Matthew Mathias

Sports Editor

mcm5909@psu.edu

Week one opened up with a bang as Penn State knocked off Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup with the score being 16-10. The showdown took place in Wisconsin as a tough matchup was surely underway. The game was a highly defensive outing as the final score dictated. Both offenses struggled, but those weak performances offensively are not to discredit the defensive efforts of either team.

Penn State quarterback, Sean Clifford, went 18 for 33 with 247 passing yards with only one touchdown. His counterpart, Graham Mertz, went 22 for 37 totaling 185 passing yards and no scores whatsoever. Mertz did, however, throw two interceptions in the contest, one of those crucially coming at the end of the game as Wisconsin was primed and ready to make a go ahead score late in the fourth quarter. Jaquan Brisker picked off the fourth and goal pass that pushed the Nittany Lions over the edge.

Noah Cain led the Lions in rushing in the running back committee with 48 yards on eight carries. Wisconsin Bell cow rusher Chez Mellusi led the Badgers with 121 yards on a heavy 31 carries, which was quite the workload. Leading receivers for both teams were Jahan Dotson reeling in 102 yards on 5 receptions and Danny Davis III with a respectable 99 yards on eight receptions.

Penn State may have started the game slow, only racking up 43 total yards of first half offense, but they made up for it continuously with big defensive stops. Coach James Franklin praised his team during his postgame interview saying, “Our kids willed it to happen today.” All in all while the offense struggled, there were many good things to come from the game regarding confidence in the defense of the Nittany Lions.

With week two approaching, Penn State looks to move up in the AP college football rankings. In fact, as of the start of the week, the Nittany Lions moved up eight spots in the rankings to number eleven. Meanwhile, the Badgers fall from number twelve to eighteen in week two. With fellow Big Ten members Indiana, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Northwestern losing in week one, Penn State has kicked off the 2021 campaign on the right foot.