Brandon Smith made some splash plays on Saturday. He blew up an Illinois wide receiver on an attempted reverse pass that led to an incomplete pass, as well as recording a strip sack. That said, he was often times out of position, appeared lost on plays and struggled to get off blocks. It was a maddeningly inconsistent day for Smith.
Ellies Brooks dropped an interception right before the half that would have given Penn State the ball at midfield. Brooks also made seemingly one poor read after another which led to him too often running himself out of the play.