The Sunday Afternoon Quarterback #2: Second Half Surge

No ranting about polyamory this week, but if you would like to read more about it, I just shared an article on Medium titled 5 Absurd Myths About Consensual Non Monogamy. Turning it over to Jeff now!

#15 Penn State Nittany Lions 45 – Buffalo Bulls 13

After last week’s long Saturday at Penn State, I was extremely happy to be watching college football in the comfortable confines of my living room this week. Not to mention, I would also be able to follow more games outside of my ESPN app.  Quite a few games captured my interest yesterday beginning with Army versus Michigan, Clemson versus Texas A.M., LSU versus Texas, and obviously my Nittany Lions versus Buffalo. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the wins I wanted in any of those games with the exception of Penn State. 

Army would take Michigan to double OT before a fumble cost them the chance at upsetting their first Top 10 team since they defeated #9 Penn State in 1963. Clemson thoroughly dispatched Texas A.M. and I wished both Texas and LSU would lose but somebody eventually has to win. So let’s move on to the only game that had the result I desired.     

Penn State has not lost to Buffalo since their first meeting in 1900 with a 10-0 Bulls’ victory, so I was confident that Penn State would end the victors. However, in the first half of the game, it looked like Buffalo was determined to reverse 119 years of history. 

Buffalo would receive the opening kickoff and after six plays on the drive would punt it away to Penn State. The Lion offense would only muster seven yards on three plays before punting it back. The Bulls’ next drive would end on a 3rd down fumble recovered by Cam Brown at the Buffalo 37 yard line. Sean Clifford would need two plays to put the first points on the board with a 28 yard touchdown pass to Johan Dotson and a 7-0 Nittany Lion lead. 

Freshman quarterback Matt Myers would move Buffalo down field to the Penn State 32 before Alex McNulty would miss a 49 yard field goal. Penn State’s next drive would result in a punt after only gaining 12 yards on 6 plays. Myers again showed great poise against the defense engineering a 19 play 69 yard drive going 5/5 on third downs. McNulty would hit the field goal this time, a 32 yarder, cutting the Lion lead to 7-3. 

The next three series would see the teams trade punts until Buffalo would start at their own 4 yard line with 6:25 to play in the half. Myers would drive the Bulls 96 yards in 10 plays, finding Zac Lefebvre for a 29 yard completion, and three plays later, Antonio Nunn for a 40 yard completion, setting up the Bulls with 1st and goal at the Penn State 6 yard line. Two plays later would see Myers hitting a wide open Julien Bourassa for the touchdown with :14 to go in the half and Buffalo’s first lead over Penn State since 2007. The first half of the game showed Buffalo dominating every facet from yards, time of possession, momentum and points scored.  

The second half didn’t start any better for the Nittany Lions as they only ran three plays after receiving the kickoff before a Ricky Slade fumble would give Buffalo the ball. The Bulls would take over at their own 27 yard line and on third down John Reid would step in front of a Myers pass and return it 36 yards for a touchdown, giving Penn State a 14-10 lead with 12:58 to go in the 3rd. Buffalo would go three and out on their next possession when a short punt, good return, and a personal foul penalty on the punter would set up Penn State at the Bulls 23 yard line. A play action pass on first down would freeze the defense, allowing Pat Freiermuth to slip behind the defense and catch a 23 yard touchdown pass giving the Lions a 21-10 lead. 

Myers led another drive, going 67 yards in 10 plays, before another McNulty field goal would put it back to a one score game. Penn State 21-13. The next drive would see Sean Clifford tear off a 58 yard run and a shoe string tackle bringing him down at the 2 yard line. Noah Cain finished the drive with a 2 yard plunge, resulting in a 28-13 lead. 

With the Penn State defense taking over the game, the Bulls were forced to punt after losing 3 yards on their next drive. On fourth down, Penn State would partially block the punt but momentum would carry the Penn State player into punter Evan Finnegan who would suffer a serious right leg injury. The stadium would fall silent as the cart was brought out to take him off the field. Penn State would take over at their 45 yard line and need only five plays to find end zone again. On a 4th and 2, Clifford would fake the handoff to Journey Brown and again find Freiermuth who would make the catch and split three defenders on his way to the end zone and a 35-13 score.  

With the defense forcing another punt, Penn State would take over at their own 32 yard line. A 45 yard completion to KJ Hamler moved the ball to the Buffalo 19, but the Bulls’ defense would dig in and hold Penn State to a 32 yard Jake Pinegar field goal. Penn State 38-13. 

The next three series would see two punts and a turnover on downs before the Nittany Lions would add the final score to the game, needing only 4 plays to go 74 yards. Sean Clifford would again find Johan Dotson for a 56 yard touchdown and the final score of 45-13. 

The Nittany Lions are back in action next week against bitter in-state rival Pitt.  This will be the last game of this rivalry for the foreseeable future as the two universities will not renew it after this season. Penn State is looking to win three straight over their in-state rivals.

And of course I cannot sign off without celebrating the Cal Bears for their upset of #14 ranked Washington Huskies with a final score of 20-19. Cal kicker Greg Thomas kicked a 17 yard field goal with :08 remaining to seal the win. This will certainly help Penn State gain another spot in the rankings when they are released later today.

Until next week, WE ARE…

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee and Jeff

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