Three takeaways from Penn State football’s convincing 34-12 win over West Virginia

Penn State opened its season with a 34-12 win on the road Saturday.

The Nittany Lions took a 20-6 lead into halftime before a 2-hour, 19-minute weather delay pushed the second half into the evening.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Tre Wallace is a legitimate No. 1 receiver

Any questions about the Penn State receiving corps may already be answered — and it’s all because Tre Wallace is a legitimate top option. Wallace has been cited as the likely breakout candidate by coaching staff members and teammates alike this offseason, but there still wasn’t proof of his rise on the field.

Well, Saturday had an abundance of proof. Wallace consistently got open against West Virginia’s corners, finding space in zone defenses and beating corners in man coverage time and time again. He showed his breakaway speed on his first touchdown, a nicely layered throw from Drew Allar between two defenders that he took to the house. He topped that catch later with his second touchdown — when he contorted his body and made a catch on a back-shoulder throw in the corner of the end zone.

His emergence allows the Nittany Lions’ other receivers to slot in behind him in roles they’re equipped to handle while forcing the defense to focus on him. If he stays healthy — a big “if” based on his history — he will change the ceiling of the offense moving forward. He finished Saturday with five catches for 117 yards and two touchdown.

Penn State’s defense has picked up where it left off

There should be no concerns about Tom Allen’s defense moving forward. Allen had the unit firing on all cylinders from the start of Saturday’s game, and his variation of the 4-2-5 played a big role in that. Safety Jaylen Reed played as the team’s fifth defensive back in the personnel grouping and was all over the field in his new role. He broke up a West Virginia shot play on the first play of the game and blew up a screen by diagnosing the play and quickly attacking downhill.

Reed and the rest of the defense were as good as ever in the James Franklin era and should be able to hold up against any offense in the country. Importantly, the Nittany Lions limited a very good rushing attack that can go at a defense with multiple styles of backs and a good running quarterback — a similar setup, albeit a worse version of it, to the one they will face when they take on Ohio State in November.

QB2 Beau Pribula will be a major factor in the offense

Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said during the offseason that backup quarterback Beau Pribula was one of the offense’s best 11 players and that he would play because of it — and Saturday he kept his word. Pribula was on the field frequently and was used in a myriad of different ways against the Mountaineers. He lined up at quarterback to run option rushing plays and run-pass options, and he even lined up at receiver to run routes. Pribula’s athleticism adds a dimension to the offense, and it’s no surprise that Kotelnicki — who utilized two quarterbacks frequently at Kansas — would try and use that to his team’s advantage.

Pribula didn’t light the world on fire with his stats — he finished with 25 rushing yards on three carries, in addition to tossing a 19-yard touchdown pass — but he made the Mountaineer defense hesitate on occasion. That created enough advantages for the Nittany Lions that he should be a part of the offense moving forward.