Rutgers Can’t Slow Down Nittany Lions as Penn State Rolls
PENN STATE 28 – RUTGERS 0
It will come down to the final week of the season for Rutgers’ bowl eligibility chances. After holding Penn State (7-4) scoreless for nearly the entire first half, it was all PSU after halftime as the Nittany Lions rolled past the Scarlet Knights 28-0 at Beaver Stadium.
The Scarlet Knight struggled against Penn State’s 10th ranked defense, managing only 10 first downs and 161 yards of offense.
In fact, Rutgers didn’t make a trip inside the PSU red zone until the start of the fourth quarter when Noah Vedral hit senior Bo Melton for a 34-yard completion to the Penn State 15-yard line.
Rutgers trailed 21-0 at that point. Rutgers moved the ball up to the eight-yard line before Vedral was sacked for a seven-yard loss on fourth down. That was the only opportunity Rutgers had to put any points on the board.
PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 02: head coach Greg Schiano of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights looks on from the sidelines during the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at SHI Stadium on October 02, 2021 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Before the big completion between Vedral and Melton, Rutgers had only 57-yards passing and 120 yards of offense as a team. Their best field position in Penn State territory was the 47-yard line through the games first three quarters.
Defensively, Rutgers certainly held its own, and gave RU a great chance early to make something happen.
On Penn State’s first six possessions, the Nittany Lions managed only 68 yards and two first downs. On top of that Penn State lost starting quarterback Sean Clifford to an injury in the first quarter.
In came freshman Christian Veilleux, who, after some early struggles against Rutgers defense, put together a fine effort navigating the Lions offense.
Veilleux completed 15 of 24 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
Before halftime, Veileux led Penn State on a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive. On that drive Veileux had a 12-yard completion to Parker Washington to move the ball to the RU 22, and a 14-yard completion to Jahon Datson. Datson caught the first touchdown of the day on an eight-yard completion to make it 7-0.
After Penn State’s pinned the Scarlet Knights inside their own five yard line, Penn State got the football back with 5:52 to go in the third quarter in great field position at the Rutgers 42.
Five plays later Veileux connected with Washington on a 17-yard pass for a touchdown to make it 14-0.
Parker Washington is going to be a problem for B1G secondaries.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 20, 2021
@cpw_3 // @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/HZwhKPPeyG
The back-breaker came just before the end of the quarter when Veileux rolled to his right and hit Malick Meiga for a 67-yard catch-n-run touchdown. It was Meiga’s first career touchdown at Penn State.
You can't be more open than this 👀🔥
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 20, 2021
Malick Meiga hauls in his first career TD catch and extends @PennStateFball's lead pic.twitter.com/M6XEsm6zYW
Rutgers (5-6) now must get a win next week at SHI Stadium against Maryland (5-5) in order to qualify for a bowl game. Kick-off at 12 noon, and can be heard exclusively on 93.5 FM, 1450 AM Fox Sports New Jersey.
