Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback #5: White Out Disappointment

#4 Ohio State Buckeyes 27 – #9 Penn State Nittany Lions 26

Welcome to the fifth episode of Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback! And here’s my husband, the Sunday Morning Quarterback, with the disappointing recap of last night’s game. Hey, at least we ate well!

White Out Disappointment

A record attendance of 110,889 packed into Beaver Stadium for the annual White Out game against #4 Ohio State.   By the time the final whistle blew, most felt like it was a repeat of last year’s loss in Columbus.  A halftime lead gone and then a 12 point lead erased with 8 minutes to go and finally a 1 point loss on the scoreboard.  The Nittany Lions led in every statistical category except for the one that really mattered most, the final score.  I have several friends and work colleagues who are Buckeyes fans, so the week leading up to this game is usually trash talking at work and offensive memes about the other people’s team sent back and forth.  And with a bet that will result in a photo of me wearing a Buckeyes jersey on Monday, that one point seems a lot bigger now.

As Ohio State kicked off to start the game, KJ Hamler would return it 18 yards to the 21 yard line to start Penn State’s first drive that would end deep in Ohio State territory but result in a punt.  The Buckeyes would take over but only muster 15 yards before punting back to Penn State.  The Lions would move the ball 63 yards including a 31 yard one handed reception by Juwan Johnson that should be considered for catch of the year.  The drive would result in a field goal after a Tommy Stevens fumble for a big loss.

After another Buckeyes punt, the Lions would march 52 yards only to have a field goal go wide left.  The teams would trade punts before Garrett Taylor would intercept a Dwayne Haskins pass and return it to the Ohio State 28 yard line. Once again Penn State could only muster a field goal and a 6-0 lead.  Penn State would find themselves pinned at their own 2 yard line before McSorley would find Hamler on a short slant route that he would take 93 yards and run in for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead.

The Buckeyes were not finished though…a few series after an Ohio State punt, Miles Sanders would take the handoff and fumble giving the Buckeyes the ball at the Lions 25 yard line.  Two plays later J.K. Dobbins would take the screen pass 26 yards and give the Buckeyes their first score of the game, putting it at 13-7 going into halftime.  Penn State’s defense in the first half was the best I have seen them play all season, holding the Buckeyes to under a 100 yards of total offense.

The Buckeyes didn’t wait long to take the lead in the second half taking their first drive 75 yards in 13 plays, ending with Dobbins going in from 4 yards out to give Ohio State the lead at 14-13.  The next six series between the teams would result in 4 punts, a turnover on downs by Penn State and a missed field goal by the Buckeyes before Penn State would find the end zone again. McSorley, starting at his own 27 yard line, would lead the Lions down the field and throw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth to put the Lions back in front at 20-14. Isaiah Pryor would be ejected for a targeting call during this series against Hamler. Hamler would not return. The Buckeyes would punt it away again and Lions would score again with Miles Sanders going in from 1 yard out to give the Lions a 26-14 lead with 8 minutes to go.  On the next series Haskins would find Binjimen Victor for a 47 yard touchdown and cut the lead to 26-21. After a Lions punt, Haskins would once again put together a brilliant drive going 96 yards in 8 plays for the go ahead score. McSorley would have one more chance to put the Lions ahead but the drive would end on a 4th down and 5 that would see Miles Sanders carry for a loss of 2 yards.

Saturyay? I think not. More like Saturnay. But still…

We Are…

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

*Penn State is off next weekend so no Sunday Morning Quarterback. Next up is Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, October 13.

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