Volume 79, Issue 7 The Letter Oct. 22, 2016 1 2 3 4 Score Penn State players and fans have been longing for a PSU 0 7 0 17 24 signature win ever since the NCAA sanctions in 2012. OSU 0 12 9 0 21 They finally got it Saturday night in dramatic fashion.
Facing a 14point deficit to No. 2 Ohio State at the start The Letter of the fourth quarter, the unranked Nittany Lions ripped Notes From The Cuff off the game’s longest touchdown drive, then blocked Other Sports two Buckeye kicks to score a field goal and another touchdown and stun the Big Ten leaders, 24–21, before News Of Note a screaming White Out crowd of 107,280 in Beaver Game Photos Stadium and an ABCTV primetime audience. Statistics It was the first Penn State win over a No. 1 or No. 2 ranked visitor to Beaver Stadium since the Lions beat secondranked Nebraska, 27–24, in 1982 then went Update Your Info on to their first national championship. The triumph ended Ohio State’s string of 78 victories when entering the fourth quarter leading by 14 or Join/Renew more points. It also stopped the Bucks’ record of consecutive road wins at 20. It was the Nittany Lions’ first win over any ranked team since they upset 14thranked Wisconsin in Madison to end the 2013 campaign. FAN ZONE In the waning minutes of our youngest grandson’s first Radio/TV Listings birthday, frenzied fans poured onto the Beaver Stadium Football Schedule grass to dance, sing and celebrate with the players and Team Roster coaches. Thousands filled the field from one end to the GoPSUSports.com other, and the Penn State Alma Mater rang out louder Big Ten Football TV than ever. It took stadium and security personnel a Schedule halfhour to clear the delirious but decorous fans of all Big Ten Standings ages from the field.
Big Ten Schedule and It was a night they will always remember. Results “It was absolute mayhem,” tight end Mike Gesicki said, Penn Staters in the Pros “And something every football player dreams of. People For advertising info, were highfiving and taking pictures. It was a great contact: experience, and we are happy to get the win.” Angelo Scialfa 6092591910 Offensive tackle Brendon Mahon said, “Nights like tonight are what you live for and why you come to Penn [email protected] State.”
Quarterback Trace McSorley expressed similar sentiments. “This is why you come to a place like Penn State, to play in front of 107,000 people against the top teams in the country and get a big win.”
Pointing out to the media that he had coached in major college conferences and the NFL, Lion Head Coach James Franklin said, “I can’t imagine a better environment than what was out there tonight.”
“I talked all week long that we weren’t going to beat the No. 2 team in the country by ourselves.” He said it took the lettermen, the fans, the students, the players, the coaches and the community coming together to get the win.
“This is for everybody,” he said. “This community has been through so much in the last five years, and this is a big step in the right direction in terms of healing … I’m biased, but I believe that football has the ability to bring a community together like nothing else.”
Holding back tears, Franklin said it was also an emotional week for his family, because his niece and nephew had lost their father on Tuesday night.
“This is emotional on a lot of different levels—emotional for this community, and for our players, and for my family,” he concluded with his young daughter, Shola, by his side. Asked what a win like this could do for him and his team, Franklin said, “I don’t really want to think about the big picture right now. I just want to soak this all in. I just want to enjoy tonight.”
He told his team to enjoy tonight but make good choices. “Before you leave this locker room (understand) that nights liked this don’t happen often, so savor it … Enjoy each other, because there’s nothing outside this locker room that is better than what we’ve got going on (in here) right now.”
By handing Urban Meyer his first road loss ever as the Ohio State headmaster, Penn State raised its 2016 record to 5–2 (3–1 in the Big Ten) and made its first appearance in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings since 2011, being voted No. 24.
The young Lions also signaled their ability to compete with any of the remaining five Big Ten teams on their schedule and possibly post the best season record since the Joe Paterno era.
The upset of the Buckeyes will certainly be a confidence and momentum builder for the Lions—the second youngest team among the 128 playing in the FBS.
Penn State became the first team to stop the talented Buckeyes in any quarter of a 2016 contest. And the Lions did it in both the first and last quarters.
While Penn State’s offense nearly doubled the 12.8 points being allowed by Ohio State per game, it was the Lion defense that really won the game, shutting out the visitors in two quarters and holding them 28.3 points below their scoring average of 49.3 per game. Former starting linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell returned for the first time since early season injuries and combined for 31 tackles, including two Previous Issues quarterback sacks for 15 yards in losses. Bell, who missed the last four games, led the Lion defenders with 19 tackles. Cabinda, who was sidelined since the season opener against Kent State, got 12. He was followed by new starter Manny Bowen with 11 stops and defensive end Garrett Sickles with nine, including 3.5 for 15 yards in losses—even though he played only in the second half.
