 of 20 kicks with the Golden Hurricane, also could be in the mix. 

“Ultimately, we’ll have a competition, and all these things will factor into some decisions that we’ll have to make moving forward, but I want Sander to celebrate this win like everybody else because he’s put a ton into this,” Franklin said. 

More Penn State Football

The Penn State Report Card: Illinois edition

Penn State vs. Illinois breakdown: Nittany Lions' defense takes control

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson