Penn State Football: Grading All 22 Starters from the Indiana Game

After a tumultuous offseason to say the least, Penn State secured a winning record on Saturday in Bill O’Brien’s first year at the helm.

While many national pundits threw out the “they’d be lucky to get three wins” spiel, O’Brien has engineered an effective offense this year to an impressive record given the circumstances (7-4, 5-2 Big Ten).

That offensive scheme went to work on Saturday against a lowly defense in Indiana.

After a 45-22 victory over the Hoosiers, Penn State has a lot of good (and a lot of great) to take from the contest before gearing up for the season finale against Wisconsin.

Let’s take a look at how individual players performed on Saturday. 

Quarterback: Matthew McGloin

If anyone said last year that Matthew McGloin would set school passing records, they’d probably garner quite a few laughs.

Despite all those who doubted him, McGloin is doing the laughing this time around, especially at the effort the Indiana secondary posed on Saturday.

McGloin went off against a weak Hoosier secondary, tossing a career-high 395 yards and four touchdowns.

The senior did throw one interception, but it was on a tipped pass so too much blame can’t be put on the signal-caller.

With that performance, McGloin moved into sole possession of the Lions’ career passing touchdowns (45), single season completions (251) and single-season yardage (3,071) lists.

Grade: A+

Running Back: Zach Zwinak

While fullback-turned-rusher Michael Zordich added nine carries for 49 yards and a touchdown, Zach Zwinak stole the show on the ground for the Lions.

Zwinak, who is just a sophomore, posted his third-consecutive performance with 130-plus yards rushing.

While Zwinak was running like a man possessed for most of the game, the Maryland native did have trouble holding on to the ball (again).

After Indiana scored a touchdown then followed up with an onside kick, the Hoosiers missed a 55-yard field goal, giving the Lions the ball and momentum back.

Two plays later and the Hoosiers have the ball back via a Zwinak fumble.

Also, on the running back’s 16-yard TD reception he fumbled the ball out of the back of the end zone.

Even though the call was upheld as a score, ball security with Zwinak still has to be a concern.

Grade: B+

Wide Receiver: Allen Robinson and Brandon Moseby-Felder

Allen Robinson

Before the season, Penn State wideout Allen Robinson had just three career catches to his name.

To say that the sophomore has had an explosive season would be a modest statement.

Robinson spent Saturday afternoon teeing off on the Indiana secondary, grabbing 10 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

All three of his scores were highlight reel plays, including a Randy Moss-esque leap and a one-handed grab while being interfered with.

On his first touchdown, Robinson set the school record in single-season receptions.

Grade: A+

Brandon Moseby-Felder

While Robinson had a field day, Brandon Moseby-Felder did a lot of watching on Saturday and didn’t make too big of an impact.

Moseby-Felder had four catches for 42 yards in a respectable performance.

Even though it isn’t a play that will be replayed over and over again, Moseby-Felder did come through with a clutch catch in the middle of the third quarter.

The score was a close one as the Lions were up 28-22 when the Lions went for a 4th-and-10 on Indiana’s 33-yard line.

With the ball thrown slightly behind him, Moseby-Felder adjusted on a slant route to pick up the first down.

Grade: C+

Tight End: Matt Lehman / Jesse James

As a unit, the two tight ends produced in big moments for the Lions.

Matt Lehman, who finished the day with three grabs for 46 yards, snagged a key 29-yard reception

Jesse James, a redshirt freshman, has really come on well this year, making big plays in O’Brien’s offense.

While he only had one catch on Saturday, James made it count as the 6'7" specimen took a deep drag across the middle to the sidelines for a 42-yard scamper. The catch set up possession in the red zone, which resulted in a touchdown.

In a combined effort, James and Lehman did a good job of providing McGloin with big options down the field in crucial moments.

Grade: B

Offensive Line

While it ended up not mattering too much, the offensive line could have done a better job protecting the backfield.

