Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback #6: A Career Day Still Ends in Defeat

Michigan State Spartans 21 – #8 Penn State Nittany Lions 17

Welcome to the sixth episode of Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback! And here’s my husband, the Sunday Morning Quarterback, with another disappointing recap of yesterday’s game.

A Career Day Still Ends in Defeat

What started as a career day for quarterback Trace McSorley ended in a stinging defeat for the #8 Nittany Lions. For a second consecutive year, the Spartans handed them a loss on the last drive of the game and once again sealed Penn State’s fate to play for a National Championship.

Starting the day, McSorley needed just 40 yards passing in order to become Penn State’s all time leader in pass yards. He needed just two drives to surpass the mark of 8,427 yards set by Christian Hackenberg in 2015. A 6 yard pass to Pat Freiermuth would set the mark and two plays later Miles Sanders would rip off a 78 yard run to the Spartans 5 yard line. The next play would see McSorley hit his favorite target, KJ Hamler, for the touchdown and a 7-0 Penn State lead. After trading punts, the Spartans would engineer a game tying drive starting at their own 19 yard line. Two trick plays by the Spartans helped keep this drive alive. On a 4th and 6, Connor Heyward would take the snap on a fake punt and scamper for 26 yards. Two plays later Heyward would take the handoff and throw the running back pass to Cam Chambers for a completion of 26 yards to the Penn State 1. The Lions defense held but after the play on 3rd down, Penn State would be called for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Spartans 1st and Goal at the 1 yard line again. La’Darius Jefferson would take it in this time and tie the game at 7. Both teams would alternate punts over the next four series until Penn State would take the lead on a 48 yard touchdown run by Miles Sanders. The half would end with the Nittany Lions leading 14-7.

Penn State received the 2nd half kickoff but couldn’t move the ball punting after 3 plays netted 5 yards. Garrett Taylor would intercept a Brian Lewerke pass and return it to the Spartans 35 yard line where he once again failed to move the ball. On 4th down, the Lions would go for it but McSorley would slip trying to escape the pocket and turn the ball over on downs. The Spartans would take over and march 64 yards in 5 plays for the tying score. Once again on 3rd down, the Lion defense committed a penalty allowing the Spartan offense on the field. After the penalty, Lewerke would complete his next two passes for 45 yards and a touchdown to Felton Davis III. The next 4 series would end up with 3 punts and a Nittany Lions field goal that would bounce off the upright. The Lions would take the lead on a 20 yard Jake Pinegar field goal with 9:21 left to go in the game. On the next drive, the Spartans would turn the ball over on downs leading to three straight punts before the Spartans would mount their game winning drive. Starting at their own 24 yard line with 1:10 to go, Lewerke would drive them down field to a 3rd and 2 on the Penn State 25 yard line. Lewerke would throw the back shoulder fade to Davis III who would take it into the end zone with 19 seconds remaining. McSorley’s last second Hail Mary would be knocked down to officially end the game.

This loss effectively ended any hopes of Penn State competing for a Big Ten Championship let alone a spot in the College Football Playoffs. This is the second game in a row where the defense couldn’t hold a 4th quarter lead. But is it truly the defense’s fault? Or is it the offensive play calling all day that led to it? The Spartans were giving up over 300 yards a game passing but McSorley would pass for under 200. The Spartan run defense which is one of the toughest in the nation is what we choose to attack. Granted Sanders rushed for a 162 yards but 126 of those came on two plays. The rest of the day saw him carrying 15 times for 36 yards. Who knows were the Nittany Lions could have went from here with a win with 3 teams ranked ahead of them losing yesterday. This game will sting for a long time and now makes the possibility of a 3rd consecutive 10 win season a stretch with a road trip to Michigan looming and home games against coming against Iowa and Wisconsin.

We may have lost 2 in row, but still…

We Are…

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

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