Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win over Maryland

1. Nittany Lions make statement

The first conference game of the year for both teams turned into a rout. Penn State took their bye week, corrected mistakes and played all four quarters as they pummeled Maryland.

Both the Lions offense and defense looked great tonight. The Lions racked up 619 total yards, eight touchdowns, and even led in time of possession which has not been their strong suit. The biggest improvement was the Lions third down efficiency. They entered the game 7 for 30 on third downs. Against Maryland, they went 9 for 13 and their first miss on third down was in the third quarter. It was a huge correction for the Lions they clearly worked on during the bye week.

On defense, Penn State could not have played much better. They got a shutout and limited Maryland to 128 total yards. They racked up three turnovers, two interceptions and one fumble, plus they terrorized Josh Jackson and Tyrrell Pigrome all night. The Terps could not move the ball against the Nittany Lions. A negative was losing star linebacker Micah Parsons early to a targeting call, but the Lions did not miss a beat on defense.

Penn State escaped the Pitt game two weeks ago with a win in a game they were outplayed. They corrected their mistakes and shined against Maryland. It was a statement victory. Sure the Nittany Lions have not truly been tested yet. But the win keeps Penn State in the Big Ten conference title conversation.