History was made in Happy Valley on Saturday, as Penn State won in Round One of the College Football Playoffs (CFP). The win allows the Nittany Lions to advance to the quarterfinals. It was the first playoff game in Beaver Stadium history (and the second home playoff game of all time). The weather was cold, and the wind was blowing, but the crowd brought White Out energy. The Nittany Lions wore their Generations of Greatness uniforms. The historical significance of College Football Playoff (CFP) Round One in Happy Valley was clearly there. Linebacker U came back with a vengeance, and James Franklin won a big game. Penn State defeated SMU by a score of 38-10 and advanced to the quarterfinals to face Boise State at the Fiesta Bowl.
Some of the elements that come with winter in Pennsylvania certainly affected this game. The temperature was 25 degrees, with a wind chill of 10 degrees and winds gusting to 35 miles per hour. Consequently, punts and kickoffs were shanked and kicked out of bounds. Additionally, the offenses struggled early, with Penn State scoring the game’s first offensive touchdown with five minutes left in the second quarter. Despite the 28-point score differential, time of possession was split about evenly (31 minutes to 29 in favor of Penn State). With the game in hand in the fourth quarter, and Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula leaving the team as he entered the transfer portal, true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer saw his first-ever game action. On so many levels, this was not a normal game.
Key Takeaways: Penn State Wins to Advance to CFP Quarterfinals
Penn State and SMU battled in the first playoff game ever at Beaver Stadium. Penn State emerged victorious, by a score of 38-10. The Nittany Lions advance to the quarterfinals and will face Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Defense Wins Championships
The Penn State offense has deservedly garnered a lot of attention and fanfare. They ranked #15 in the nation in yards per game entering the playoffs. After a sluggish start, the running game in particular made their presence felt. However, as Bear Bryant once said “Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.” Coordinator Tom Allen and his defense were up to the task today. As Franklin said after the game, “Our defense played lights out.”
SMU was ranked #20 nationally in offensive yards per game. Go figure, the first two scores of the game were pick-sixes by Penn State linebackers. Linebacker U was called into question this year. However, linebackers Dom Deluca and Tony Rojas each returned an interception for touchdowns to put Penn State up 14-0. Fittingly, Deluca (a former walk-on) added a second interception in the first half (not returned for a touchdown). The defense teed off in the second half as SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings was constantly under pressure and got up hobbling on numerous occasions. First-team FWAA All-American Abdul Carter was a force, adding a huge third-quarter sack on third and goal, forcing an SMU field goal attempt that was missed. SMU’s first touchdown came halfway through the fourth quarter when the game had already been decided.
SMU’s defense kept the Mustangs in the game for most of the first half. The defense did not give up a score until the final five minutes of the first half. SMU entered the game as the nation’s fifth-best rushing defense at 93 yards per game. When Penn State took the lead, it was clear the Nittany Lions were going to run. Penn State still finished with 189 rushing yards and three touchdowns. This is encouraging for Penn State for future rounds of the CFP.
Franklin Holds Serve
Throughout his mostly successful tenure at Penn State, James Franklin’s teams have performed “as expected.” They have won the games they were supposed to win. Similarly, his teams have mostly lost the games they were supposed to lose. Penn State came in as the higher seed, at home in the playoffs. The Nittany Lions were expected to win this game.
Franklin’s teams have also struggled mightily in winning big games. For instance, entering the CFP his record against Top 10 teams was 3-19. SMU, though seeded #11 in the CFP, was ranked #10. Based on that, Penn State could have been at a disadvantage, despite being expected to win. Expected to win in one regard (favored at home), and expected to lose in another regard (3-19 against Top 10 teams), something had to give in this game. In the words of the immortal George Costanza, “This is not good! Worlds are colliding!”
Penn State came out on top in Round One, with a statement playoff victory. Franklin also earned his 100th win as Penn State head coach. However, there were some head-scratching calls by Franklin and the coaching staff that could have turned the tide in SMU’s favor. The most glaring call was going for it on fourth and one deep in their own territory in the first half. They did not pick up the first down. However, Deluca picked them up with his second interception. The quarterfinal game against Boise State will be the next big game test for Franklin and Penn State.
By the Numbers: Penn State Wins to Advance to CFP Quarterfinals
Offense
Passing: Penn State threw for 136 yards, compared to 195 for SMU. Drew Allar completed 13 of 22 for 127 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. Grunkemeyer completed one of two passes for nine yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. Tyler Warren did not complete his only pass attempt. For SMU, Jennings completed 20 of 36 for 195 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. Keldric Luster did not complete his only pass attempt.
Rushing: Penn State had 189 yards, compared to 57 yards for SMU. Nick Singleton led Penn State, and all players, with 90 rushing yards on 14 carries, and one touchdown. Kaytron Allen added 70 yards on 11 carries, adding two touchdowns. SMU was led by Brashard Smith, who had 62 yards on 18 carries. LJ Johnson Jr. rushed six times, gaining 26 yards.
Receiving: Harrison Wallace III led Penn State with 48 yards on four catches. Warren added four receptions for 33 yards. For SMU, Roderick Daniels Jr led the team with a game-high 64 yards on four receptions with one touchdown. Jordan Hudson had four catches for 40 yards.
Defense/Special Teams
Defense: Kobe King had six tackles to lead Penn State. Dani Dennis-Sutton led the Nittany Lions with a sack and a half. Carter and Coziah Izzard had one sack each, and Deluca added a half-sack. Additionally, Deluca had two interceptions while Rojas added one. Ahmad Walker led SMU with a game-high seven tackles, while Elijah Roberts had two sacks, and Jahfari Harvey and Jared Harrison-Hunte split a sack. SMU’s interception was by Brandon Crossley.
Special Teams: For Penn State, Ryan Barker converted his only field goal attempt. He converted all five of his extra-point attempts. Riley Thompson punted three times, averaging 36.0 yards per punt. For SMU, Collin Rogers converted one of two field goal attempts, as well as his only extra-point try. Isaac Pearson punted five times, averaging 36.6 yards per punt.
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