The Lions’ special teams also made major contributions, limiting the speedy Buckeye kickoff returners to just a 16yard average on five returns and their punt returner to minus four yards on two returns. Penn State returners, meanwhile, averaged 22.2 yards on four kickoff returns and three yards on five punt returns.
Lion freshman punter Blake Gillikin dropped three boots inside the visitors’ 20yard line and forced two fair catches.
True freshman Cam Brown got the Lions’ first punt block of the season, setting up a field goal in the fourth quarter. And Marcus Allen blocked the Bucks’ late field goal attempt, which Grant Haley picked up and carried 60 yards down the sidelines for the gamewinning touchdown. It was Haley’s first career scoop andscore.
Ohio State dropped four spots to No. 6 in the polls but could still reach the FBS Championship Playoffs by winning out, including the East Division title and the Big Ten Championship.
The Buckeyes actually won every significant statistic Saturday except the final score. They outrushed the Lions, 168 yards to 122, outpassed them, 245 yards to 154, outgaining them in total offense 413–276. Ohio State had 19 first downs to Penn State’s 13 and converted nine of 22 third downs to two of 13 by the Lions. They also had a 37:19 to 22:41 margin in time of possession.
However, the Bucks were flagged for eight penalties, costing them 45 yards, while the Lions had only one miscue for five yards. Penn State sacked QB J.T. Barrett six times for 38 yards in losses. The Buckeyes got to McSorley only once for one yard. And the home team scored two touchdowns and a field goal on their four trips into the visitors’ Red Zone, while Ohio State could manage only two field goals on its two trips inside the Lions’ 20yard line. One could easily miss the importance of Gillikin’s recovery of a high snap over his head into the end zone in the third quarter, costing the Lions two points on the safety. If a diving Buckeye had made the recovery, it would have been a touchdown and the point difference ultimately would have given Ohio State the victory.
Buckeye coach Meyer told reporters, “Any good team controls the line of scrimmage.” He added, “I felt like their Dline was controlling the line of scrimmage.”
Penn State’s defensive line Saturday included various combinations of senior Evan Schwan, juniors Parker Cothren, Curtis Cothran, Garrett Sickels and Tyrell Chavis, sophomores Torrence Brown and Antoine White and freshmen Kevin Givens, Robert Windsor, Ryan Buchholz and Shareef Miller. At one point, Coach Franklin said, there were all freshmen in the Dline.
In the game, defensive linemen made 29 tackles, including seven for losses of 29 yards. Linebackers made 45 tackles and defensive backs made 19.
After 10 days of beautiful warm sunny weather, dressed up by the peak of autumn foliage in Central Pennsylvania, a heavy rainstorm passed through Thursday night, bringing massive deluges in some areas. Friday and Saturday morning saw scattered showers plus a significant drop in temperatures. But tailgaters were able to enjoy their parties Saturday afternoon, before intermittent showers started again just before the 8 p.m. kickoff.
Massive fireworks heralded the entrance of the Nittany Lions, who immediately showed their aggressive plan by electing to receive when they won the coin toss, where their honorary captain was former star quarterback Michael Robinson.
Penn State’s offense started impressively, as Saquon Barkley ran a draw play 19 yards through the left side of the line, and QB Trace McSorley completed a 26yard pass to tight end Mike Gesicki.
After advancing to the OS17 in five plays, however, the drive stalled, and Tyler Davis attempted a 39yard field goal that was blocked, thus ending his record twoyear streak of 18 successful field goals.
The Lions outgained the Buckeyes 103 to 61 yards in the scoreless first quarter. But the visitors’ Tyler Durbin kicked a 33yard field goal on the first play of the second period to climax a short 22yard drive, after Ohio State recovered a fumble by Lion punt returner John Reid at the PS38.
Later in the second quarter, the visitors mounted an 11play, 78yard drive that ended when J.T. Barrett completed a 26yard touchdown pass to Marcus Baugh. A missed extra point by Durbin left Ohio State with a 90 lead.
Durbin redeemed himself by booting a 30yarder through the uprights to complete a 58yard scoring drive and give the Bucks a 120 lead just 1:09 before halftime.
With things looking bleak for the home team, the Lions exploded for a 74yard touchdown drive in just 1:05. On 3rdand8 McSorley passed 19 yards to wide receiver Chris Godwin, then completed a 34yarder to DaeSean Hamilton. Finally, Trace threw a backshoulder pass to Godwin, which the Lions’ leading receiver shielded from a defender in the end zone for a 20yard touchdown. And the Ohio State halftime lead was cut to 12–7.
This sudden awakening by the Lions allowed the home crowd to enjoy a great Blue Band show with jazz music and dance routines by the silks and Touch of Blue.
