You know what was not pretty? Penn State’s 21-point win over Rutgers

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — There’s an anecdote that says the backup quarterback tends to be the most popular player among a fan base. Penn State fans were certainly singing backup Beau Pribula’s praises Saturday afternoon.

Pribula entered for an injured Drew Allar midway through the third quarter. The offense wasn’t exactly awe-inspiring behind Pribula, but he did enough to push Penn State to the finish line in an ugly 27-6 win over Rutgers.

Running back Kaytron Allen led the way offensively in the first game after James Franklin fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Allen scored two touchdowns, both in tight to the goal line and fighting through contact, while Pribula tacked on a late rushing score.

His second score, at the start of the fourth quarter, came out of the T-formation and put the score out of reach from Rutgers’ stagnant offense. Defensive end Chop Robinson set up the touchdown drive with a crushing strip-sack of Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt — he forced and recovered the fumble.

“I was super proud of the guys really having my back. Nobody flinched in the huddle, and that really made my job easier,” Pribula said. “I’m really glad that we were able to send these seniors out with a win in their last game in Beaver Stadium.”

On Penn State’s first second-half drive, Allar ran eight yards on a quarterback draw before he was pummeled by Rutgers defensive back Flip Dixon.

Allar jogged off the field and went immediately into the medical tent. Trainers looked at his right arm and shoulder, and he tried to move it on the sideline after exiting the tent. He ditched his helmet for a beanie and did not return to the game.

“I don’t see this being significant, but we will see,” Franklin said. “It’s very hard for me to answer that question, even if I wanted to, a couple hours after it happened.”

Kicker Alex Felkins provided the rest of the scoring for Penn State (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten). He converted 21- and 48-yard field goals, and now sits at 16 of 18 field goals made on the season. Safety Kevin Winston Jr. provided the finishing blow with his first career interception, an underthrown ball from Wimsatt while he was under pressure.

Robinson was a star on the defense Saturday. His stat line showed it — five tackles, two for loss and the strip sack — but even that might’ve understated it. Robinson was blowing past his offensive tackle consistently and noticeably collapsed the pocket for an Abdul Carter sack.

The Penn State offense was one-dimensional after Pribula entered the game. He started his appearance with a 39-yard run, a string of 17 straight rushes for the Nittany Lions before another pass (which came on a play that had a run option, too). With the game out of hand, all Penn State had to do was run and burn the clock. The Nittany Lions finished with 234 rushing yards, their highest mark in conference play this season.

“When you run the ball that many times, they’re gonna wear down,” center Hunter Nourzad said. “When you can grind them out like that, it takes a toll.”

Offensively, Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) was brutal. On its best two drives of the game, Rutgers moved inside the Penn State 10-yard line but backed itself up with holding penalties both times. Penn State delivered suffocating run defense, allowing just 2.3 yards per carry. If there’s a concern, Wimsatt found some space running in the first half, especially on third down.

Robinson broke past the line of scrimmage and crashed into Wimsatt as he reared back to throw. The ball went flying a few yards backward, and as a few players scrambled to get it, Robinson was ultimately the one to fall back onto it. It was his fourth sack of the season and his second forced fumble.

The turnover set up Penn State’s offense near midfield, which led to Allen’s second score of the day. The second of three Rutgers turnovers helped deliver the crushing blow.

Penn State will close out the 2023 regular season on the road against Michigan State at Ford Field. It’ll be a Black Friday game that kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.