No. 3 Buckeyes beat up Nittany Lions, 38-25, burying Dotson's breakout

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- As No. 18 Penn State fell hard, 38-25, to No. 3 Ohio State Saturday night at Beaver Stadium, a star might have been born in wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

"Jahan did some nice things, which I think is really important," head coach James Franklin said. "It's good to see Jahan stepping up right now. So we're going to build on that."

Dotson provided a glimmer of hope in a dismal performance by many involved for the 0-2 Nittany Lions, as he caught eight of 12 targets from Sean Clifford. Those receptions were good for three touchdowns and 144 yards, but even more impressive was how he hauled in those passes. 

The first, a 37-yard reception, set up Penn State with great field position, as it started chipping away at the Ohio State lead in the fourth quarter.

A spectacular catch and potential catch of the year candidate only to be upstaged on the very next play by this even more spectacular grab. This one, a 21-yard touchdown catch.

Wow. 

"Every time that ball is in the air, it's a chance to make a name for yourself, for you to put the team on your back, or whatever it is," Dotson said. "Every time the ball is in the air, I think of it as a million dollars and we gotta go cash in and that's what I did today."

That catch was the second touchdown reception of the evening for Dotson, as he and Clifford almost brought Penn State back before it was too late. Dotson's third and final touchdown was the last time the Nittany Lions would get on the scoreboard and capped one of the brighter performances of the evening. 

"We were just able to capitalize on what they were giving us," Dotson said. "We basically took shots, trusted our playmakers and we made plays. That's pretty much it."

Dotson's performance was needed not only for him but for the offense as a whole, as the Nittany Lions search for playmakers with a depleted running back room and inconsistent play from Clifford through two games. It also showed what he can do when the ball is thrown his way.

"I can make plays when I get the ball in my hands," Dotson said. "That's my goal every time I touch the ball or get an opportunity to touch the ball. Just make a play."

While Dotson was a bright spot for the Nittany Lions, true freshman Parker Washington -- who hauled in each of his four targets for 73 yards -- made some big plays against the Buckeyes, too. The trust that Washington and Dotson have developed in two games with Clifford should bode well moving forward, as the Nittany Lions look for their first win of the season.

"It was kind of like a preview," Dotson said. "He started trusting us. He started giving us opportunities and that's all you ask for from your quarterback."

Winless through two games for the first time since 2012, Penn State failed to play complementary football throughout the evening. When the offense was struggling, the defense played well. The reverse was the case in the second half, as the offense had success and the defense was unable to keep the Buckeyes off the field. 

"When we would get going on offense, the defense would have an opportunity to, when we could close the gap, from a scoring perspective," Franklin said. "And then you know, they were able to go the length of the field and get a touchdown."

Statistically, the Penn State defense allowed 526 total yards of offense, with 318 of those coming from the arm of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Fields torched the secondary numerous times, as he found eight receivers on the evening. 

Of those, two had 100-plus yard games, with Garrett Wilson hauling in 11 passes for 111 yards and Chris Olave bringing in seven receptions for 120 yards and two of Fields' four touchdown passes. Fields is playing Heisman-winner type football and the Nittany Lions were unable to stop the freight train for most of the night.

Fields' performance was expected, but giving up a 62-yard run on the first play of the game was not. The defensive miscommunications have been more than a thorn in the side of the Nittany Lions, with one of them resulting in an Ohio State touchdown in the second quarter.

"We were in our dollar package and we had a young man that didn't go on the field and that's inexcusable," Franklin said. "That's all on us as coaches, we call, 'Dollar' and the guy doesn't go out on the field. And those are the things that are happening that should never happen."

At the root of it, Penn State is a young team with only 10 seniors, so mistakes will be made, but some of that youth also has experience, with many players playing key parts in last year's success. However, mistakes are mistakes, and getting two delay-of-game penalties at home with few fans in attendance is inexcusable. 

The lack of attention to detail and mental mistakes the Nittany Lions have made this year have been uncharacteristic of any team Franklin has had since he got here six years ago. And for what it's worth, this year has seen the most turnover on a Penn State staff in quite some time. 

Those growing pains will continue as the coaches and players learn from each other, but the mistakes have to be minimized if there's any hope at salvaging the season. Penn State will need to find the answers to its multitude of problems rather quickly, as the Nittany Lions host Maryland Saturday in what could be a game that sends the Nittany Lions to 0-3. There will be plenty of motivation to go around, though. Especially for Clifford.

"If you're not motivated after two losses when your back is against the wall, I don't want you here," Clifford said. "I'm not going to go like that. ... That's not how I operate. That's not how people around me operate."

• The running game was a complete non-factor against the Buckeyes; Devyn Ford was the leading rusher, with 36 yards on eight carries. Clifford's rushing stats were distorted by sacks, but he carried the ball 18 times, while the freshmen backs barely saw the field.

• Despite not playing in the first half, linebacker Jesse Luketa recorded eight tackles, tied for second-most on the team behind linebacker Ellis Brooks. 

• Playing a game on Halloween was sure to set up for a bizarre happening of some sort, and it did. With two seconds left in the first half, the Ohio State offense took a knee on fourth down. When a ball-carrier's knee hits the ground, the play is ruled dead on fourth down, which meant Penn State got possession with one second left. The players had reported to the locker rooms and after a brief discussion, the referees brought both teams out to play that final second. That set up a 50-yard field goal attempt, which Jordan Stout converted to send the Nittany Lions into the half down, 21-6.

• After missing two field goals the previous week, kicker Jake Pinegar made his only field goal attempt, a 31-yarder. 

• Penn State will host Maryland for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday.