Volume 79, Issue 14 Jan. 2, 2017 The Letter 1 2 3 4 Score PSU 0 21 28 0 49 The two hottest football teams in the country during the last two USC 13 14 8 17 52 months of the regular season treated fans to the most exciting performance in any bowl game this year, as a lastplay 46yard field goal gave Southern California a 52–49 win over Penn State The Letter in the highestscoring game in the Rose Bowl’s 103year history. Notes From The Cuff The No. 5 Nittany Lions charged into the contest with a Big Ten Other Sports title and a ninegame winning streak that was broken and left Game Photos them with an 11–3 record for the 2016 season. Statistics The No. 9 Trojans rode into the game with an eightgame victory skein that they extended to nine to finish the 2016 campaign at 10–3.
USC, playing on a field just 20 miles from their campus where they beat UCLA, 36–14, just two games ago, had been installed as a sevenpoint favorite. Penn State beat the spread but lost the game on the final play.
Matching two of the nation’s most explosive offenses, the contest featured 60 actionpacked minutes of Update Your Info backandforth, leadchanging play that kept 95,128 fans tethered to their seats in the venerable 95year old stadium located in picturesque Arroyo Seco canyon in Pasadena. Join/Renew The Trojans dominated the first quarter 13–0 on the scoreboard, 145 yards to 38 in total offense and 10:43 to 4:17 in time of possession. They converted 4 of 7 third downs, while holding the Lions to 0 of 2. FAN ZONE In the second quarter, Penn State converted all four of its third downs, switched possession time to 14:38 Radio/TV Listings —14:36 in its favor, outgained USC, 212 yards to 183 and cut the point lead to 27–21. Football Schedule Team Roster True to its reputation as a secondhalf team, the Nittany Lions exploded after the two schools’ bands had dazzled attendees with their marching and musicality. Penn State set a Rose Bowl record by scoring 28 GoPSUSports.com points in the third quarter. The Lions outgained the Trojans, 211–87, to take a 451–415 lead in total Big Ten Football TV offense and post a 49–35 advantage on the scoreboard. Schedule Big Ten Standings But then the unthinkable happened. Big Ten Schedule and The team, which had mounted monumental comebacks in six of its last nine games and whose 166 fourth Results quarter points led the nation, was held scoreless for the final 15 minutes, while USC breached the patent Penn Staters in the Pros by gradually adding 17 markers for its dramatic comeback victory—with the tying and winning points coming in the final minute and 20 seconds. For advertising info, contact: It was an outcome that suddenly shifted the cacophonous cheering and joyous jubilation from the Blue and Angelo Scialfa White section of the stadium to the Cardinal and Gold. 6092591910 [email protected] The offensive outputs by both teams were unprecedented in Rose Bowl history, as was Penn State’s 49 points in a losing effort.
The 101 combined points broke the Rose Bowl record established by Oregon’s 4538 win over Wisconsin in 2012.
Super sophomore Saquon Barkley displayed the skills that should put him on the Heisman Trophy Watch List next fall: rushing for 194 yards on 25 carries, adding 57 on two kickoff returns and 55 on five pass receptions for an allpurpose yardage total of 306—third highest in Penn State history. His 18 points on two rushing TDs and one receiving score tied him for second on State’s bowl list with KiJana Carter’s 1995 Rose Bowl performance.
Junior wide receiver Chris Godwin caught nine passes for 187 yards (breaking David Daniels’ mark of 154 in the 1990 Blockbuster Bowl) and two touchdowns. His nine receptions broke Andrew Quarless’ PS record of eight in the 2010 Capitol One Bowl. And his 72yard touchdown catch tied for third longest in Rose Bowl history and longest in PS bowl annals.
Trace McSorley’s five touchdowns responsible for— one on the ground and four through the air—broke the Nittany Lions’ bowl record and tied for the most in the Rose Bowl books. His four TD passes tied for second in Rose Bowl history, and first in Penn State’s with Tony Sacca (1992 Fiesta), Wally Richardson (1996 Outback) and Christian Hackenberg (2014 Pinstripe).
He also joined Todd Blackledge (1982) as the only PS QB to throw at least four TD passes in three consecutive games. And he broke by one Kerry Collins’ record of throwing a touchdown in 14 consecutive games.
The 6–0 205pound McSorley completed 18 of 29 pass attempts for 254 yards with three interceptions, averaging 14.1 yards per completion. USC’s Sam Darnold, the Pacific12 Freshman of the Year, set the Rose Bowl record by passing for five touchdowns. The 6–4 225pounder completed 33 of 53 attempts for 453 yards with one interception, averaging 13.7 yards per completion.
