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Volume 79, Issue 3 Sept. 17, 2016 The Letter 1 2 3 4 Score PSU 14 7 3 10 34 Penn State’s 2016 team is nothing if not exciting. They Temple 7 3 7 10 27 give fans their money’s worth and keep their fannies in the seats to a suspenseful end. The Letter In the span of eight days, the Nittany Lions mounted a Notes From The Cuff thrilling comeback against their longest rival, before losing by three points, then jumped to an early two­ Other Sports touchdown lead against their fifth most­often played News Of Note opponent, before thwarting its valiant comeback effort Game Photos by seven points. And both games were closed off with Statistics an interception by the winning team in the last 75 seconds. Against its two in­state foes Penn State’s offense scored 73 points, while its defense surrendered 69, as the Lions fell short at Pitt, 42­39, but avenged last year’s loss to Temple by a 34­27 margin. On a cloudy but balmy afternoon in Happy Valley Saturday, the Nittany Lion faithful enjoyed their second glorious day of tailgating outside Beaver Stadium this season. But they couldn’t leave their seats to resume those activities, until sophomore cornerback John Reid intercepted a Temple pass and ran it back 14 yards before wisely pulling a Pete Giftopoulos. Update Your Info Even though it happened before he was born, Reid probably had heard about the former Lion linebacker, who knew it was wiser to purposely fall down after his interception of Vinny Testaverde and let the clock Join/Renew run out in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl than to risk being hit and possibly fumbling away a certain victory. The crowd’s enthusiasm over the Lions early success Saturday was increased with the display of videos FAN ZONE marking the 50th anniversary of Joe Paterno’s first game as a head coach (a 15­7 win over Maryland) and Radio/TV Listings his numerous achievements for Penn State, especially his Grand Experiment in building success on the field and in the classroom. High graduation rates and preparation of his players for life after football were Football Schedule among his hallmarks. Team Roster GoPSUSports.com Athletic Director Sandy Barbour noted in a statement before game day that “together with his wife, Sue, Big Ten Football TV they helped countless students become leaders and earn a Penn State degree.” She said the Schedule commemoration in the stadium had “a focus on the players and their accomplishments at Penn State and beyond” which was consistent with the wishes of the Paterno family. Big Ten Standings Big Ten Schedule and Hundreds of lettermen gathered with the Paterno family for a special event Friday evening in Penn State’s Results baseball stadium and returning members of Joe’s first team in 1966 were recognized in Beaver Stadium at Penn Staters in the Pros halftime. Co­captains of that team, Mike Irwin and John Runnells, were honorary captains along with the Lions’ current leaders for the coin toss at midfield. For advertising info, contact: After Penn State jumped out to a 21­7 lead midway through the second quarter Saturday, a tough Temple Angelo Scialfa team outfought the Lions for the next 37 minutes only to have its efforts fall seven points short. 609­259­1910 [email protected] Again, offensive mistakes seriously hurt Penn State, as the Owls scored 14 points off Lion turnovers and had the home team hanging on at the end. The Lions withstood a center snap over the head of quarterback Trace McSorley on a first quarter touchdown drive and a fumble on the TU­7 in the second. But an interception of McSorley gave the visitors the ball on the PS­9 for an easy TD drive in the third. And a botched punt return gave the Owls possession on the PS­1 in the fourth. It took three cracks at the line, but Temple finally scored its second gift TD and cut the Lions’ lead to just three points with 8:10 left in the game. Injuries also hampered Penn State, which was without the services of starters Jason Cabinda at middle linebacker, Brandon Bell at outside linebacker, Evan Schwann at defensive end, Grant Haley at cornerback and wide receiver Saeed Blacknall. In the second quarter the other starting linebacker, Nyeem Wartman­White suffered a leg injury while blocking on a punt safe return. From then on the Lions’ linebackers were two sophomores with limited experience (Manny Bowen and Jake Cooper) and a former walk­on who had been on the field for a total of only three defensive snaps in his four years on the team. But Brandon Smith, a