Penn State report card: Defense gets tough, offense loosens up, can it be enough?

STATE COLLEGE − Penn State's defense made up for its stunningly inept second half at Michigan.

The offense made up for three weeks worth of spinning wheels.

It all came together in a must-have performance in the White Out, all at Minnesota's expense.

What does a 45-17 victory mean over a wounded opponent?

A lot for one night. And probably not very much going forward.

All-powerful Ohio State visits in less than a week.

But, first things, first.

Penn State won, and its previously highly regarded defense wouldn't let it happen any other way.

"We trusted each other, and we played in our gaps and we followed Coach Manny's plan and executed," star safety Ji'Ayir "Tig" Brown said of his teammates and of coordinator Manny Diaz.

Seems kind of simple, Tig?

"It seems simple but not easy. Because when guys are out there, things that may seem simple can change. Guys' minds might not be in the right spot. Or guys' bodies might not be in the right spot during the play. That leads to execution errors."

Against Minnesota, his teammates righted themselves in all facets.

Here are your overall grades for the 6-1 Nittany Lions:

Offense: B+

Slow starts are one thing. But give plenty of credit to Sean Clifford who missed at least one practice last week dealing with a sore shoulder but rallied through early struggles and crowd booing and righted this group in a hurry.

He patiently fired to his open tight ends, which appeared to jump-start the entire operation.

Theo Johnson, the most talented body in a stacked position group, finally shined with five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Third-string tight end Tyler Warren scored the first touchdown.

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Plus, No. 1 receiver Parker Washington provided the kind of performance expected much earlier this season with a team-best seven catches for 70 yards and an impressive jump-ball touchdown − his first of the year.

The offensive line accounted well for itself considering it was missing starting guard Landon Tengwall and used part-time starter Bryce Effner much of the night at right tackle.

Tough running, rookie tailbacks. A step forward for them, too.

Defense: A-

Only two true blemishes in an otherwise sterling effort, from beginning to end.

It gave up a big third-down pass along the sideline near the end of the first half, which led to a touchdown that brought Minnesota close. Tremendous pass, though, by rookie QB Athan Kaliakmanis.

The only other issue was backups yielding more big plays and a score in the fourth quarter.

The pass rush must still improve, especially so against the Buckeyes here Saturday. That's for certain.

Linebackers Curtis Jacobs and Abdul Carter must build upon big efforts. Jacobs had been missing in action some weeks (Northwestern) and out of position others (Michigan) − but gave an inspiring effort vs. Minnesota.

Try 14 tackles, seven solos, and two tackles for loss.

Carter, the phenom rookie, added eight tackles with a stop behind scrimmage.

Special teams: B

Another quiet performance, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

While punter Barney Amor wasn't really in position to lock down Minnesota deep on his four attempts, he didn't make any glaring mistakes. Same for the returners.

Kicker Jake Pinegar connected on his only field goal try for the second-straight week.

Coaching: A-

We can forget another slow start on offense, at least for the time being.

Thankfully, the tight ends became a priority in the pass game, though James Franklin made it sound as if Clifford was simply giving what the defense offered.

We won't belabor the issue. The offensive playcalling was diverse and sharp and getting their biggest receivers active in the pass game seemed to open things up for everyone.

Loved the increasing physicality of tailback Kaytron Allen.

Even more, kudos for the defense for fixing errors and stamping down on Minnesota's impressive run game. Has an opposing running back had to work harder for 102 yards than Mo Ibrahim? He grinded through 30 carries (3.4 yard average), which meant that heroics would be left to a rookie quarterback.

Too much for Minnesota to overcome.

Overall: A-

Penn State took full advantage of its signature atmosphere and recruiting weekend with an emphatic victory, offense and defense both showcasing depth and power.

Not much more to ask against this opponent at this particular time.

This effort certainly doesn't redefine this team or the season. But it need not.

Penn State required a confidence boost and self-belief and progress in basic operations. It got them. Something to build upon.

Surely, something positive, if not hope, leading into Ohio State.

Play of the game: Parker Washington, 35-yard TD catch

The Nittany Lions were holding a tenuous seven-point lead early in the third quarter.

They were still in control but needed something to show for it on offense.

That's when Sean Clifford dropped back, a Minnesota defender freight-training at him up the middle.

Clifford knew he was going to get rocked but delivered long toward the end zone anyway, putting enough air under the ball to let his receiver adjust to it. The play was reminiscent of Trace McSorley's tying touchdown throw to KJ Hamler against Appalachian State four years ago.

This time, Parker Washington positioned himself in front of a defensive back, leaped and came down with the touchdown catch that helped break open the game.

"That was one of the better throws I've seen Sean make under duress, standing in there and delivering a ball like that," Franklin said. "I thought that was big time."

Player of the game: Sean Clifford

Gutsy, productive effort with a sore shoulder and a sold-out crowd calling out his early struggles.

Could rookie Drew Allar have been so resilient? Who else could of?

Clifford not only settled into a rhythm, he morphed into the most reliable, best thing about this night. He completed nearly all of his throws after an early interception. He spread the ball around to eight receivers and hit four touchdown throws.

One of the best in-game recovery efforts in recent memory.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on Twitter @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football: Sean Clifford, James Franklin in White Out win