COLLEGE PARK, Md. — There have been several times over the course of the 2023 campaign where Penn State hasn’t quite looked like it was supposed to.
There was a shaky first half against Northwestern and even Illinois. There was a near disaster against Indiana after the letdown of Ohio State.
And in the context of the preseason hype around this team – pundits making picks for College Football Playoff berths and Heisman finalists – it has felt like those preseason promises were not always being kept, regardless of who was making them.
But on Saturday in College Park, Penn State looked like it was supposed to as it steamrolled Maryland, 51-15, to collect its eighth win of the season.
Entering 2023, promise was everywhere with this Penn State team.
Drew Allar was going to be the quarterback that pushed the Nittany Lions over the edge.
And yet, outside of one performance entering Saturday, he hasn’t always looked that way.
There was the hope that prized transfer Dante Cephas was going to revitalize the wide receiver room, and yet entering Saturday afternoon, he had averaged less than two catches per game.
There was Abdul Carter – poised for a massive year following his breakout freshman season – and yet at times, where was Abdul Carter this season?
Not on Saturday afternoon. No, all of those promises made – whether by team, pundits, this blogger or your uncle at a tailgate – were kept for the first time all year.
Allar played his best game of the year by a mile.
Cephas proved to be a threat.
And Carter showed why so many are hopeful he’s the next to carry the Linebacker U. tradition forward.
It was dominance up and down the roster from Penn State.
Allar finished the evening with 240 yards, the second most for him this year, and tied his completion high of 25.
More importantly, four of his passes went for touchdowns, also tying his season high. One of which included Allar making one of his most impressive throws yet to tight end Tyler Warren, finding him through several Maryland defenders.
And of course, there was his connection for six with Cephas, not once, but twice.
The Kent State transfer finally had the big game you were clamoring for the second he announced his intent to come to Penn State.
His first touchdown catch came on an impressive snag, dragging his foot in on a well-placed ball from Allar. Later, Allar connected with Cephas again in the back corner of the end zone.
Meanwhile on defense, Carter was all over the field, applying pressure after pressure on Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. The linebacker finished his night with a team-high six tackles, including four solo, a sack and a tackle for a loss. It was a massive performance from a player that provided them time after time last season.
Even smaller promises were kept.
We were told a Beau Pribula package was coming at a meaningful point in a game. It did, leading to an early tone-setting touchdown.
The running game, a major factor last year and yet held relatively quiet for much of this year, was coming, we were told. And it popped off highlighted by Kaytron Allen bowling his way into the end zone on a 10-yard run.
The Nittany Lions, too, kept promises made over the course of this season.
Explosive plays finally showed up, featuring runs of 21 yards by Allar and 19 from Allen. Allar, too, used his arm providing a toss to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for 38 yards, as well as others to the rest of Penn State’s wide outs and tight ends for 18, 16, 15 and 12 yards.
The defense lived up to the promise of its standard by allowing just 15 points and preventing Maryland from getting any type of ground game going as the Terrapins finished with -49 yards of rushing offense.
Across the board, it was the type of performance that Penn State fans thought they were going to be getting every weekend for their team.
It was the type of performance Penn State fans have eagerly been waiting to develop in front of them.
It was also the type of performance that can build new promises on this season – ones that offer the glimpse that there’s still meaningful games left to be played and ones that Penn State’s best football might just be ahead of them.
If you’ve enjoyed this content, please consider supporting StuffSomersSays.com by clicking this link.
