Games are won in the trenches and that's exactly how Penn State took down Rutgers, 23-7, Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.
It was the 900th win in program history and the second in a row for the Nittany Lions, who are 2-5.
"The biggest thing in that game was the fronts, our offensive line and our defensive line," head coach James Franklin said. "That offense had been pretty much been able to move the ball and score points on everybody."
It was done by pounding the football and forcing Rutgers to stop the run. Many times throughout the game, it was obvious that a run was coming, especially the 17 times backup quarterback Will Levis had the ball. Despite knowing what was coming, the Scarlet Knights still couldn't stop it.
"When you call a running play, you've got one choice: You've got to run the ball," running back Devyn Ford said. "You block it right and get some yards or you don't at all."
The ability to execute when the defense knows what's coming was critical and something of which the offensive line is proud, especially as it continues its growth this season.
"We take great pride in it. We want to be in those situations and we want to execute and move the ball when it's a tough down," offensive lineman Will Fries said. "We really embrace those. We work on them a lot. That's the mentality as an offensive line. We know its on us. We want to get those downs and continue the drive."
For most of the game, the offensive line imposed its will on the defensive front for Rutgers, as the Nittany Lions rushed 57 times while throwing the ball only 22 times on a blustery, wet afternoon. It was the second week in a row in which Penn State established the run game and did so in a big way.
"I thought we had a really good plan and good feel for how we wanted to attack their defense," Franklin said.
That plan ended up being as simple as out-executing the Scarlet Knights at the line of scrimmage, and doing so even with eight in the box.
"They started bringing the safety down and playing off our edges," Ford said. "We started hitting them in the mouth even more. That's what we have to keep doing."
Ford and true freshman Keyvone Lee led the way on the ground for the Nittany Lions, with Ford accumulating 65 yards and a touchdown and Lee adding 95 yards on 17 carries. The duo was complemented by Levis, who added 65 yards.
They've been able perform because of vastly improved play up front as the season has gone on. The line has protected Clifford well and opened some big holes of late, something that hasn't gone unnoticed by those taking advantage of it.
"It starts with them. We go as they go," Ford said. "If the mentality is right and they're on their assignments getting the blocks they need to get to, playing hard, the running backs are going to follow after that."
While Penn State's offense dominated the first half, the outcome reflected a dominant defensive performance throughout the game. The Nittany Lions picked up right where they left off after dominating Michigan a week earlier, forcing four punts and two turnovers on downs in the first half.
That energy fed into the two big fourth-down stops Penn State had in the first half, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
"We just know we have to keep feeding off the energy we started off with last week," cornerback Joey Porter, Jr. said. "Going into this game, we knew we had to come in, play hard and get this 1-0 mentality, and that's what we did today."
It marked the second week in a row that the defense came to play from the beginning of the game, which is quite a change for a defense that had given up first-drive scores in the first five games of the season.
"I thought we did a really great job at playing the box. Making sure our front seven handled the box and get our perimeter players to handle the speed sweeps and things like that," Franklin said. "We were able to come off and be disruptive. We thought we had a chance with our defensive line on their o-line. That's two weeks in a row in critical times our defense was able to make significant stops."
Stacking performances like Penn State has had the last two weeks gives the program badly needed momentum heading into the final two weeks of the season. It also speaks volumes about what the coaching staff has been able to do as a whole, with players around the country opting out on teams that have bad records or seemingly nothing to play for.
"I think we just keep making strides. That's the thing with this team, we haven't given up," Clifford said. "There's not been one time. We've been disappointed, but there hasn't been one time where we wavered, changed our approach. Instead, it's only gotten better."
Those strides have allowed Nittany Lions to continually progress after getting off to the worst start in program history.
"We've gotten back to playing how we've played for six years," Franklin said. "The basic fundamentals of defense, which we've done a pretty good job of here for a long time, we got back to that. A lot of it deals with our defensive line and our front being explosive ... it's hard to argue with what we've done, specifically on the defensive side of the ball."
The front being explosive has come at important times throughout the last two games and especially in short-yardage situations, in which linebacker Jesse Luketa has thrived. According to Luketa, it's a rather simple ideology the Nittany Lions have in that situation.
"Being a nuisance, trusting our brothers, the man next to you, and just trusting and ensuring you're going to do your job to the best of your ability," he said. "Everything else will take care of itself."
That mindset has Penn State playing its best football of the season, with a game left in the regular season and a seeded game against a team from the Big Ten West remaining. For now, though, the Nittany Lions are focused on one thing.
"I'm just glad we're 2-0," Clifford said. "1-0 this week, 2-0 the past two weeks."
• It was a gusty day on the field, which limited the impact of the special-teams units. The Nittany Lions did manage three field goals, two in the red zone from Jake Pinegar and a 47-yarder from Jordan Stout in the third quarter.
• The Levis package was \one of the more bizarre aspects of the afternoon. He ran 17 times for 65 yards, but didn't come close to throwing a pass. Franklin has had a penchant for using the backup quarterback prominently in the run game, and it looks to be a major part of the offense moving forward.
"We got to mix some passes in there," Franklin said. "There's no doubt about it, we have to mix some passes in there, as well, with Will in the game to make sure they respect (the possibility of throwing the ball)."
While the passes are on the way, the quarterbacks have handled it well for the most part, despite the interruption in momentum and it sometimes causes.
"Will and I both have our strengths. Of course, we can throw the ball out of the package. Will has a great arm," Clifford said. "When we both go in, we execute to the best of our ability. When we're out, we both are cheering each other on. Will and I have a great relationship and especially this year, it's kind of been necessary."
• After a strong showing against Michigan, Clifford did some good things and some not-so-good things against Rutgers, including an interception that set up Rutgers for its only touchdown. The interception came on a ball that hit the hands of the intended receiver before being caught by Christian Izien of the Scarlet Knights.
Clifford attempted only 22 passes, completing 15 for 133 yards. He threw a touchdown pass to Parker Washington in the first quarter, but in the second half, Penn State attempted only eight passes. On some of those throws, Clifford demonstrated a lack of touch, especially in the red zone, overthrowing the intended target.
"Early on in the first half, I thought he played really well," Franklin said of Clifford. "When Sean missed today, he missed high, which puts you in jeopardy of tipped passes and things like that. I thought early on he looked very comfortable and confident managing the game."
• Penn State hosts Michigan State next Saturday, with the time and TV outlet to be announced Sunday. The Spartans are 2-4 after losing to Ohio State, 52-12, Saturday.