The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Kent State Golden Flashes 33-13 Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. Here’s what the Nittany Lions had to cheer about and what they had to jeer about from the game.
Cheers
- Forcing turnovers, something Penn State wanted to improve on from last season, played a major part in the Nittany Lions having success on defense. Marcus Allen forced and recovered a Kent State fumble in the second quarter leading to Saquon Barkley touchdown run. On the first drive of the second half for the Golden Flashes, Amani Oruwariye returned an interception 30 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. Brandon Bell got into the action at the end of the third quarter to thwart Kent State going any deeper into the red-zone.
- In his first start as quarterback of the Nittany Lions, Trace McSorley distributed the ball very well finding six different receivers on the day. McSorley found DaeSean Hamilton on a four-yard pass for his first touchdown pass of the day in the first quarter. Mike Gesicki was the recipient of a 30-yard pass in the fourth quarter to put the Nittany Lions up 33-13. The first-year starter wound up with 209 yards through the air and 47 yards on the ground for Penn State
- Special teams provided a major spark for the Nittany Lions throughout the game Saturday afternoon. Freshman Blake Gillikin got it started with a booming 49-yard punt in the first quarter. Kicker Joey Julius laid the boom on a Kent State return man in the second quarter to swing momentum in favor of Penn State while the returners were getting major chunks of yards on kickoffs and punts.
Jeers
- The Nittany Lions were a McSorley fumble away from keeping the Golden Flashes under 10 points for the fifth time in their series. However, Elcee Refuge returned the fumble, Penn State’s lone turnover, 20 yards to the end-zone in the first quarter. The fumble recover helped Kent State remain in the game until the Nittany Lions put them away with the Oruwariye interception in the third quarter.
- While Penn State’s defensive line showed signs of brilliance, seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss, the Golden Flashes rushed for 150 yards on the afternoon. At times, the Nittany Lions looked lost defensively, but for the most part, over-matched Kent State in all facets of defense.
- Penalties proved costly for Penn State in the first quarter as they had two 15-yard penalties early on, one of which leading to Kent State’s first field goal. The Nittany Lions managed only three penalties the rest of the game.
Highlight of the Game
Today we focus on kicker Joey Julius.
This hit.https://t.co/ApgZlm1xEM
— Jarrod Prugar (@jprugar26) September 3, 2016
Sophomore kicker Joey Julius laid the boom on this kick-off return. Julius is listed at 258 pounds according to the Nittany Lions media guide. Not only was the hit booming, but it also saved a touchdown from being returned on Penn State.
Player Of The Game
Hop on over to our twitter feed to cast your vote for tonight’s Player Of The Game!
Player of the Game Poll: Kent State vs. Penn State
— Jarrod Prugar (@jprugar26) September 3, 2016
Up Next
Penn State travels to Pittsburgh to take on Pitt next week in what is being billed as the Keystone Classic. Pitt beat Villanova earlier today 28-7 in their season opener. This will be the first time the in-state rivals have played since 2000, a 12-0 victory for the Panthers.
Photo credit: @PennStateFball