married pre­med student who could have gone to Penn or Princeton but always wanted to play football at Penn State, said he left the decision up to God, who gave him a signal to follow his dream. An All­State running back and linebacker at Lewisburg High School, he walked­on as a fullback for Bill O’Brien’s Lions in 2013, but later begged James Franklin and his assistants to switch him to linebacker. Smith told the media after the game, “You never want it to happen like that (injury to another player), but you have to be ready when your number is called and I was excited for my opportunity. .I just thank God and all the people who have been pushing me to keep faith and wait for my opportunity.” Coaches and fellow players hailed “Smitty” as something of a hero, when he finished the game as the second leading tackler in just two and a half quarters of play. Coach Franklin suggested he celebrate with his teammates, but the unassuming mild­mannered Smith said, “I’m just going to spend time with my family and Previous Issues relax a little tonight.” On the offensive side, star tailback Saquon Barkley hobbled off the field after the first play of the game (when he rushed through the line for eight yards) and went to head trainer Tim Bream. His absence allowed his backups to show what they could do, and sophomore Mark Allen, redshirt freshman Andre Robinson and true freshman Miles Sanders, combined to gain 69 yards on 15 carries. With tape around his left leg and after working out on a stationary bicycle and running short bursts along the sideline Barkley returned just before halftime. In the fourth quarter he ripped off a 55­yard touchdown run – the longest of his career – which accounted for State’s final and winning points. With 61 points scored by the two teams and lots of big plays, the 100,420 fans in Beaver Stadium plus the millions watching on the Big Ten Television Network witnessed plenty of exciting gridiron action. Penn State scored first on a 52­yard TD pass from McSorley to leading Lion receiver Chris Godwin on a perfectly executed post pattern on the home team’s second possession. It was Godwin’s first score of the season. But the Owls flew right back, when just one play later quarterback Phillip Walker hooked up with Romond DeLoatch on a quick slant pass that turned into a 67­ yard catch and run right down the middle. Safety Marcus Allen caught him on the PS­8, but Temple’s outstanding tailback, Jahad Thomas, immediately rushed around right end for the TD to tie it up. After the quick two­play touchdown drive by each team, Penn State mounted a slow methodical march of 69 yards in 13 plays, taking nearly six minutes. It was climaxed by redshirt freshman Andre Robinson, when he blasted three yards through the middle for his first Penn State touchdown. True redshirt freshman tailback Miles Sanders ran for 27 yards on his first three carries in a Blue and White uniform, before fumbling just seven yards short of the end zone to kill the third Lion scoring opportunity. But State got the ball back two minutes later. Another hookup between McSorley and Godwin covered 23 yards and Trace tossed a nifty 14­yarder to Brandon Polk to put the ball on the TU­2. From there Penn State’s QB scrambled around right end and reached the ball inside the pylon to give the home team a 14­ point lead. It was McSorley’s first running touchdown. But the Owls refused to leave their nest. Just 38 seconds before the end of the first half Temple had the ball on their own 20­yard line, after a punt by freshman Blake Gillikin sailed into the end zone. As Penn State laid back in a prevent defense, Thomas ran for 15 yards, Walker passed to Marshall Ellick for 19 yards and to Brodrick Yancy for five. Penn State was called for a defensive holding penalty on Walker’s next pass attempt. After another short pass to Yancy, Austin Jones booted a 45­yard field goal to cut the home team lead to 21­10 at halftime. Penn State got those three points back shortly after halftime. Tight end Mike Gesicki leaped at the Temple 9­yard line to pull down a 52­yard pass from McSorley with his right hand. But a 12­yard loss on an attempted reverse by DaeSean Hamilton and a holding penalty on Andrew Nelson pushed the Lions back to where they had to call on Tyler Davis to kick a 40­yard field goal. After Delvon Randall’s interception of McSorley set up Temple’s touchdown to cut State’s lead to 24­17, Randall returned the favor by interfering on McSorley’s next pass attempt aimed at Hamilton.

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