Nittany Lions Keep BCS Hopes Alive

The following is a live journal composed during the Penn State/Michigan State game. All times listed are Pacific Standard Time.

FIRST QUARTER

12:38 – One drive in and Darryl Clark is already dodging bullets; those last three passes all could’ve, conceivably, been intercepted by Spartan defenders.

12:45 – After a perfectly placed ball to blanketed receiver B.J. Cunningham, quarterback Kirk Cousins overthrows a wide open Mark Dell on 3rd and 11. Every play is different, folks.

12:58 – Cousins who, aside from the aforementioned overthrow, has played well so far, dives for an extra five yards at the end of that first down run. Michigan State’s chances in this game hinge entirely on him making plays like that.

1:02 – That was the worst running into the kicker call ever made in the history of organized football! Seriously, how in the name of Megan Fox did the refs fall for that acting job by Spartan punter Aaron Bates?

END FIRST QUARTER. TIED 0-0.

SECOND QUARTER

1:09 – More poor throws by Clark; sure, Penn State lost three good receivers from last year’s team, but even they couldn’t get to offerings like these.

1:27 – It’s plays like this that are key to the Nittany Lions winning; they are the faster team—as receiver Stephfon Green and running back Evan Royster just showed—and need to continue to use that speed against the tough Spartan defense.

1:38 – Penn State is on the move again as it appears that Clark has finally gotten into a rhythm as he has yet to throw an incompletion on this drive.

1:40 – Rhythm or no rhythm, any quarterback could’ve hit Andrew Quarless on that wheel route; the scoreboard has finally become useful in this game.

7-0 Penn State

1:46 – It looks like that touchdown finally woke the Spartan offense up; they’ve charged right down the field to the Lion 11 yard line on the back of Cousins hitting four of five throws on this drive so far.

1:48 – Dell clearly got a foot down in bounds on that catch—this should not be a long review. You might want to get those eyes checked Joe Pa.

1:52 – There’s the equalizer—tight end Charlie Gantt makes a great catch in the end zone off a perfectly placed throw by Cousins, who only misfired twice (one a throwaway) on that scoring drive.

Tied 7-7.

1:55 – Clark hits Graham Zug over the middle for 27 yards and the Nittany Lions are in position to go into halftime with the lead.

1:56 – One play later, Zug drops a likely touchdown on the same wheel route that earned Penn State its first score; you’re supposed to catch the ball and then turn upfield.

1:58 – Clark takes a sack that moves the ball back to the 34 yard line; Nittany Lion kicker Collin Wagner—who missed a 38 yard field goal earlier—has a career long of 47 yards and now he’ll have to hit a 51 yarder to send his team into the locker room with the lead.

2:00 – Well, Wagner kicked the ball at least 51 yards, but the problem was it didn’t go between the goalposts.

HALFTIME. TIED 7-7.

2:05 – Well, as evidenced by the score—and a lack of entries from this writer—a whole lot of nothing was happening in this game. Then came the final three minutes of the half when both offenses woke up by shifting to a pass-heavy attack and, thus, the tempo was increased. As it stands, time of possession is about even, both teams have more than twice as many passing yards as rushing yards, and both have the same result on the scoreboard to show for it; thus, at this point, each team is a reflection of the other which would suggest that whoever wins this game will be the side that manages to break the mirror in the second half.

THIRD QUARTER

2:25 – A great kickoff return by Green, a pinpoint pass to the sideline from Clark to Derek Moye, and a roughing the passer call has quickly put Penn State back in position to take the lead back.

2:26 – As if the fast drive wasn’t wacky enough, the Nittany Lions finish it with a halfback pass to Quarless for his second touchdown catch of the day.

14-7 Penn State

2:44 – Back to a whole lot of nothing; the biggest development in the last fifteen minutes is that Clark came up gimpy after a completion to Quarless on the previous play.

2:45 – Royster takes a draw around the right side for 29 yards; it’s the first significant rushing gain of the half and may allow Penn State to stretch their lead to two scores.

2:46 – These breakdowns in the Michigan State secondary have been killer; Joe Suhey was wide open on that touchdown catch—yes, it was a touchdown, no question about it.

21-7 Penn State

2:54 – Cousins throws across his body to the other side of the field and the pass gets intercepted; the wheels may be coming off for the Spartans…

2:55 - …because Clark hits Zug on the very next play for a 32 yard touchdown.

28-7 Penn State

3:01 – Another pick by Cousins; obviously he is feeling the need to make something happen with his team down three scores, but it’s causing him to force throws and the Nittany Lion defense is making him pay the price.

3:06 – Zug again! Quarless and he both have two touchdown catches now. It’s also worth noting that Clark has hit all six of his passes in the quarter.

END THIRD QUARTER. PENN STATE LEADS 35-7.

FOURTH QUARTER

3:14 – It involves another network and another game, but good for the Connecticut Huskies in knocking off Notre Dame in South Bend. That one was for Jasper Howard.

3:25 – Cousins has been pulled for backup Keith Nichol; otherwise, both teams are running out the clock so they can go home.

3:30 – Likewise, Penn State has gone to backup Kevin Newsome to take the Nittany Lions the rest of the way.

3:34 – Newsome gets in on the act as he sneaks across the goal line—a touchdown that could help Penn State’s BCS chances.

42-7 Penn State

3:39 – The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl? I’m sure the seventh place team in the Big 10 will be honored to receive an invitation to that game.
3:40 – Meanwhile, back at the game, Nichols offers a glimpse of the future in throwing a strike to Keshawn Martin for a 71 yard touchdown.

42-14 Penn State

3:41 – Still down by twenty-eight, and having already put their backup quarterback in, the Spartans attempt an onside kick. Very oxymoronic.

GAME OVER. PENN STATE WINS 42-14.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Well, it was interesting for one half, but Michigan State’s costly errors caught up to them in the third quarter. Whether it was miscommunication in the defensive secondary or a pick from Kirk Cousins, just about anything that could go wrong for the Spartans did and, obviously, that is what cost them the game.

As for Penn State, this game was all about making a statement—actually, “sending an E-mail” would probably be more appropriate—to the BCS computers. At halftime, it didn’t look like that was going to happen, but their 28-point third quarter explosion put the game out of reach. In a game between two teams who appeared to be reflections of each other, it was the boys from Happy Valley who finally changed their complexion.

Simply put, the Nittany Lions were the ones who broke the mirror—and it didn’t bring any bad luck at all.