The Sports Xchange
Oct 23, 2016
Penn State cornerback Grant Haley returned a blocked field goal 60 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:27 left to play and the Nittany Lions held on to shock No. 2 Ohio State 24-21 on Saturday.
Trace McSorley completed 8 of 23 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 63 yards and another score and Saquon Barkley added 99 yards on 12 carries for the Nittany Lions (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) who were nearly three-touchdown underdogs.
Penn State’s defense sacked J.T. Barrett six times and safety Marcus Allen blocked the field goal that led to the deciding score for Penn State.
Barrett completed 28 of 43 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown and Curtis Samuel added 68 rushing yards for the Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1). The defeat was just Ohio State's second Big Ten regular-season game lost under fifth-year coach Urban Meyer.
Tyler Durbin kicked two field goals for the Buckeyes, who mounted back-to-back long scoring drives to take a 12-7 halftime lead in front of 107,280 fans at Beaver Stadium.
Chris Godwin caught a 20-yard touchdown pass to cap Penn State’s first-half scoring.
Before things would get better, they snowballed for the Nittany Lions in the third quarter.
After opening with an impressive defensive series that ended with Barrett sacked, Penn State’s defense was gashed for a 74-yard touchdown on Ohio State’s next possession. Samuel took a delayed handoff and made one cut around a block to give Ohio State a 19-7 lead.
Penn State’s next possession was disastrous. After a quick three-and-out, long snapper Tyler Yazujian fired the ball over punter Blake Gillikin’s head. It rolled all the way to the end zone for a 30-yard loss where Gillikin was forced to fall on it and take a safety.
The Nittany Lions finally responded with a five-play scoring drive early in the fourth quarter. After misfiring to a wide-open Gesicki in the end zone, McSorley outran Ohio State’s pursuit and beat tacklers inside the pylon on a 2-yard run. It cut Ohio State’s lead to 21-14 and Penn State drew closer on its next drive thanks to another Buckeye miscue on special teams.
After freshman linebacker Cam Brown blocked a punt, Penn State got closer with a 34-yard field goal from Davis before Allen’s block minutes later led to Haley’s game-sealing play.
Penn State did something no team has done all season in holding Ohio State scoreless for a quarter but the No. 2 Buckeyes eventually got their offense going to take a 12-7 halftime lead.
Barrett completed 13 of 24 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown and ran for 34 yards for Ohio State. Mike Weber added 60 rushing yards and Durbin kicked two field goals for the Buckeyes, who mounted back-to-back long scoring drives to end the first half at Beaver Stadium.
After Durbin opened the second quarter with a 33-yard field goal, Barrett capped an 11-yard scoring drive midway through the second quarter by hitting Marcus Baugh with a short pass in the flat. Baugh slipped three tackles to finish a 26-yard scoring play that gave Ohio State a 9-0 lead after Durbin missed the extra point.
On Ohio State's next possession, Durbin booted a 30-yarder to finish a nine-play drive Barrett kept alive with a 19-yard scramble on third down five plays earlier.
Although Penn State controlled play in the first 15 minutes and outgained the Buckeyes 103-61, the Nittany Lions couldn't score. Kicker Tyler Davis missed a 39-yard field goal, his first miss of his career, on Penn State's opening possession thanks to a bad hold.
Barkley rushed for 56 yards on seven carries and McSorley added 50 more yards on 12 carries for Penn State. McSorley completed just 5 of 15 passes but led a 74-yard scoring drive in the final minute of the half. He hit Godwin who drew single coverage on an out route to cut Ohio State's lead to 12-7.
NOTES: Penn State TE Mike Gesicki started hot catching two of three targets for 22 yards but was knocked from the game with an apparent left ankle injury. He later returned to the sideline. Deep threat DeAndre Thompkins was also knocked from the game with an apparent head injury. He had been targeted twice deep. ... Davis' string of perfection came to an end at 48 straight makes. He set the Penn State record earlier this season with 18-consecutive field goals and had hit 30 of 30 extra points before a botched hold on a 39-yard try on Penn State's opening drive forced his first miss. ... Wind was an issue early on special teams as both teams traded mistakes fielding punts. Midway through the first quarter, Dontre Wilson let a ball slip through his hands as it changed directions at its peak but his Ohio State teammate Gareon Conley hopped on the loose ball. Penn State's John Reid muffed the next punt as the ball's trajectory was altered again. Ohio State also recovered that to set up its first scoring drive. ... Penn State LBs Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell returned to action after missing the last five and six games, respectively. They had monster first halves, combining for 19 tackles -- many on third downs -- with two tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Bell also had a sack. ... Weber and Curtis Samuel picked up the slack for Ohio State's passing game as Buckeye receivers were blanketed by a stingy Penn State secondary for much of the first half. The two backs combined for seven catches for 53 yards. ... After hitting Gesicki twice on the opening drive, McSorley went 0-for-9 passing before Penn State's final possession of the half.