McGloin was sacked three separate times, and the O-line’s primary assignment—Indiana lineman Adam Replogle—had himself a game with four tackles for losses.

However, the big boys up front did put forth a recognizable effort in opening gaping holes for Zach Zwinak to run through.

Penn State knew that they would need to establish the run, and guys like Miles Dieffenbach and Matt Stankiewitch led the way.

Grade: C+

Defensive Line

Indiana finished Saturday’s contest with just 24 net rushing yards, and some of the credit lies with the Lions’ defensive line.

Sure, the linebackers did a great job of filling holes, but the inspired, collective play of the front four made a huge difference.

Deion Barnes finished the day with three tackles (one for an 11-yard sack), adding to his impressive freshman season total.

Even though DaQuan Jones didn’t do much, Anthony Zettel stepped in toward the end of the game and tallied a sack.

And although Jordan Hill received most of the attention from Indiana offensive linemen, he was still able to contribute a tackle for loss.

Grade: B

Linebackers: Gerald Hodges, Glenn Carson and Mike Hull

Gerald Hodges

Once again, Gerald Hodges showed on Saturday why he’s one of the most athletically gifted linebackers in the country.

Hodges was all over the field, closing in on screens quickly and manhandling Indiana’s small running backs.

The senior outside backer tallied a team-high 12 tackles, one tackle for loss, and a juggling interception.

Considering how Hodges has turned out over the past two years, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him go in the early rounds of the NFL draft this spring, and this performance solidifies that.

Grade: A+

Glenn Carson

Once again, Glenn Carson flies under the radar with another solid performance.

Carson, one of the most underrated and less talked about linebackers in the Big Ten, racked up seven tackles on Saturday.

It seems as though Carson is always in the right position at the right time and it continues to pay dividends.

Grade: B

Mike Hull

With Michael Mauti going down with a knee injury early in the game, Mike Hull had to fill in and play for the majority of the game.

Hull, who has been somewhat of a fourth-starter in the Lions’ linebacking corps, made his presence felt all day Saturday.

The instinctive, young linebacker tallied 11 tackles (one for a loss, one for a sack).

Grade: A

Secondary

In terms of the big play, Adrian Amos came up big for the Lions late in Saturday’s game.

Up 20 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Penn State was trying to keep Indiana from getting back in the game.

With a 4th-and-2 backed up on their own 17-yard line, the Lions needed a stop in order to keep the lead from dwindling to two scores.

Insert Amos, who was in the right place at the right time when he snagged a tipped pass for an interception. He then proceeded to advance the already-big play 54 yards—essentially putting the game to rest.

While he didn’t come up with a game-altering turnover, Stephon Morris was by far the most reliable member of the secondary on Saturday.

The Lions’ senior corner recorded nine tackles (eight solo tackles) on Saturday, sticking Indiana receivers and not letting them get away.

However, the fact that Morris was third on the team in tackles shows that the Lions’ defense allowed way too many plays into the secondary.

With Malcolm Willis out due to injury, Jacob Fagnano had to step in and fill in as the full-time starter. Fagnano, who has seen a lot of action this season, tallied two breakups, but had his lapses in judgment, including a misplayed angle on Stephen Houston’s 79-yard reception.

Stephen Obeng-Agyapong also added three tackles, one of which went for a loss.

Despite the big play of Amos and the reliable tackling from Morris, the secondary as a whole allowed Indiana quarterback Cameron Coffman to throw for 454 passing yards.

Everyone knew that Indiana could sling the ball around, but more than 450 yards is unacceptable.

Grade: C-

Special Teams

Special teams continues to slowly become a strength of the Lions this year.

After a well-documented shaky start to the season, Sam Ficken has done pretty well for himself since the Virginia game.

With a made 28-yard field goal against Indiana, Ficken has made seven consecutive field-goal attempts.

Punter Alex Butterworth also did well, averaging more than 37 yards per punt, including a 52-yarder.

Jesse Della Valle also broke the lull in the punt return game with a 23-yard shifty return. 

Grade: B+