Penn State slow starts a concern, Lions must now show they can win when it matters, and more of what they're saying

Penn State improved to 5-0 in 2024 after beating UCLA 27-11 on Saturday. A win is a win in college football — especially on a day when multiple ranked teams went down — but many are calling this one some version of uninspired, unimpressive, or not dominant enough. The Nittany Lions aren’t, of course. Without star running back Nick Singleton for all of the game and starting right tackle Anthony Donkoh for some of it, the Lions put up 322 yards on the ground and were never in danger of losing to the Bruins (1-4).

“I think for us, we take pride in just showing up every Saturday, no matter who it is, no matter where it’s at,” quarterback Drew Allar said. “Tomorrow, we flush this game and move on to the next opponent. It’s about our process throughout the week and what we do well from this game, building on that, and fixing what we didn’t do well this game.

“Obviously, it’s a great advantage to play at home, but the schedule says we go on the road, then we go on the road. We’re not going to make a big deal about it. It’s just what’s on the schedule for us and it’s just taking that mentality.”

Here’s what is being said locally and nationally after the latest Lions win.

Penn State slow starts are becoming a concerning trend

That’s what PennLive’s Bob Flounders right. Penn State did not score in the first quarter after going three and out on its opening drive. The Nittany Lions have been terrific in the second half and even many second quarters. But, that might not always be enough, especially against the best teams on the schedule.

“If you look closely at Penn State’s starts on offense in the last three games, it is more than a little worrisome, especially with a road trip to USC next,” Flounders writes.

“Penn State’s slow starts on offense are becoming a trend, one that will eventually come back to haunt the Lions if they can’t reverse course.”

Read the full story here.

Time is now for Lions to prove they can win when it matters

Penn State has been a double-digit spread in four of its five victories. That won’t be the case next Saturday at USC, though the Lions will be favored. Frank Bodani of the York Daily Record writes what many will say and think over the days ahead: PSU was expected to start 5-0. It will be projected to improve to 6-0 by winning on the road next Saturday. But, will it?

“They had an opportunity to prove otherwise Saturday at home against an inferior opponent,” Bondani writes. “They won. But they didn’t answer critical questions, didn’t prove they are a certain, Top 10 playoff team. An entirely different kind of test awaits in Southern California. Same for two weeks after that in Madison, Wisconsin. And, ultimately, against long-running nemesis Ohio State the week after all that.

“Three games to define another season. Three times to prove they are better than the team that has grinded through so-so competition so far. That they’re different, finally, this time. That they won’t fall like they did after starting 5-0 in 2021 and 2022. Or after their sixth game last year. To prove that a James Franklin team can beat someone it’s not lined up to beat, after all.”

Read the full story here.

Lions know their identity after UCLA win

That’s what Jon Sauber of the Centre Daily Times. Penn State has proven that it doesn’t mind winning in a fashion some might consider ugly by grinding down its opponent over the course of four quarters.

“There have been more talented offenses under Franklin at Penn State — like 2016 and 2017 — along with other elite defenses (pick a year and you’ll probably land on one),” Sauber writes. “But none of those units were part of a team that has been able to put it all together to be among the elite of college football.

“But this could be the year it finally comes together. The Nittany Lions know who they are.”

Read the full story here.

Final word

As always, it goes to BWI publisher Sean Fitz, who used his weekly initial impressions piece to focus on the big picture moving into USC week.

“The question for those who follow this team weekly (or daily for that matter) is fairly vague,” Fitz writes. “How much more do we know about Penn State after five weeks? There’s been enough evidence to craft an idea of what the Nittany Lions look at while at their best, but so far the finished product has avoided coming together for four quarters. At the same time, both promise and skepticism can exist when it comes to forecasting whether it can or will all come together. 

“But to get there, there’s clearly still plenty that has to come together. It’s a different kind of complementary football in which Franklin and the Nittany Lions are still in search of. Have these first five wins, comfortable but not overwhelming, done enough to set the table for this team to reach the heights it is capable of? How many times will we see the same blueprint play out and have to keep waiting for this team to bust out of its shell? 

“We won’t know that for at least another week.”

Read the full story here.