Penn State football team testimonial after Nittany Lions' 56-0 win over Kent State

STATE UNIVERSITY | Penn State coach James Franklin, who rarely looks ahead, needed only a few minutes on Saturday to take a look into the future of the Nittany Lions.

“I'm calling for white out … energy,” Franklin said, hinting at Penn State's prime-time Big Ten opener against Illinois on Sept. 28 at Beaver Stadium. The moment was a reminder that as dominant as the Nittany Lions were in their 56-0 victory over Kent State on Saturday, the game is just beginning. Penn State is on the Big Ten schedule and begins it against the top-ranked, undefeated Illini (4-0).

But before that could happen, Penn State had to make some clear statements about itself. Kent State would not have been competitive against even a sloppy, disinterested team. But overall, the Nittany Lions were efficient and effective, winning their 22nd consecutive nonconference game.

This is a testament to Penn State.

RELATED TOPICS: Analyzing Penn State's 56-0 win over Kent State

ATTACK: A-

Franklin called the team records (718 total yards and 40 first downs) “special” from a historical perspective, and they were. Of course, Kent State didn't have the defensive depth to stop everything Penn State tried. Drew Allar matched his performance and confidence. He saw open receivers, threw a few free, made solid reads and ended the game early in the third quarter. In other words, Allar (17 of 21, 309 yards, 3 touchdowns) got the job done with ruthless efficiency.

Penn State also featured tight end Tyler Warren, who Franklin again called “the best tight end in college football.” Warren (5 catches, 50 yards) threw and caught touchdown passes, made a one-handed diving catch, blocked hard for the backs and showed what a ruthless weapon he can be. Running back Cam Wallace (9 carries, 39 yards, TD) looked good before suffering an unfortunate injury late in the fourth quarter. Receiver Omari Evans once again had 59 yards of yardage. We're giving the Nittany Lions the nod because coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who needed just three plays to break a 98-year-old school record for total offense, made too many shenanigans in the first half. Yes, Illinois has a lot of homework to do, but some of the plays disrupted Penn State's flow.

DEFENSE: B+

Kent State would have had little chance of scoring with a healthy offense. Losing two quarterbacks in the first half, including starter Devin Kargman on the second play of the game, only made matters worse. Still, ends Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton made their first sacks and overwhelmed Kent State's line. “I just knew I could make the plays as long as I did my job,” Carter said. “I was never upset, I was never worried.”

Penn State also made a big change on defense, moving coordinator Tom Allen, who spent the first two weeks on the bench, to the coaching booth. “I thought it went really well,” Franklin said of the change that may or may not continue against Illinois.

Importantly, Penn State had plenty of opportunities for freshman safety Dejuan Lane, whose development the coaches want to accelerate with starter KJ Winston injured. Lane didn't seem surprised, made a few tackles and gave Penn State options to consider. Namely, they certainly want to move safety Jaylen Reed back to the hybrid linebacker/safety “Lion” position he played so successfully at West Virginia. “I agree,” Reed said.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

If you want to be nitpicky, you're in the right place. Kicker Gabriel Nwosu kicked the first kickoff out of bounds, frustrating Franklin to no end. Riley Thompson only punted twice, but averaged 35.5 yards per attempt and had a longest of 38 yards. Kaden Saunders, on the other hand, playing despite a training camp injury that limited his punt returns, returned one 23 yards, his longest of the season. That was a positive.

COACHING: B+

Kotelnicki's nerves aside, Penn State handled the day well. Franklin was especially proud of his team for how well it used the clock late in the second quarter, when it scored twice in a three-minute span and needed only one timeout. Unfortunately, those penalties continued to pile up. Penn State committed seven more for 65 yards, which nearly matched Kent State's total offense (67 yards). That included three more offsides fouls by the defense, now nine in three games. “I'm going to hold people accountable,” Franklin said.

OVERALL: B+

Penn State accomplished most of its goals, even though injuries to linebacker Dom DeLuca and running back Cam Wallace hurt. The Nittany Lions traded their starters in the third quarter, gave a significant number of players important playing time and paid Kent State $1.6 million for its trouble.

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Penn State on SI is the go-to source for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Editor Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, following three coaching teams, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.