But the Buckeyes expanded their lead shortly after halftime, when Curtis Samuel suddenly burst through the right side on a 74yard dash to paydirt. On the next possession, the Lions’ usually perfect snapper, Tyler Yazujian, sent one over the head of punter Blake Gillikin into the end zone. The lanky freshman was able to beat a Buckeye to recover the ball for a safety, which left Ohio State with a 21–7 lead entering the final frame.
But then the momentum changed.
McSorley passed to Gesicki for 16 yards, and Barkley broke away for the Lions’ longest run of the day—a 37-yarder. Trace then tossed a pass 35 yards to Saeed Blacknall, streaking down the left sideline. The wide receiver, who came in for DeAndre Thompkins after he was hurt in the first half, caught the ball on the OS-2. Two plays later, McSorley ran around right end for a touchdown and cut the visitors’ lead to 21–14. Four plays later, the Lion defense forced Ohio State to punt, and freshman Cam Brown broke through to block it. Troy Apke recovered at the OS28 to set up a 34yard Tyler Davis field goal six plays later, and the Buckeye lead was trimmed to four points.
Ohio State mounted a timeconsuming drive, covering 59 yards in 10 plays, before the Lions forced a 4th and7 at the PS 28. Durbin was sent in to try a 45yard field goal, which set the stage for the game’s most dramatic play. Marcus Allen leaped high to block the kick, Grant Haley picked up the bouncing ball and dashed 60 yards for the winning score with 4:27 left in the game. Barrett completed a 15yard pass to Samuel to convert a 3rd and9 and an 8yard toss to Dontre Wilson to convert a 3rd and3. But the Penn State defense rose up to force two incompletions, before crushing backtoback QB sacks by Cabinda, Schwan and Givens that allowed the Lions to run out the clock and ignite the marvelous mayhem by the home fans.
It’s not clear whether the Buckeyes may have been infected by a letdown, after their hardfought comefrombehind overtime win at Wisconsin last week. But the Lions will try to avoid such a fate Saturday at Purdue, where the game in RossAde Stadium will kick off at noon Eastern time on ABC or ESPN2.
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© Penn State Alumni Association • Hintz Family Alumni Center • University Park, PA 16802 Contact the Webmaster • 800548LION (5466) Volume 79, Issue 7 Oct. 22, 2016 Notes from the Cuff 1 2 3 4 Score PSU 0 7 0 17 24 It was appropriate that Penn State’s 1986 national championship team was OSU 0 12 9 0 21 celebrating its 30th reunion and was honored at halftime of Saturday’s game, since in their Fiesta Bowl finale they also pulled off an upset victory over a more talented No.1 Miami team … The Letter Notes From The Cuff Other signature wins by the Nittany Lions came at the Sugar Bowl when the 1982 Nittany Lions upset No. 1 Georgia; at Notre Dame in 1990, when Penn State Other Sports defeated the No. 1 Irish, 24–21, and at Beaver Stadium in 1999, when the Lions News Of Note trounced No. 4 Arizona in the Pigskin Classic, 41–7 … Game Photos Other thrilling White Out wins in Beaver Stadium were in 2013, when Penn State Statistics upset No. 18 Michigan, 43–40, in four overtimes; in 2012, when the Lions rallied from an 11point deficit to beat No. 24 Northwestern, 39–28; in 2008, when No. 12 Penn State defeated No. 22 Illinois, 3824; in Update Your Info 2007, when No. 14 Penn State beat Notre Dame, 31–10; and in 2005, when No. 16 Penn State upset No. 6 Ohio State, 17–13 …
Join/Renew The Nittany Lions have a 4329 record in night games, including an 11–10 mark at home …
State has won 11 of its last 12 home games and is 5–0 at home for the secondstraight season … FAN ZONE The Lions ended a fivegame losing streak in games played after a bye week and are 16–14 following a Radio/TV Listings bye week since joining the Big Ten in 1993 … Football Schedule Team Roster Penn State now trails 18–14 in the series with Ohio State. After beating the Buckeyes six times in eight games, when they were an independent, the Lions have an 8–16 record with the Buckeyes since joining GoPSUSports.com the Big Ten … Big Ten Football TV Schedule Saturday marked the first time the Nittany Lions won a game when trailing by 14 points going into the Big Ten Standings fourth quarter since at least 1982. They beat Michigan State, 38–37, in 1993, after trailing by 13 points (37–24) at the end of three quarters … Big Ten Schedule and Results Penn State has not returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown since at least 1982. The last time the Penn Staters in the Pros Lions blocked a field goal attempt was in the fourovertime victory over Michigan in 2013, when Kyle Baublitz did it … For advertising info, contact: The Nittany Lions’ 11 tackles for loss Saturday are a seasonhigh and are the most yielded by Ohio State Angelo Scialfa since Alabama got 11 TFLs against the Bucks on Jan. 1, 2015. The six sacks of Barrett were the most 6092591910 given up by Ohio State since Virginia Tech got seven Sept. 6, 2014 … [email protected] Brandon Bell’s 19 tackles Saturday are his careerhigh. His previous high of 13 was against Ohio State in 2014. Manny Bowen’s 11 tackles are his careerhigh. Garrett Sickels posted careerhighs in tackles (9), sacks (2.5) and tackles for loss (3.5) …
