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Picking a BSD MVP was tough this week. Penn State played a thorough game in a 39-0 win victory over Rutgers, but no one performer particularly stood out. But then I remembered the lovely students over at Rutgers.
They fantastic hosts were incredible all game. They filled High Point Solutions stadium so that Penn State would feel at home and wouldn’t have to “bring their own juice.” They were friendly enough to remain quiet the entire game so that PSU didn’t have to worry about noise level on offense. And perhaps the most welcoming thing of all, they ceded their sections to the far more deserving Penn State students in the fourth quarter, allowing the Penn State students to get a much better view of a team that very well could be playoff bound.
So, we at Black Shoe Diaries thank you, Rutgers students. Thank you for your constant hilarity. Thank you for being such accommodating hosts and rolling over at the slightest sign of difficulty for your team. Thank you for welcoming the Penn State students into your section. And mostly, thank you for providing us fans the satisfaction of taking over the stadium of a team that so badly wants to be Penn State’s rival. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated.
Honorable Mention
Penn State Running Backs: The quartet of Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders, Andre Robinson and Mark Allen was fantastic on Saturday night. The group combined to carry the ball 32 times for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns for an average of 6.9 yards-per-carry (nice). Allen also chipped in with a receiving touchdown late in the game that included a cutback that made the Rutgers defender look even sillier than one typically does playing for Rutgers.
The Entire Penn State Defense: With no particularly large amount of tackles for any one individual and no turnovers forced, it’s tough to single out one guy. So, we didn’t. But every player to step out on to that field defensively for PSU Saturday night was fantastic. Penn State conceded just 87 total yards of offense to Rutgers. I don’t care how bad Rutgers may be (very), that’s a sterling performance. If Penn State can bring that kind of defense to this Saturday’s game, Sparty won’t stand a chance.