Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from huge win over Indiana

Penn State football built up an early lead at home and cruised to victory over Indiana on Saturday. Here are our three takeaways from the Nittany Lions win.

On their trip to Happy Valley, Indiana found itself in a deficit almost immediately. Saquon Barkley returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, and the Nittany Lions forced two quick turnovers to jump out to a 21-0 lead.

From there, the Hoosiers tried in vain to crawl out of their hole. James Franklin’s team had no trouble staying ahead, cruising to a 45-14 victory over Indiana. Keep reading for our three takeaways from the big win by the defending Big Ten champions.

3. Saquon Barkley held in check on offense but still a Heisman favorite

Indiana came to Beaver Stadium with a clear-cut game plan. The Hoosiers defense sold out in an effort to keep Saquon Barkley from beating them. The plan worked for the most part, as Barkley was held to just 56 rushing yards on 20 carries. It was the lowest rushing output Barkley has ever posted during his career while receiving at least 20 carries.

He still managed to beat the Hoosiers in different ways on Saturday. As mentioned in the introduction, Barkley put Penn State up by a touchdown right out of the gate as Indiana made the mistake of sending the opening kickoff his way. Barkley also caught four passes for 51 yards on a day when the passing attack took center stage for the Nittany Lions.

Barkley also got into the action on that side of the ball, fooling the Hoosiers defense with a 16-yard touchdown pass.

The Heisman hype won’t slow down, even on an off day running the ball. Penn State proved that it can win without its star running back on top form. After all, he can beat opponents in more than just one way.