There weren’t a lot of standout players for Penn State during its 29-6 loss to Northwestern on Saturday, but we’d still like to hand out some helmet stickers:
Linebacker Mike Hull: With Nyeem Wartman injured, even more was expected out of Hull this game. And he stepped up. It wasn’t a pretty contest in the fourth quarter, but that certainly wasn’t on the senior linebacker. Hull finished with a game-high 16 tackles and a stop in the backfield. He had at least twice as many stops as every other player on Saturday, Northwestern included.
Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton: Another game, another 100-yard effort for Hamilton. This is his third such game this season, as he finished with six catches for exactly 100 yards. Hamilton showed consistency, something redshirt sophomore Geno Lewis lacked on Saturday with one or two key drops. Hamilton was the lone bright spot of this offense. No running back gained more than 25 yards, and no other receiver gained more than 35 yards.
Punt returner Jesse Della Valle: He likely won’t win Big Ten special-teams player of the week anytime soon, but Saturday was his best game as a returner. He put this offense in good position with a career-best 41-yard punt return. And, by not calling a fair catch on one play, he helped draw a flag when one Wildcats player ran into him right before receiving the ball. That moved PSU ahead another 15 yards. On a day when few shined, Della Valle stood out.
