A lot has changed for Penn State in the last week, as the dust is still settling on a catastrophic loss to Northwestern on Saturday that ultimately led to the firing of head coach James Franklin.
It marked the Nittany Lions’ third consecutive loss and second as a 20-plus point favorite, showcasing many of the same struggles that have plagued the team this season.
Here’s who played, and how much they played, in the loss.
*Season total in parentheses
Quarterbacks
Drew Allar: 50 (349)
Ethan Grunkemeyer: 1 (32)
Jaxon Smolik: 0 (1)
Though he played nearly the full game, Allar went down with what was later revealed to be a season-ending injury on Penn State’s last possession of the game. Ethan Grunkemeyer came in for one play — a scramble for no gain resulting in a turnover on downs. Moving forward, he figures to be the full-time starter and will likely set a career high in snaps at Iowa.
Wide receivers
Kyron Hudson: 39 (292)
Trebor Peña: 34 (253)
Devonte Ross: 29 (195)
Liam Clifford: 13 (85)
Koby Howard: 0 (26)
Tyseer Denmark: 0 (19)
Aaron Enterline: 0 (7)
Despite some calls for younger players like Denmark and Howard to see the field, Penn State continued its four-man operation at wide out. Ross finished with by far the highest PFF grade on the team at 85.8, though the others were all graded below a 62.
Running backs
Kaytron Allen: 35 (181)
Nick Singleton: 17 (190)
Cam Wallace: 0 (15)
Corey Smith: 0 (11)
After weeks of clamoring from fans and media, Penn State increased Kaytron Allen’s usage, making him the premier back with Singleton coming in for a few drives to give him a breather. Allen tied his season-high with 16 carries, going for 90 yards and a touchdown. Saturday’s game marked the first time both running backs have scored a touchdown and the Nittany Lions lost.
Tight ends
Khalil Dinkins: 34 (229)
Luke Reynolds: 25 (220)
Andrew Rappleyea: 25 (125)
Joey Schlaffer: 0 (7)
Penn State continued to get three tight ends involved in the offense, sometimes all on the field at the same time, though Dinkins returned to the top of the pack in snaps. However, the position group notably registered no targets or carries on the day.
Offensive linemen
Drew Shelton: 51 (350)
Nick Dawkins: 51 (350)
Vega Ioane: 51 (317)
TJ Shanahan Jr.: 51 (185)
Nolan Rucci: 30 (306)
Anthony Donkoh: 25 (246)
Cooper Cousins: 0 (67)
Garrett Sexton: 0 (28)
Dom Rulli: 0 (28)
Owen Aliciene: 0 (22)
Eagan Boyer: 0 (4)
J’Ven Williams: 0 (2)
Chimdy Onoh: 0 (2)
Alex Birchmeier: 0 (2)
Ian Harvie: 0 (1)
Shanahan once again started at right guard, while Rucci started at right tackle and Donkoh rotated in. James Franklin said that would be the plan moving forward assuming all three stay healthy. Ioane had the highest PFF grade of the bunch at 60.9, while Rucci brought up the rear at 49.2.
Defensive linemen
Dani Dennis-Sutton: 58 (300)
Zuriah Fisher: 57 (223)
Zane Durant: 50 (255)
Xavier Gilliam: 45 (206)
Alonzo Ford Jr. 26 (165)
Jaylen Harvey: 24 (100)
Owen Wafle: 15 (71)
Ty Blanding: 7 (73)
Chaz Coleman: 4 (120)
Yvan Kemajou: 3 (58)
Enai White: 0 (29)
Randy Adirika: 0 (19)
Cortez Harris: 0 (13)
Bobby Mears: 0 (11)
Liam Andrews: 0 (11)
Sam Siafa: 0 (6)
Harvey saw extensive action last Saturday, playing his second-most career snaps and rotating in on the opening drive of the game. Coleman saw a reduction in playing time, with a career low in snaps after being one of the team’s most-used freshman early in the year. Though he only saw three plays, Kemjou graded as the highest defender in the game, with Durant not far behind.
Linebackers
Amare Campbell: 72 (345)
Dom DeLuca: 72 (245)
Keon Wylie: 27 (76)
Tony Rojas: 0 (176)
DaKaari Nelson: 0 (2)
Cam Smith: 0 (1)
Anthony Speca: 0 (47)
Alex Tatsch: 0 (21)
Only three linebackers saw playing time in the loss, with Campbell and DeLuca on the field for every play and Wylie cycling in for heavy packages. Campbell continued to extend his lead for most total snaps on the team this season, though he received a season-low grade of 47.4.
Defensive backs
Zakee Wheatley: 72 (308)
Audavion Collins: 62 (224)
Elliot Washington II: 46 (184)
King Mack: 45 (250)
Kenny Woseley Jr.: 39 (172)
Dejuan Lane: 22 (134)
Daryus Dixson: 18 (111)
A.J. Harris: 18 (266)
Jahmir Joseph: 6 (48)
Antoine Belgrave-Shorter: 4 (91)
Zion Tracy: 0 (154)
Kolin Dinkins: 0 (37)
Vaboue Toure: 0 (51)
Tyler Armstead: 0 (12)
Tracy, who started against Oregon and played in a rotational role against UCLA, was listed as questionable on the pregame availability report and didn’t play. Also, after getting beat for a touchdown in the second quarter, Harris left the game and didn’t return. During a press conference on Monday, interim coach Terry Smith alluded to Harris being benched after the play rather than injured. Collins and Washington manned the outside corner roles a majority of the contest.
