Defense rules as No. 7 Penn State tops Illinois in grueling contest

Drew Allar and the Penn State offense struggled against Illinois, but the defense forced five turnovers in a 30-13 victory.

combined to average fewer than 4 yards per rush. That they were repeatedly stonewalled by an Illinois defense ranked 124th nationally against the run was equal parts puzzling and problematic.

The same Illini front seven that was shredded in Weeks 1 and 2 by Toledo and Kansas, respectively, amassed four tackles for loss and one sack while holding the Nittany Lions in check for much of the game, including a stuff on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line.After pulling away from Illinois in the second half, Penn State will return to State College for its Big Ten home opener against Iowa on Sept. 23.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at

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