STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Although there were moments of drama, Penn State held on to win.

This wasn’t the official white out, but one would be hard-pressed to notice any difference between the annual stadium spectacle and what No. 9 Penn State put on display Saturday night in front of 109,911 fans at Beaver Stadium.

The Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) dominated on the ground but didn’t gain control against No. 19 Illinois (4-1, 1-1) until a late touchdown made it 21-0. Victory secured. 7th win in the matchup of undefeated conference rivals.

Here are my takeaways from a solid but flawed performance.

Penn State found a way to get a win

That team cruised past West Virginia, the defense had a poor half against Bowling Green, and Penn State then dismantled an inferior Kent State team. How would it react if the home crowd was in full swing for an evening game, but the offense had to quickly attack from behind? That happened as Illinois opened the game by methodically moving down the field with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.

The Nittany Lions responded with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. When kicker Sander Sahaydak missed a 40-yard field goal in the first half, the Illini responded with a missed 45-yard field goal attempt of their own. There were countless swings in momentum, with each team missing a field goal and Penn State missing a field goal late in the third quarter. With Penn State leading 14-7 with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Drew Allar and the offense slammed the door.

Allar completed 15 of 21 passes for 135 yards. Running backs Nick Singleton (16 carries for 94 yards) and Kaytron Allen (18 carries, 104 yards) each ran for a touchdown. Tight end Tyler Warren was again used in a variety of ways, including taking a direct snap for a 3-yard scoring run in the first quarter. Penn State didn’t turn the ball over as it had 374 yards of total offense.

Allen’s 5-yard rushing touchdown with 1:55 to play put the game out of reach.

Nittany Lions with another TD to extend the lead 🙌@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/ZYSPVuacDc

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 29, 2024

The Nittany Lions have serious questions about kicker

Sander Sahaydak won the job in the summer but has struggled this season. Sahaydak is 3 of 9 field goal attempts in his career and missed two 40-yard attempts against Illinois. Shortly after Sahaydak’s first missed shot, Penn State decided against a field goal chance. On a fourth-and-3 at the Illinois 17-yard line, Allar’s pass to receiver Julian Fleming gained only 2 yards.

Penn State got to Sahaydak again midway through the fourth quarter, but instead of extending Penn State’s 14-7 lead, he missed again. The crowd groaned and some boos followed. However, Penn State also has other options at kicker, including Chase Meyer, who Penn State brought in as a transfer from Tulsa last winter. Ryan Barker, a walk-on, could be another option. Remember: If Meyer or Barker were significantly better in practice, where Penn State records every kick, then they would be on the field and not Sahaydak. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, Penn State changes with Sahaydak in the future.

On Penn State’s final extra point attempt of the game, it was Barker who came on in place of Sahaydak. Barker is a convert.

What to make of Penn State’s defense?

The good news? Penn State has one more home game against UCLA next week before heading to Los Angeles to play USC. But if the first month of the season has taught us anything, it’s that while this defense is still more than capable of helping this team to the playoffs, it’s not nearly as consistent or as stifling as Penn State’s defense last season under Manny Diaz.

Communication issues arose in the first half against Bowling Green, but then subsided and appeared to be resolved. In the following weeks, Penn State used analyst Dan Connor on the helmet microphone with center fielder Kobe King in place of defensive coordinator Tom Allen. Allen stayed up in the locker room for the second straight day on Saturday.

The defense, without starting outside linebacker Dom DeLuca, unavailable due to an undisclosed injury he suffered against Kent State, was its own worst enemy. Redshirt freshman DaKaari Nelson moved from safety to outside linebacker over the summer. On Saturday night, Nelson made his first career start, replacing DeLuca.

After coach James Franklin bemoaned his team’s penalty woes during non-conference play, penalties against Abdul Carter and Amin Vanover helped Illinois score first. It was a theme throughout the game, especially for the defense. With the fourth and sixth rounds six minutes remaining, Carter assessed a false start penalty. On the next play, an illegal block in the back penalty against cornerback Zion Tracy negated a pick six by AJ Harris. If Franklin wasn’t entirely happy with the penalties before – his team averaged seven per game – he’s certainly not happy after this one. Penn State finished the game with six penalties for 63 yards.

The defense only gave up seven points, but mistakes like giving up 30 yards on third-and-21 play in the second quarter, coupled with the penalties, need to be cleaned up.

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Where was the scorecard?

For an offense that came into the game averaging 41.3 points, this was a step forward in the contest, and Penn State faced some challenges.

The offense had four possessions in the first half but only scored seven points. Allar drove the Nittany Lions down the field for an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the opening drive, leaving him untouched. The offense ripped off gains of 20, 11, 14 and 16 yards. Warren capped the drive with a direct snap and a 3-yard touchdown through the air.

It looked like the offense was going to move the ball at will, but instead of being aggressive early in the second quarter, Penn State stumbled to fourth-and-1 at the 42. The Nittany Lions’ third possession that spanned 13 plays went for 69 yards, ending with Sahaydak’s first missed field goal attempt. On the final possession of the first half, Allar was sacked to end any scoring threat.

Illinois will also have a lot to think about

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer brought his team to the threshold of the score late in the first half. Illinois reached Penn State 2 but was eliminated without any points. A snap over Altmyer’s head resulted in a 9-yard loss. The Illini moved backwards before missing a 45-yard field goal attempt.

(Photo of Tyler Warren rushing for a touchdown: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)