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Penn State vs. Illinois Postgame Show

Headshot 5x7 reduced qualityby:Thomas Frank Carr•09/16/23•

ThomasFrankCarr

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Penn State defeated Illinois on Saturday despite a slow start. (Abdul Carter, Matthew O'Haren USA Today )

Penn State football played Big Ten Football on Saturday and got into a rock fight with the Illinois Fighting Illini. The efficient and explosive Nittany Lions offense struggled to find yards or points against the Illini defense. But the Penn State defense was too much for the Illinois offense, who turned the ball over five times in the game. 

Join the BWI Live postgame show to discuss the win and how Penn State performed during their first road Big Ten game of the season. We’re live moments after the conclusion of the game so subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of the action! 

Penn State defense suffocates Altmyer

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer got beat up by the Penn State defense, both on the field and in the stat sheet. The defense got two official QB hits per the gamebook, but the Illinois passer took multiple shots during the game. The constant pressure and sticky Penn State defensive backs also forced the quarterback into four interceptions on the afternoon before he was pulled. 

After two quiet weeks, the defense was back to their old tricks in the run game as well. The team had five tackles for loss heading into the fourth quarter. 

Offense struggles on the road

The offense, thanks to another short field from a defensive interception from Cam Miller, broke the game open to start the fourth quarter. Nick Singleton finally got to the second level of the defense for an 18-yard touchdown run to put Penn State up by 23 points. The duo of Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who scored a rushing touchdown on the day, led the team with a combined 149 yards and two touchdowns.

Overall, the offense struggled, with Drew Allar completing 48% of his passes on Saturday. The sharp quarterback hadn’t completed less than 78% of his throws in the first two games. Allar looked uncomfortable in the pocket for most of the game, thanks to the consistent pressure from the Illinois defense and wrecking ball Jer’Zahn Newton. Newton had a tackle for loss, two quarterback hits and a pass breakup to almost single-handedly keep Illinois in the game. 

We’ll discuss these players, plays, and more on the BWI Live postgame show. Sean Fitz joins the program for the away game and gives his thoughts on how the Nittany Lions played. We’ll also discuss your thoughts! Join the show and give your thoughts in the live chat. We’ll be answering your questions and taking comments from Penn State fans after the win. 

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