Introduction

Penn State has 2 wins in 2 weeks; that’s a streak – and a positive one at that. Not only is it two games without pain, but Penn State’s 23 – 7 win against Rutgers was the 900th win in program history. PSU joins Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Yale, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Nebraska as the only teams to eclipse the 900 mark. Congratulations to every player, coach, and staff member who’s contributed to even one of those 900 wins – it’s further proof (for those who may have forgotten) that Penn State really is in the upper echelon of college football.

Today, we will focus on this week’s game, season and what’s going well, what still needs improvement, and take a brief look back at the 134 seasons that have cumulated in 900 wins.

Basic Statistics Summary – Rutgers

Another week, another green fill for the Lions in the stat column that matters most – points. Looking beyond the score, PSU thoroughly dominated every major facet of the game. Domination is a relative term, though. Inherently it assumes something about the performance of the faction that is being dominated. And in this case, that opposing faction – i.e. Rutgers Football – isn’t very good. So while Penn State outgained Rutgers by nearly 2-to-1, outrushed them by 3-to-1, and controlled the ball for 13 more minutes, it feels as though Penn State still has a long way to go to if it intends to contend for conference and/or national titles in the near future. 

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Sometimes, the bottom line has to be enough.

On several occasions on Saturday in wind-swept Piscataway, Penn State looked like a team that finally had all four wheels on the ground, and on others looked like the team that kept veering into traffic during the first five weeks of the season. But when the fourth quarter read all zeroes, the Nittany Lions had another win, by the score of 23-7, and exactly how convincing you believe that was or precisely what it means for the bigger picture is up to you.

Because, really, that’s what it’s about at this point in a lost season, right? What you see on the field is not really about the present any longer but what the future means for Penn State. And while maybe the margin wasn’t what some observers wanted it to be or thought it should be, there were enough positive signs in this one that bode well for the future.

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