ATTACK: B

Penn State’s offense hadn’t had to deal with a touchdown drive to start the game in nearly three years, which obviously caught their attention. The Nittany Lions scored touchdowns on two of their first three possessions, including a three-play, 75-yard drive, and their running backs and tight ends had big days. Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen rushed for 100 yards in tandem games for the second time in their careers, averaging 8.1 per carry together. Those two are back, especially Singleton, who already has three 40-yard runs this season (he had none last year).

Penn State used Tyler Warren (146 yards receiving) to be the beast he is, especially against linebackers who can’t run with him or tackle him. A few odd things, though: Penn State has focused too much on individual pass catchers in each game: Tre Wallace (nine catches) last week and Warren (eight) this week. On Saturday, Wallace didn’t catch a single pass and was only targeted three times. And with a chance to take control of the game in the fourth down, Penn State gained just 5 yards in two series.

DEFENSE: C

So that was a great second half, which obviously started with new coordinator Tom Allen telling the group in his raspiest voice, “It’s a fierce battle.” Should that have been it? Yes, Bowling Green has a veteran quarterback in Connor Bazelak, a big, physical line and a tight end who is Warren’s MAC equivalent in Harold Fannin Jr. Still, a 24-point first half was shocking. Nobody did that to Penn State last year. Heck, only one team has scored more than 24 points against the Nittany Lions in all of 2023 (Ole Miss against an opt-out-decimated secondary in the Peach Bowl).

Penn State’s four-man front line didn’t generate consistent, powerful pressure, the tackling was much worse than last week, and the highly-touted secondary was shaky. But some adjustments in coverage, better tackling, and a little more firepower were the highlights of Penn State’s far superior second half. Notable: Starting safety KJ Winston, an outstanding defensive player, did not play in the second half.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

The first player Franklin mentioned after the game was kicker Sander Sahaydak, who made two field goals in his first game against Penn State. Sahaydak made the most of his second chance after missing a 47-yarder at West Virginia last week. He made both field goals in the second quarter, including a 43-yarder, the longest of his career, restoring hope. Punter Riley Thompson had a better day, averaging 47 yards per attempt with a longest of 56. And watch out, Kaden Saunders. The punt returner dropped an attempt. Fortunately for him, the ball went out of bounds before enterprising Bowling Green could recover it.

COACHING: C

Several defensemen said after the game that they didn’t have as much energy and energy to begin with. No joke. But Allen got that under control at halftime, which seems to be an important lesson. Franklin also needs to hold the team accountable for penalties. After committing eight penalties last week, they committed seven on Saturday. That includes two more offside calls by the defense, bringing the total to six through two games.

TOTAL: C

Penn State’s crowd was on tenterhooks late into the fourth quarter, not exactly what they expected for a home opener. As a standalone whole, this game was sketchy. As a data point in a long season, it might not matter. “We needed something to test us,” defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas said. The Nittany Lions got it. Let’s see how they respond.

More Penn State Football

Three things we learned from Penn State’s precarious win over Bowling Green

Penn State 34, Bowling Green 27: Analysis of a precarious victory at Beaver Stadium

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.