UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State pulled away from Illinois late in its 21-7 win at Beaver Stadium, but the scoreboard was truly the only avenue where the Penn State didn’t dominate.
It could have though. Multiple points were left on the board with Sander Sahaydak missing two 40-yard field goals and Penn State going for it on fourth down deep in Illini territory. There also was a pick-six thwarted by an block in the back to help hold the Nittany Lions off the scoreboard.
Despite that, the Penn State was able to have a subtly dominant performance over No. 19-ranked Illinois which is exactly what was needed.
PENN STATE DE ABDUL CARTER CAUSING HAVOC
Abdul Carter had a monster game at defensive end.
Abdul Carter also has a lot of room for growth at defensive end.
Both are true and both were on full display against Illinois. Carter had two offside penalties, one of which was declined, which have been a problem throughout each of the four games this season.
His fourth quarter offside gave the Fighting Illini a 4th-and-1 before a false start moved the ball back setting up an interception by AJ Harris.
While the offside penalties are a nuisance, Carter more than makes up for it with his disruptive play and sheer athleticism in making life miserable for opposing backfields.
On the final drive alone Carter recorded a sack and forced a fumble putting the finishing touches on the victory.
Carter finished with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a pass break-up and forced fumble.
PENN STATE HAS A TWO-HEADED MONSTER
Running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton make up one of the top backfield tandems in the nation and it was on full display against Illinois.
Both backs had very similar stat lines. Allen finished with 18 carries, 102 yards and a touchdown while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Singleton averaged 5.9 yards per carry, had a touchdown and 94 yards on 16 carries.
Getting that level of production from one back is great, but from both backs, it’s phenomenal and speaks to the job the offensive line has done so far this year in opening up holes for both backs.
Their performance over the course of their careers has made them only the second set of teammates at Penn State with 2,000 yards on the ground since Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell.
Continuing to get this level of production will provide big dividends as the conference schedule continues on.
PSU DEFENSE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
The Illinois offense went 75 yards in 11 plays to find the scoreboard on the first possession of the game. From that moment on, the Fighting Illini managed only 144 total yards.
For Penn State, the turning point in limiting the Illinois offense came when the Fighting Illini had the ball a first down from the 2-yard line late in the first half. Illinois would proceed to go backward to the point of having to kick a 45-yard field goal, which it missed.
In the second half, Penn State would limit Illinois to 59 yards. Penn State has perpetually been a second half team, but these types of adjustments and rising to the challenge have made the Penn State defense a dominant force.
