The Sunday Afternoon Quarterback #13: We’ll Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends

#10 Penn State Nittany Lions 27 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights 6

Moving into the last week of the regular season, we saw Penn State shooting for its third 10-win season in the last four years, a feat that hasn’t happened since the 1993-1996 seasons. Along with the 10-win season, the senior class was looking for its 41st overall victory as a group, another accomplishment that hasn’t happened since the Penn State teams of the early 1990’s.

This achievement was easily within reach with the Big Ten’s worst team visiting Beaver Stadium on Senior Day. Although Rutgers kept it tight until the 4th quarter, this Nittany Lion senior class walked out of Beaver Stadium as one of the most accomplished classes in Penn State football history. Together as a unit, they have a chance to win 42 games with our pending bowl invitation. During their time as a unified team, they have won a Big Ten Championship (the first since 2008), played in two New Year’s Six bowl games, losing the Rose Bowl and keeping Penn State a perfect 8-0 in the Fiesta Bowl. And now, maybe with a little help from our friends (or possibly our enemies), they have a chance at another New Year’s Six game this year.

Penn State started the game with backup quarterback Will Levis after Sean Clifford was injured in last week’s game at Ohio State. The Lions also had several starting defensive players out with injuries for this game. The first three drives saw the two teams punt back and forth before Rutgers put the first points on the board. Starting at his own 37 yard line, Johnny Langan connected with Aaron Young for a 39 yard completion to the Penn State 15 yard line. A 15 yard personal foul penalty on Rutgers cost them field position and they had to settle for a 29 yard Justin Davidovicz field goal. Rutgers 3-0.

Will Levis and Journey Brown would lead the charge for the Lions on the ensuing drive, accounting for the all the yards on the ground between them. Levis broke a 30 yard run along with a 14 yarder and Brown took off on a 19 yard run, finally capping the drive by plunging in from two yards out for a lead that Penn State would never relinquish. Penn State 7-3. Both Levis and Brown would finish the day with over a hundred yards on the ground. 

The next three series once again saw the two teams trade punts before Penn State started to move the ball. On first down from the Rutgers 38 yard line, Levis under threw a pass that was intercepted by Tre Avery at the Rutgers 2 yard line. Rutgers moved the ball downfield with the one-two punch of quarterback Johnny Langan and running back Isaih Pacheco. Pacheco punished Penn State defenders grinding the ball in between the tackles while Langan found open receivers in man coverage. Rutgers moved to the Penn State 18 yard line and with two seconds left sent out Davidovicz for a 35 yard field goal. Davidovicz missed the field goal as the game went to halftime. Penn State 7-3.

Penn State’s first drive of the second half covered three quarters of the field and lasted less than a minute as Levis and Brown provided all the firepower. Will Levis started the drive with a 49 yard run followed by Brown finishing the last 25 yards on two carries going in from the 18 yard line from the score. Jake Pinegar had his extra point blocked. Penn State 13-3. The teams swapped punts before Rutgers tallied their final points of the game, a 38 yard field goal by Davidovicz. Penn State 13-6. 

Penn State scored on their next two drives to put the game out of reach. After a fumbled snap, Levis scrambled to his left before finding Jahan Dotson open down field for a 44 yard touchdown. Penn State 20-6. Rutgers turned the ball over on downs on their next series before Journey Brown scored his third touchdown of the day, finding paydirt from 1 yard out for the game’s final score. Penn State 27-6.

Penn State currently is awaiting its bowl destination with numerous options available depending on the outcome of next week’s conference championships. First up is the Granddaddy of them all…the Rose Bowl. Penn State will need a little help from their friend Ohio State for this one. Ohio State needs to have a similar game against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game in order to make Penn State the second highest ranked Big Ten team. The Orange Bowl could also select Penn State as an at-large bid based on the final CFP rankings. There’s an outside chance that the at-large bid could send Penn State to the Cotton Bowl. And finally a less than desirable bid to the Outback Bowl.

Until Bowl Selection Day, We Are…

Keeping it on the edge,  

Jeff and Shelbee

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