“We came into the season really feeling like that would be a strength of ours, and it hasn’t necessarily showed up that way,” Penn State coach James Franklin said of the pass rush. The defensive ends were expected to be the strength of the team this season, and they’ll now have to grow into that role during conference play.

But Pickett completed 35-of-51 passes for 372 yards, and Penn State struggled to consistently generate pressure for the second consecutive week. The defense, with all its star power and all its potential, looked the part against the run, bottling up the Panthers for 24 rushing yards on 25 attempts.

For the time being, at least, the offense with its big-play potential appears to be boom or bust. The Lions’ offense recorded 389 total yards on 62 plays, with 178 of those yards coming on three plays. 13 Nittany Lions (3-0) followed a not-so-perfect script similar to the one that played out during last week’s win against Buffalo, reeling off explosive plays yet struggling to sustain drives on offense. Penn State closed out the 100 th meeting against Pitt by dodging a bullet and beating the Panthers 17-10 in nail-biting and entertaining fashion. “We could’ve executed a little bit better, but we got the W.” “That’s what we talk about all the time as a defense that we want to be out there all the time when the game is on the line,” said senior safety Garrett Taylor, his fingers still taped, his Sniper Gang rubber bracelet a testament to his position group’s nickname. Linebacker Cam Brown ran to the sideline as the celebration ensued. The Nittany Lions wisely batted it down, and the ball fell incomplete. Pickett settled in around the opposing 26-yard line, uncorking a ball that was met in the end zone by a sea of blue jerseys. Somehow, some way, a game in which the Nittany Lions entered as 17-point favorites came down to the last play.

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