The temperature at kickoff was 57 degrees, making this the coldest Rose Bowl since 1960. And the game started ominously for Penn State.
After winning the coin toss and making their usual aggressive choice of receiving, the Nittany Lions were unceremoniously pinned on their own 3yard line, when Southern Cal’s kickoff floated aimlessly, landed awkwardly, bounced weirdly and eluded State’s kickoff returner, freshman Miles Sanders, until he could finally dive on it in the shadow of Penn State’s own end zone. Previous Issues Undeterred, aggressive quarterback Trace McSorley, the MVP of the Big Ten Championship game and holder of the nation’s highest average yards per pass completion, launched a long aerial down the left sideline on the first play of the game. Apparently his intended receiver, speedy sophomore DeAndre Thompkins, was not on the same page and cut off a much shorter route. The pass sailed uncontested into the arms of the only player in its path—USC cornerback Iman Marshall at the PS35.
It was the first interception of a McSorley pass in his last 101 throws and only the sixth of the season compared to 25 touchdown tosses among his 226 completions in 398 attempts.
State’s defense held the Trojans to only two yards on their first three plays, and placekicker Matt Boermeester missed a 51yard field goal attempt.
Saquon Barkley gained 27 yards on his first three carries, before McSorley attempted his second pass of the game, another misconnect which went off the fingers of Thompkins into the hands of USC’s All American cornerback Adoree Jackson, who returned the interception 21 yards to midfield.
This time Trojan quarterback Sam Darnold moved his team 51 yards on five plays—two of which were passes to AllAmerican JuJu SmithSchuster for 25 yards and to Deonta Burnett for 26 yards and the game’s first touchdown.
The Lion defense stopped the next USC drive, after a pass interference penalty put the Trojans on the PS6, but Boermeester booted a 22yard field goal to raise the score to 10–0.
On the last possession of the first quarter, Darnold completed a 13yard toss to his tight end and a 28 yarder on a fleaflicker that set up another Boermeester field goal of 44 yards to increase the lead to 13 points.
McSorley got his team moving on the first possession of the second quarter by completing passes of 13 and 14 yards to wide receiver Chris Godwin and 16 yards to Barkley, who climaxed the drive with a 24 yard burst up the middle for the Lions’ first score.
Darnold responded with a 32yard completion to Burnett to spark the Trojans’ second TD march that included USC’s first significant run of the game—a 24yarder by senior Justin Davis. The touchdown came on a controversial play, when Darnold passed to Burnett in the left flat, and he danced three yards into the end zone. An official called offensive pass interference on a Trojan, but the call was reversed after a replay review.
Penn State continued the backandforth scoring, when McSorley passed 29 yards to Godwin, Barkley rushed for 11 and Godwin made a sterling catch of McSorley’s 30yard toss into the deep right corner of the end zone. Again Darnold responded, moving the Trojans 75 yards—all except two of which came on his passes to Darreus Rogers, SmithSchuster and Jackson. Rogers got the TD on a threeyard flip.
And again McSorley replied with a 75yard drive that included three passes to Godwin for 27 yards, one to Thompkins for eight and the capstone—an 11yard strike that tight end Mike Gesicki hauled down in the same spot where Godwin caught the previous touchdown.
USC made a frantic attempt to add to its lead in the final 46 seconds of the half, as Darnold completed a 13yard pass to Rogers and a 12yarder to Burnett. But the drive ended in a missed 49yard field goal attempt by Boermeester.
The halftime score stood at USC 27, PSU 21.
But Penn State set a slew of records in the third quarter, starting with 28 points—the most in any Rose Bowl third quarter; the fastest scoring drive in the bowl’s history (five seconds by McSorley on his 3yard run), and the first team to have a 175yard rusher and receiver in a game.
On the first play by the Penn State offense in the second half, Barkley stutterstepped through a hole on the right side of the line, cut left, broke tackles, zig-zagged past would-be tacklers and outran the Trojan secondary 79 yards to paydirt.
And Penn State suddenly had its first lead of the contest, 28–27.
Barkley told reporters after the game that at halftime Coach Franklin told him that “someone’s got to come up and make a play and I kind of took that personally.”
Barkley gained 118 of his 194 rushing yards, 38 of his 55 receiving yards, all 57 of his kickoff return yards and two of his three touchdowns in the second half.
On State’s next play it extended that lead to 35–27, when McSorley threw a pass to Godwin along the left sideline. Surehanded Chris juggled, then pulled in, a pass that appeared to bounce off the helmet of the USC defender. He then sprinted along the sideline all the way to a 72yard touchdown.