Defensive tackle Curtis Cothran was the 14th different Nittany Lion to make his first start this season …
Trace McSorley’s eight pass completions Saturday are the fewest by Penn State since Ohio State allowed only seven by Christian Hackenberg last year …
McSorley is the first Nittany Lion to post both rushing and passing touchdowns in three consecutive games since Matt McGloin did it in 2012 against Temple, Illinois and Northwestern. Saturday marked McSorley’s eighth consecutive game with at least one TD toss …
DaeSean Hamilton’s 34yard catch against Ohio State moved him into sixth place on the career receptions list with 145 catches, breaking a tie with Derek Moye (2008–11). Hamilton has had at least one catch in 33 consecutive games. His 1,717 career receiving yards place him 14th in Penn State history …
Chris Godwin broke a tie with Jack Curry (1965–67) to gain possession of eighth place on the career catch list with 119 …
Saquon Barkley’s 99 rushing yards against Ohio State moved him into 19th place in Penn State’s record books with 1,757 career yards …
Freshman Miles Sanders had his careerbest 89 kickoff return yards on four carries with a long of 27. Volume 79, Issue 7 Oct. 22, 2016 News of Note 1 2 3 4 Score PSU 0 7 0 17 24 Huddle with the Faculty on Nov. 5 and Nov. 26 OSU 0 12 9 0 21 Alumni and friends can grab light refreshments at the popular free lecture series hosted by the Penn State Alumni Association each home football Saturday at The Nittany Lion Inn.
The Letter The final two presentations in the annual series: Notes From The Cuff Nov. 5 (Iowa) Other Sports National Security and the Law: Challenges for the Next President,” featuring James Houck, interim dean of News Of Note Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs Game Photos Nov. 26 (Michigan State) Statistics “Thou Didst Mold Us: Penn State’s Accomplishments Through the Decades, 1855–2016,” featuring Jackie Esposito, university archivist and librarian for University Libraries
Update Your Info All Huddle with the Faculty programs start promptly at 9 a.m.
Huddle with the Faculty is presented by the Penn State Alumni Association and sponsored by The Village at Join/Renew Penn State with support from The Nittany Lion Inn and Penn State Press.
FAN ZONE Join the #PSUPepRally at Purdue (***FREE EVENTS***) Radio/TV Listings The Alumni Association will host an alumni mixer and gameday pep rally this weekend, when Penn State Football Schedule visits Purdue. Both events are free to attend. The alumni mixer is set for Friday, Oct. 28, with the Team Roster gameday pep rally on Oct. 29. The Alumni Association will cohost the alumni mixer with the Indiana GoPSUSports.com Chapter. On Saturday, kickoff is scheduled for noon; the pep rally tent will open at 9:00 a.m., and the program will begin at 10:00. Use and share #PSUPepRally for everything trending about the 2016 Penn Big Ten Football TV State Pep Rallies. Schedule Big Ten Standings Big Ten Schedule and Follow the Alumni Association on Social Media Results Stay updated on Alumni Association news and events by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Penn Staters in the Pros Also follow The Football Letter and The Penn Stater magazine on Twitter for more information on what’s happening at Penn State. For advertising info, contact: Angelo Scialfa Join Penn State on LinkedIn 6092591910 Looking for more ways to network with Penn State alums? Join the Penn State Alumni Association LinkedIn [email protected] Group. If you already have a LinkedIn profile, the link will take you to our main page, where you can ask to join the group. You can also look for our group on the Penn State University Page. Our group is listed in the options on the righthand side. If you’re new to LinkedIn, the Alumni Association offers webinars to help you learn all about the platform and what it can do for you. Regularly visit our website to know when upcoming webinars will be scheduled. Already a member of our LinkedIn group? Make sure you’re getting notifications about the group by checking your group settings to ensure that you have checked the daily digest and announcement options.
Hintz Family Alumni Center Open House Hours A reminder to all University Park visitors that the Hintz Family Alumni Center’s open hours change during football season. During away football weekends, the Alumni Center is open only on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. For questions, call the Alumni Association at 8148656516, and you can also visit our website for more information.