Penn State opened the 2021 season with a smile. It was good vibes on the return flight to Happy Valley after Penn State held on to pull an upset of Wisconsin in Madison on Saturday, and there was plenty to review in the aftermath of the thrilling 16-10 victory.
Before we dive into some of the main takeaways from Penn State’s showing against the Badgers, it should be noted how terrific it was to see fans back in a Big Ten stadium rocking out during a big-time matchup between ranked opponents. We didn’t have this last year, and Wisconsin fans brought it in the first game of the season. It was a joy to witness through the television and here’s looking forward to when Penn state fans get a chance to cheer on their team in Beaver Stadium next week and in two weeks for the first whiteout game since 2019.
Just look at this photo from the game in awe.
And now to some takeaways from the game itself. While Penn State’s defense had three takeaways, I’m serving up five takeaways I had after watching the game.
Let’s start with the player of the game…
Jaquan Brisker is a baller
What more needs to be said about the gutsy performance by safety Jaquan Brisker? Brisker came into the season regarded as the best player on Penn State’s defense, and arguably the entire roster. And despite having to receive medical attention on the field, on the sideline, in the medical tent multiple times throughout the game, it was Brisker who helped deliver one of the biggest plays of the game.
Brisker came up in the clutch on a day his team needed him to do so, and he did so despite clearly playing through some discomfort at times.
LISTEN: How Jaquan Brisker’s big INT sounded on TV and Penn State radio
Arnold Ebiketie will be a beast
Another defensive standout from the game who battled his own medical issue at one point was defensive end Arnold Ebiketie. The transfer from Temple asserted himself in a big way by creating pressure and coming up with some key tackles on the defensive line against one of the better offensive lines in the Big Ten.
We should very much be looking forward to more havoc from Penn State’s new defensive end star.