What they're saying about Penn State football's loss to Arkansas
Penn State Nittany Lions football could not close out its season on a high note, falling 24-10 to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Penn State defeat.
Nate Bauer, BWI, Penn State offense stumbles once more in final performance
“Penn State’s offense found itself in a familiar position Saturday afternoon.
Struggling to create consistency by any measure, the Nittany Lions owned a halftime lead over No. 21 Arkansas in the Outback Bowl nonetheless. But in failing to score again the rest of the way, the Nittany Lions found themselves on the losing end of a 24-10 decision to the Razorbacks.
Asked what went wrong, a 10-point second quarter accounting for more than half of the total yards gained and eight of 17 total first downs, Penn State head coach James Franklin acknowledged his team’s reality.
The Nittany Lions’ offense didn’t fall off in the second half. Rather, only a handful of broken defensive plays differentiated Penn State’s success from its consistent failures on the whole.
“To be honest with you, we had a couple of big plays in the first half. We weren’t consistent enough, but we were able to create some big plays,” Franklin said. “We didn’t make those plays in the second half, (but) we had opportunities, dropped some balls.
“They did a good job with their cover zero being extremely aggressive, but we could not get in and out of our checks fast enough to be efficient enough. So you got to give them credit.”
The problem was not, in any way, new to Penn State this season offensively.
Able to cash in on a 42-yard heave downfield from Sean Clifford to KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the second quarter, the Nittany Lions were largely dormant otherwise.
Notching 248 of 323 total yards on 11 chunk plays, six through the air and five on the ground, Penn State had a backstop in the form of a stout defensive performance. Finding early success moving the ball, the Nittany Lions managed trips into scoring position on two of their first four possessions, but points remained elusive in a season marked by its inefficiency.
And the problems started up front.”
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Though Clifford avoided a series of probable sacks given the Razorbacks’ consistent push into the backfield, his afternoon was a series of throws on the move. By the final tally, Clifford completed just 14 of 32 passes for 195 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, adding another 47 yards on the ground on 11 attempts.
Greg Pickel, BWI, Penn State must focus on fixing persistent problems like ones that popped up in Outback Bowl loss: One big thing
“Penn State will only improve in 2022 if it can fix the problems that routinely plagued it in 2021.
It starts with fixing the offense. Mike Yurcich was brought in to do that, but year one was a disappointment. The Lions could not run the football effectively. Clifford had an up and down year even when he was healthy. Drops were at times a problem. And any kind of rhythm was rare on game day. Whether it’s through the transfer portal or via Class of 2022 signees, there is no question that Penn State must infuse some new talent into its attack by the time an opener at Purdue rolls around next September.
Beyond that, new coordinator Manny Diaz will have many decisions to make as he implements his scheme into the Penn State defense. At minimum, he will need at least two new defensive line starters, two first-time linebacker starters, and first-teamers at corner and safety. Better tackling must be a priority, as that’s an area the team has struggled in over the last few seasons and certainly in this one, as well. Generating a more consistent pass rush will be critical, too.
Finally, the Lions have something to work with as Parker Washington looks capable of taking over at punt returner. But, assuming Jordan Stout is gone, Penn State will need to figure out who its primary punter, kickoff specialist, and field goal kicker will be. It’s unlikely that Jake Pinegar can handle all three as Stout did.
All told, 2022 must be an offseason of positive change for the Lions. A tremendous start led to an uneven and lackluster finish in 2021. It was the opposite of how the 2020 season played out.
College football is a hard sport to win consistently in. But, Penn State has the pieces to do so. Now, it must reboot and put them all together as James Franklin prepares for his ninth season as the leader of the Lions.”
David Eckert, BWI, What Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said after his team’s win over Penn State
“Entering the locker room trailing Penn State 14-10 after an “ugly” first-half showing, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman drew on an old lesson.
“I learned a long time ago, being three down, you can make your team feel like they’re 300 down, or just keep it real,” he said. “We’re three down, we get the ball.”
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Pittman’s approach paid off.
His Razorbacks took firm control of the game in the second half, starting with their opening drive.
They marched 75 yards down the field to start the half without throwing a pass to put themselves up 14-10.
That turned out to be all they’d need. Penn State didn’t score in the final 30 minutes, and the Razorbacks coasted to a 24-10 win.
The difference proved to be the Razorback running game, which Pittman tweaked during halftime. Arkansas ran for 256 yards in the second half — nearly triple Penn State’s total yardage output.
Pittman said he’d noticed a tendency from the Nittany Lions to blitz on the opposite side of the running back in the backfield. So, the Razorbacks stopped running across the quarterback.
That, Pittman said, opened up their read-option game, which quarterback KJ Jefferson exploited to great effect.
“We have to change what we’re doing running the football, but other than that we can go win this football game,” Pittman said he told his team at halftime.”
Daniel Gallen, PennLive, Smith Vilbert steps up for shorthanded Penn State defense in Outback Bowl loss
“Vilbert capitalized on his opportunity. He finished the game with four tackles, and he set an Outback Bowl record with three sacks of Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson. Vilbert entered Saturday as a mostly unknown commodity, but he made himself familiar with the Arkansas backfield in what was ultimately a 24-10 Penn State loss.”
Ben Jones, StateCollege.com, Penn State Football: In 2022, a Little Bit of Everything Will Need to Improve
“A little bit of everything.
If you’re spending the first day of the new year trying to unpack Penn State’s 24-10 loss to Arkansas on Saturday afternoon in the Outback Bowl, you don’t need to look much farther than those five words.
Because that’s really what it boils down to.”
Seth Engle, The Daily Collegian, Penn State football’s play-calling, neglect of run game factors into poor second half | Opinion
“On Saturday, the run game — for once — actually seemed to have found a groove.
But in the second half, Yurcich oddly stopped calling for the Nittany Lions to run the football, ultimately failing to make much noise in the air with Sean Clifford struggling to complete over 44% of his pass attempts — a new career low.”
Jason Mackey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Outback Bowl was an intriguing preview for Penn State in 2022
“Whether it’s virtual or in real life, Penn State will need several key players to imitate those who are leaving, a process that seemed to start on Saturday.”
