MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Trace McSor-
ley locked up this honor with a valiant
effort against Ohio State in which he
amassed a school-record 461 yards of
total offense, including 175 rushing
yards, the most by a Penn State quar-
terback since Eugene "Shorty" Miller
finished with 250 rushing yards against
Carnegie Tech in 1913. The Lions played
only one other close game in Septem-
ber, and McSorley shined in that one,
too, completing 5 of 6 passes on the
frantic last-minute drive that sent the
Appalachian State game to overtime.
Honorable mention nods go to Miles
Sanders and K.J. Hamler, the team's
two primary offensive playmakers in
the first half of the season.
BIGGEST PLAY It looked as though Penn
State was about to open its season with a
de:ating loss to Appalachian State, but
Hamler had other ideas. His 52-yard
kicko; return with less than two min-
utes remaining gave the Nittany Lions
possession at the Mountaineers' 48-
yard line and set the stage for a 45-38
overtime victory.
BEST PASS Leaning backward with two
blitzing App State defenders bearing
down on him, McSorley still managed to
deliver a perfect throw over the middle
to Hamler in the end zone. The 15-yard
touchdown enabled Penn State to tie the
score with 43 seconds remaining.
BEST RUN Sanders had a career-long
78-yard run against Michigan State, but
even more impressive was his twisting,
turning, tackle-breaking 48-yard
touchdown run in the second quarter.
The junior running back showcased
everything he does well on that carry,
staying on his feet even a>
routine at times this season. Hamler has
been the human lightning bolt that
everyone expected coming off a heavily
hyped off-season, amassing a team-
best 374 yards and five touchdowns
through six games. His 93-yard catch-
and-run against Ohio State was as clear
an indication of Penn State's offensive
potential as any play in the first half of
the season. This is a team that can score
from anywhere on the field. As for
Johnson, he would merit inclusion here
just for his leaping one-armed catch
against Ohio State. You know the one.
He also had a key touchdown catch at
Illinois that helped the Nittany Lions
pull away from the stubborn Illini in the
second half. Another plus: Freshman
tight end Pat Freiermuth has been
emerging as the downfield threat that
the Lions need with Mike Gesicki gone.
Expect his star to rise in the second half
of the season.
THE BAD More than a year ago, before
joining Penn State's starting lineup,
Johnson said this about the struggles
that had held him back as a younger
player: "A lot of the time, you would see
me drop open passes. Even in high
school I had inconsistent hands. So I
would always waver and say, no, that's
not me, but it was obviously true. I
would catch incredible passes but I
would drop open passes." That's about
as honest a self-scouting report as you'll
ever hear, and unfortunately for John-
son – and for the Nittany Lions – those
problems have resurfaced. He hasn't
been the dependable pass catcher that
he was last year. Making matters worse
for Penn State, Johnson hasn't been the
only one who has had difficulty holding
onto the ball. Mac Hippenhammer, De-
Andre Thompkins and Brandon Polk
have all had drops.
FRANKLIN
SAYS
"Obviously, we can be
more consistent, I don't think there's
any doubt about it. I think the receivers
individually say that. I think David Cor-
ley would say that as well. That's what
we're working for. Everybody owns it.
F I R S T - H A L F S U P E R L A T I V E S B Y M A T T H E R B
