College Football
Game recap Penn State and Ohio State
Penn State welcomed rival and Big Ten East conference foe No. 4 Ohio State to a sold out Beaver stadium on Saturday night. The game had big implications (control of the east and CFP position). Penn State and Ohio State final score: 27-26.
How the Game Went Down
In the first quarter, Penn State took a 3-0 lead. However, by the time the rest of the game unfolded, the scoring came in bundles. The second and fourth quarters showcased the most action. In the first and second quarter, Penn State’s Jake Pinegar notched two field goals which put Penn State out to a 6-0 lead.
However, Trace McSorley did connect with K.J Hamler on a 93-yard touchdown pass to put Penn State up 13-0. On the other hand, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins connected with J.K Dobbs for a 26-yard touchdown pass in the first half.
In the second half, J.K Dobbs rushed for a four-yard touchdown which the Buckeyes’ closed the gap on the Nittany Lions and with an extra point moved Ohio State ahead at 14-13. Some other scoring ensued. However, The play that this game came down to was late in the fourth quarter with Penn State down by one point and it was fourth and five.
Ohio State stopped Miles Sanders before he could even go anywhere. This play occurred after there were two timeouts called back-to-back. After the play ensued, many fans voiced their displeasure for coach Franklin and the team. However, looking back on the play, it was the correct call. The Buckeye defense was blitzing the whole way and Urban Meyer played games with James Franklin.
Penn State
For the Nittany Lions, the run game wasn’t at its best on Saturday. Miles Sanders only ran for 51 yards on 16 attempts. In the game against Illinois, he had his best collegiate game of his career. On the other hand, Trace McSorley had himself probably his best career collegiate game this week. Overall, he rushed for 195 yards on 25 attempts. Likewise, he had 286 yards passing on 16 completed passes of his 32 completed passes. He also had two touchdowns.
On the receiving end, K.J Hamler once again led the charge for Penn State. Overall, Hamler had four receptions for 138 yards along with one touchdown. Pat Freiermuth had three receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown also.
Ohio State
Dwayne Haskins, the QB of Ohio State, showed some jitters during the game. Overall, this was the first true and probably toughest challenge the Buckeye have and will face this year. Well, maybe besides Michigan.
On the day, Dwayne Haskins threw for 270 yards on 39 attempts completing 22 of them. He also had three touchdowns along with one interception and one sack.
Rushing wise, J.K Dobbs led the way. On 17 rushes, he gained 61 yards and one touchdown. Receiving wise, J.K Dobbs, K.J Hill and Binjimen Victor all contributed with a touchdown a peace.
Conclusion
For Penn State to only lose by one point to the No. 4 ranked team in the country shows just how far James Franklin and his staff have come. Sure, the loss does sting. However, James Franklin did note in his post-game presser that Penn State is a great team and that they lost to an elite team.
Some fans may question how a great team would call a play such as a draw on fourth and five with the game on the line. But in the end, this team will learn from it and grow. Franklin was also noted for saying he will do everything in his power to get this team from great to elite.
You can follow the writer on Twitter: @TJ22_PSU
Photo credit to Penn State Alumni Association via Flickr
