Watch James Franklin's postgame press conference following Penn State's win over Illinois
Penn State picked up its first confernece win under the lights Saturday night, defeating Illinois 21-7. This year’s official White Out game isn’t for another six weeks, but that didn’t stop 109,911 fans from replicating what makes Beaver Stadium special, as the Fighting Illini had five presnap penalties in the game, including four false starts.
As you would expect from head coach James Franklin, the energy inside the stadium Saturday night was one of the first things he pointed out in his postgame interview.
“That was a phenomenal environment, and that wasn’t even the White Out,” Franklin said. “The fans were phenomenal. We thought they had seven plays that were significant in the game. We are so thankful and appreciative for the fans and the environment that we get here. It’s like nothing in all of sports, let alone college football.”
Highs & Lows: Penn State bullies Illinois in Big Ten battle
Statistically, quarterback Drew Allar was limited to just 135 yards passing, but he also didn’t force any turnovers, which was one of Illinois’ strengths coming into the game. However, that was largely because of the success of the run game, as Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton combined for 196 yards rushing on 36 carries, good for a 5.8-yard average. The duo also surpassed 2,000 yards rushing for their career, joining Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris as the lone duo in Penn State history to reach that mark.
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On the other side of the ball, Penn State’s defense continued its streak of strong second-half play. In the first half, the Fighting Illini totaled 160 total yards, averaging 4.7 yards per play. The second half was a much different story, as Illinois totaled just 11 yards in the third quarter and 48 yards in the fourth for 59 yards total. They also had two turnovers in the final two drives to finish the game.
Furthermore, Illinois had just 34 yards rushing on 32 carries for just 1.1 yards per carry.
“When you hold a Big Ten team to seven points, you’re going to have a chance to win a ton of games,” Franklin said. “I’m very proud of our defensive players. I’m very proud of Tom Allen and our defensive staff. They’ve done a great job….But again, we’re going to win a lot of games when you hold people to seven points and 34 rushing yards, against a Big Ten opponent. You’re going to give yourself a chance to win a ton of games.”
