The Illinois Fighting Illini fell to the Penn State Nittany Lions 21-7 Saturday night. The Illini were able to keep the game competitive and within a score for most of the game, exceeding expectations for the underdog Illinois team heading into “Happy Valley” in a whiteout. The final score of the game for the Nittany Lions gave them a sound edge in their first Big Ten matchup of the season and set them up for the rest of the year as a top ten squad in the country and a preeminent contender in the Big Ten.
The battle at State College was a tight contest throughout, with the Penn State Nittany Lions winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to take control of the game and ultimately come out on top. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen rode their offensive line to a healthy rushing attack as a tone setter for the Penn State Nittany Lions offense, a threat that proved to be useful for the whole game, especially down the stretch.
Penn State Outlasts Pesky Illinois
The Penn State Nittany Lions quelled the upset streak of the Illinois Fighting Illini with a 21-7 victory Saturday night. The Nittany Lions won their first Big Ten matchup of the year behind their successful offensive line and with their dynamic running back tandem of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. The pair of athletes in the Penn State backfield combined for nearly 200 yards on the ground and set the tone all day for the Nittany Lion offense.
The battle for the line of scrimmage went the way of Penn State. They were able to create holes and lanes for their rushing attack protect Drew Allar in the passing game on offense, wreak havoc for the Illinois running game, and set them up for passing situations that benefitted the Nittany Lion pass rush. This paved the way for seven sacks on the night. Luke Altmyer struggled to get into any sort of rhythm and could only move the ball on quick throws or by extending plays by escaping a collapsing pocket.
Penn State Nittany Lions Exert Dominance
The Penn State pass rush impacted the Illinois offense enough to force Altmyer into his first interception of the year. The pick came on a controversial fourth down call in the fourth quarter with the ball on the Illinois Fighting Illini side of the field. On a 4th & 6, Altmyer was looking to complete a pass on a slant pattern that had worked all night but was picked off by AJ Harris. The interception gave the Nittany Lions great field position, allowing them to punch it in for their third touchdown drive of the game and put the game out of reach.
Illinois was able to keep the game close with key third downs. On offense, they kept the ball in their possession with conversions to Zakhari Franklin and scrambles by Luke Altmyer, while on defense they kept Allar in check but they couldn’t stop the running tandem of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. They could only hold the line for so long until the talented arm of Allar was put on display, adding a dimension to the game that was too overwhelming to deal with for the taxed Illinois defense.
Nittany Lions Pull Away Late
Up until that point, the Illinois Fighting Illini were able to keep the game within one score and keep Penn State on their toes as they tried to sidestep an upset at home during a whiteout. The interception of Altmyer gave the Nittany Lions some wiggle room and until a penalty brought the return back closer to where the ball was intercepted, they thought the game was pushed to two possessions. The Penn State faithful wouldn’t have to wait long to see this become reality, as the Nittany Lion offense drove the ball down the field, eating up much of the remaining time left in the game before punching the ball in.
Penn State got their double-digit lead that they wouldn’t surrender and after a desperation 3rd & 25 ended with Altmyer fumbling the ball on a strip sack, the home team took a knee to get to 4-0 and kick off their Big Ten schedule with a victory. The Penn State Nittany Lions will stay at home next week when they play host to UCLA, and the Illinois Fighting Illini will get a bye week before welcoming in the Purdue Boilermakers.
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