URL:http://www.alumni.psu.edu/fbl Username: psualum Password: weare Oct. 24, 2011 * Vol. 74, No. 8 t was a tale of two halves. All offense in the first Ihalf and all defense in the second. In an explosion of offensive fireworks, Penn State scored on every possession in the first 30 minutes in Evanston Saturday, and Northwest- ern punted only once. The two teams combined for 574 yards of offense and 51 points – more than had been tallied in any four-quarter Penn State game this fall. By scoring last on a lightning 40 second drive that covered 63 yards, the Nittany Lions went to the locker room with a 27-24 halftime lead over the high-octane Wildcats. None of the 40,004 spectators at Ryan Field or the prime-time Big Ten Network television audience could suspect that this high-scoring contest would morph into a defensive standoff in the final 30 minutes. But the key defensive play of the night – a 63- yard return by Lion linebacker Gerald Hodges of an interception that he made of a Dan Persa pass, tipped at the line of scrimmage by Jordan Hill – set the stage for the game’s final score in the fourth minute of the second half. Silas SILAS REDD runs around left end for several of his career-high 164 yards in State's 34-24 win at Northwestern. Redd’s 19-yard touchdown run on the next play sealed State’s 34-24 win over Northwestern, as With alumni Seth Meyers of Saturday Night junior quarterback Matt McGloin, getting his the Lion defense shut out the home team, while Live fame and Mike Kafka, backup Eagles first start of the 2011 season, quickly directed the Penn State offense spent most of the remain- quarterback, acting as honorary captains for his team on a 44-yard touchdown march. ing 26 minutes just running time off the clock. Northwestern’s Homecoming game, the Wild- Sophomore tailback Silas Redd sparked After spending the entire first half playing cats won the coin toss and deferred their option the drive by tearing through the left side of the ‘chase the quarterback’, the highly-rated Penn till the second half. Wildcat defense for 13 yards on State’s opening State defense made some adjustments at half- Penn State chose to receive but that deci- play. Later McGloin followed the surge of his time to slow down the Northwestern run and sion turned out to be a boon for the home offensive line to convert a 4th & 1, then tossed gun scoring machine. team, when Chaz Powell fumbled the ball on a four-yard strike to wideout Justin Brown, for Thereafter Hodges and company allowed the opening kickoff return, and Northwestern the Lions’ first touchdown of the game and the home team just 125 yards in the second half – actually got the first offensive possession, along Brown’s first of the season. less than half their output in the first. Mean- with great field position, when the Wildcats On Northwestern’s next series, defensive while, the Lions gained only 88 yards – less recovered at the PS-34. ends Jack Crawford and Eric Latimore and than a third of their total in the first 30 minutes. Last year’s All-Big Ten quarterback Dan linebacker Hodges combined for successive An hour later, when Michigan State’s last Persa, the Bethlehem PA native who has Penn sacks of Persa for 16 yards in losses and forced second Hail Mary pass was batted away by a State alumni in his family tree, immediately the only punt of the half. Wisconsin defender into the hands of a Spar- launched Northwestern’s first scoring drive by On State’s first play, McGloin arched a tan receiver on the goal line, Penn State was throwing consecutive passes 13 yards to Kain 45-yard bomb, which a streaking Devon Smith suddenly the only undefeated team left in the Colter and 15 yards to Jacob Schmidt, and caught up to in the end zone. Anthony Fera’s Leaders Division of the Big Ten Conference. eventually scoring himself on a fourth-down second extra point of the night gave State a It took a video review to determine that one-yard sneak. short-lived 14-7 lead. Keith Nichol barely broke the plane at the With the game less than three minutes Then it was the Wildcats’ turn again. front edge of the goal line, before Badger old the Homecomers celebrated their Alma Sophomore Kain