Two plays, two lightening TDs.
Just two plays later senior outside linebacker Brandon Bell intercepted a Darnold pass and returned it 24 yards to the SC3, before being injured when tackled and lost for the rest of the game. On the next play McSorley dashed three yards through the left side for the third touchdown in just 84 seconds elapsed time, leading to a 15point Penn State advantage.
The Trojans momentarily cut that margin to seven, after covering 65 yards on 10 plays in 3:45. Key plays in that drive were Darnold’s 20yard screen pass to Aca’Cedri Ware and 13yard touchdown pass to SmithSchuster, followed by a threeyard toss to senior tight end Taylor McNamara for a twopoint conversion.
But State’s thirdquarter scoring was not finished yet. McSorley passed to Barkley for 17and 14yard gains, two personal foul penalties on Southern Cal, and a 17yard Barkley run propelled an 82yard drive capped by a 7yard McSorley to Barkley pass for the Lions’ 7th touchdown. Mr. Automatic, Tyler Davis, added extra points to all these TDs, giving Davis the Penn State bowl record and tying the Rose Bowl mark.
But then came the disappointment of the final frame.
In the middle of the fourth quarter another official’s call was overturned after review. An outofbounds incompletion ruling became a 27yard catch by SmithSchuster on the PS3, followed by USC’s only rushing touchdown—a 3yard Ronald Jones’ blast up the middle. And State’s lead was shaved again to seven points.
With less than two minutes left in the contest, USC got the ball back after a 65yard punt by Blake Gillikin.
Darnold passed 11 yards to SmithSchuster and 12 yards to tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe. Successive pass interference penalties were called on Jordan Smith and Grant Haley, before Darnold passed 27 yards to Burnett for the game’s 13th and final touchdown.
With just 1:09 on the clock, overtime loomed on the nowdark horizon.
But the Trojans stifled a Barkley run, and McSorley’s pass, intended for Gesicki, was incomplete. On 3rd and9 McSorley lofted his final pass of the night—deep toward Godwin along the right sideline. USC strong safety Leon McQuay had cheated on the snap and was close enough to cut in front of Godwin, nab the Trojan’s third interception and tiptoe down the sideline for a 32yard return to the PS33.
Two plays later Boermeester split the uprights with a 46yard field goal, as time and Penn State’s hopes for a fantastic finish to a phenomenal season expired.
In his postgame press conference, a chokedup James Franklin gave credit to USC’s “very talented football team” and their Coach Clay Helton, but added that he was “really, really proud of our guys in that locker room.”
He said, “There’s obviously a lot of raw emotion right now, and there is a lot of hurt going on.”
But he added that “these guys should have their chin held high, their chest out, because what we’ve been able to accomplish this year from the beginning to the end is really the story.”
Franklin thanked the Rose Bowl “because the entire experience from top to bottom was first class and awesome.”
Trying to hold back tears, Franklin said, “The thing I am probably emotional about more than anything is that this is the last time this 2017 football team will be together.”
He said the seniors on this team “have been through so much in this program” that he and Penn State will be indebted to them for a very long time.
Senior safety Malik Golden said, “It was the first time I ever cried after a loss in college … We’ve had some highs and lows, but I’m forever grateful to be a Penn Stater.”
Sophomore Saquon Barkley said the team wanted to send the seniors off on the right note. “We fell short of that today, and that’s why to me this loss hurts so much.”
Coach Franklin saved his final thank you for his team. “The feedback I got all week long from the bus drivers to the people serving us food, to the people in the hotel, to the people at Disney, is that our guys represented themselves unbelievably well all week long and showed true appreciation for being here.”
He concluded, “That’s what college athletics is about. It’s about preparing young people, allowing them to be in situations to overcome adversity, and preparing them to go on and be successful in life.”
