Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win at Northwestern

2. Trace McSorley can still win games against tough opponents

Throughout the first half of the season, Trace McSorley has been pilloried by a segment of the Penn State fan base for his inconsistent play. The criticism hasn’t necessarily been warranted, as McSorley entered the Northwestern game with a 65 percent completion rate and 12 touchdowns against four interceptions. But it has stuck even though Penn State continues to win.

In the win over Northwestern, McSorley did have some errant throws. He misfired on several plays that could have boosted his stat line further, at least two which could have been touchdowns. But the Nittany Lions quarterback was still an efficient 21-of-27 for 222 yards and a touchdown. He added a late touchdown run to put Penn State up 31-0 as they blew out their hosts. In the end, it will be hard to find much fault with McSorley after his most recent performance.

As we’ve seen, defenses are going to continue to key in on Saquon Barkley as the season goes on. They won’t be able to entirely stop the standout running back, but they can contain the damage he does. That will make McSorley’s play even more critical for Penn State as they enter the toughest stretch of the Big Ten schedule.