Colter, Persa’s backup defenders downed him, and the Spartans up- Mater’s 7-0 lead. at quarterback, who plays wide receiver when set previously undefeated and fourth-ranked But the first half would become a see-saw Persa is in the game, started the longest drive Wisconsin, 37-31, rather than having the game ride, as the combatants took alternating turns of the night with a 10-yard pass to Rashad Law- go into overtime. crossing the goal lines. rence and finished it by catching his first career Michigan State is the only team left un- Powell partially redeemed himself by re- touchdown pass – a 12-yarder from Persa, and beaten in the Legends Division, but no Big Ten turning the next kickoff 54 yards, and State’s the score was knotted as the first quarter ended. squad is still undefeated when non-conference Penn State regained the lead early in the contests are included. PENN STATE 14 13 7 0 34 second quarter, when Redd ripped through NORTHWESTERN 14 10 0 0 24 Photos by Steve Manuel ’84, ‘92g R E C A P 1st Quarter NW: Persa 1-yd run caps 7-pl 34-yd drive in 2:34 set up by Mathews rec. of Powell fum. frcd. by Jenson & keyed by Persa passes 13 yds to Colter & 15 yds to Schmidt. (Budzien kick) 12:17 PS: Brown 4-yd pass from McGloin caps 10-pl 44- yd drive in 3:33 set up by Powell 54-yd KO ret. & sparked by Redd 13-yd run & McGloin 2-yd run on 4th & 1. (Fera kick) 8:44 PS: Smith 45-yd pass from McGloin in 1-pl drive in 0:06. (Fera kick) 5:51 NW: Colter 12-yd pass from Persa caps 10-pl 87-yd drive in 3:57 keyed by Colter 10-yd pass to Lawrence & Persa 27-yd pass to Brown. (Budzien kick) 0:54 1 2 2nd Quarter PS: Fera 37-yd FG caps 9-pl 56-yd drive in 4:28 keyed by Redd runs of 11 & 25 yds. 12:26 NW: Colter 4-yd run caps 7-pl 75-yd drive in 3:43 keyed by Persa passes 17 yds to Dunsmore & 10 yds to Ebert & Colter 46-yd run. (Budzien kick) 8:43 PS: Fera 33-yd FG caps 12-pl 75-yd drive in 4:42 keyed by McGloin passes 17 yds & 11 yds to Brown & 11 yds to Drake & 20 yds to Smith. 4:01 NW: Budzien 25-yd FG caps 9-pl 72-yd drive in 3:14 keyed by Persa 54-yd pass to Ebert. 0:47 10 PS: Green 1-yd run caps 7-pl 63-yd drive in 0:40 keyed by Redd 42-yd run on 3rd & 1 & McGloin 11-yd 1: THIS TIME defensive ends Jack Crawford (81) and Eric Latimore pass to Smith (Fera kick) 0:07 (56) get the sack on Persa for a loss of 10 yards. 2: SPEEDSTER 9 Devon Smith catches 45-yard touchdown bomb from Matt Mc- 3rd Quarter Gloin to give Penn State a 14-7 lead in the first quarter. 3: JUSTIN PS: Redd 19-yd run in 1-pl drive in 0:05 set up by BROWN catches four-yard pass from Matt McGloin for Lions’ first Hodges intcpt. of Persa pass tipped by Hill & 63-yd touchdown. 4: LION wide receiver Brandon Moseby-Felder turns ret. (Fera kick) 11:39 the corner on a nine-yard reception from quarterback Matt Mc- Attendance: 40,004 Gloin. 5: SILAS REDD broke through Northwestern defense for 19 yards and game’s last touchdown on first play after Gerald Hodges the left side for 11 yards then took a pitchout intercepted pass tipped by Jordan Hill and returned it 63 yards in around right end for 25 more and finally caught third9 quarter. 6: SAFETY Nick Sukay leaps to strip ball from North- a 5-yard pass from McGloin to set up Anthony western receiver, and part-time quarterback, Kain Colter. 7: MATT Fera’s 37-yard field goal and give the visitors a McGLOIN savored his first start of the season and responded by 17-14 edge. completing 17 of 26 pass attempts for 192 yards and two touch- But Persa then started his team on a 75-yard downs. 8: FLAG WAVING Nittany Lion and cheerleaders lead team march with a 17-yard pass to Drake Dunsmore onto the field in Evanston. 9: JACK CRAWFORD tries to bat down and a 10-yard toss to Jeremy Ebert. Colter pass by Wildcat QB Dan Persa. 10: ANTHONY FERA kicked two replaced Persa at quarterback and finished field goals Saturday to raise his season total to 11 in 12 attempts. the march with a 46-yard run through the left side of the Penn State defense and a four-yard burst for a touchdown that put the Wildcats in the lead at 21-17. But McGloin was undaunted and passed for 63 yards on five tosses to four different receivers during a 75-yard drive.