For the Glory,
Privacy and Legal Statements Copyright Penn State Hotlines Contact Us Penn State Homepage Volume 79, Issue 14 Jan. 2, 2017 Notes from the Cuff 1 2 3 4 Score PSU 0 21 28 0 49 Defensive end Garrett Sickels will forego his final year of eligibility to enter USC 13 14 8 17 52 the NFL Draft. “Garrett has been an impact player on this team and a leader for us on the defensive front,” said Coach James Franklin. “He has been a positive influence on his teammates on and off the field, guiding a young The Letter defensive line and serving as president of Uplifting Athletes. We wish him Notes From The Cuff nothing but success in the NFL.” … Other Sports The AllBig Ten second team selection posted 47 tackles, 6.0 sacks and 12.5 Game Photos tackles for loss this season and was selected as the team’s Most Valuable Statistics Defensive Player at the annual football banquet. He started 24 games over the last two seasons and finished his career with 93 tackles, 11.0 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and one pass breakup …
“I have made friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime,” Sickels said. “I’m so unbelievably proud to call myself a Penn Stater.” …
Penn State has a 28–19 record in 47 bowl games, and has an overall 46 record against USC, including a 0–3 mark in the Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions beat the Trojans, 26–10, in the 1982 Fiesta Bowl, where State is undefeated in six appearances. The Lions are 24–14 alltime against foes currently in the Pac12 Update Your Info conference …
The Lions posted their 16th 11win season in history and their sixth since joining the Big Ten in 1993. This Join/Renew was the first time Penn State has won 11 games since 2009, when the team compiled an 11–2 record …
Penn State Monday became just the second team in the last 10 years to score touchdowns on four FAN ZONE consecutive offensive plays. That included Mike Gesicki’s 11yard touchdown catch on State’s last play of Radio/TV Listings the first half, followed by Saquon Barkley’s 79yd TD run, Chris Godwin’s 72yard pass reception and Trace Football Schedule McSorley’s 3yard TD run (after Brandon Bell’s 26yard interception return) on the first three plays of the Team Roster third quarter. Those third quarter scores were the 12th (0:17), 7th (0:11) and 1st (:05) fastest scoring drives in Rose Bowl history… GoPSUSports.com Big Ten Football TV Penn State set school bowl records for points in the second quarter (21), third quarter (28) and combined Schedule points with their opponent (101), as well as a program history record for most points in any loss (49)…
Big Ten Standings The Lions scored 40 or more points in five games this year—the most since the 2008 team did so in seven Big Ten Schedule and games… Results State has outscored its opponents 16058 in the third quarter this season. Their margin in the fourth Penn Staters in the Pros quarter slipped to 166–72… For advertising info, The Lions seven touchdowns Monday tied for third in the Rose Bowl books… contact: Angelo Scialfa Their 465 yards of offense were the fourth highest total in State’s 47 bowl games and the most since the 6092591910 [email protected] 487 recorded in the 1996 Outback Bowl… Barkley’s 194 rushing yards broke Blair Thomas’ school record of 186 in the 1989 Holiday Bowl and his 79 yard touchdown run is the second longest in State’s bowl history…
His 1,496 rushing yards this season set a school record for sophomores…
His 154 points this season make him the first nonkicker to lead the Lions in scoring since Larry Johnson did it with 140 points in 2002…
Chris Godwin set State’s career bowl receptions record with 22 in three games, topping Bobby Engram’s 16. Godwin also holds the school’s record for career receiving yards in bowl games (460). His three career TD catches in bowl games ties him with Engram for first place in Penn State’s books. His 11 total touchdown receptions this season ties for second in program history…
Californian Koa Farmer made his second career start at linebacker in a stadium just 15 miles from his home. After Brandon Bell’s injury in the third quarter, Jason Cabinda was the only remaining season starter at linebacker. Cabinda led all tacklers Monday with 11 stops for his third doubledigit performance of the season. Bell’s interception was his second of the season and fourth of his career… Junior cornerback Christian Campbell had a careerhigh six tackles. Marcus Allen (9), Malik Golden (7) and Grant Haley (7) were the other leaders Monday. Haley’s brother Wes is a student manager on the USC team…
Senior Greg Garrity had the longest punt return of his career for 18 yards…
Freshman punter Blake Gillikin averaged 50.8 yards on five punts to rank third in Rose Bowl history and tied for third in State’s 47 bowl games…
USC will open the 2017 regular season by hosting MAC champion Western Michigan, whose undefeated record was tarnished by an eightpoint loss to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl Monday…
Since the Fall Semester of 2012, Penn State studentathletes have captured 27 Big Ten championships and seven NCAA titles…
Penn State had 78 Academic AllBig Ten honorees in seven fall sports to raise its conference leading total to 5,654…
Football player Tyler Yazujian and women’s volleyballer Haleigh Washington earned Academic AllAmerican honors to raise State’s total to 195 alltime…
Former Lady Lion AllAmerican and Academic AllAmerican basketball player Susan Robinson Fructl, who stands third on Penn State’s alltime scoring list with more than 2,000 points and second on the rebounding list with more than 1,000 boards, will be one of six recipients of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 2017. She is now director of Athletics at St. Francis University.
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