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A T T H E 2 0 1 9 N I T T A N Y L I O N S PARTING SHOTS Trace McSorley absorbed plenty of punishment against Kentucky, but he stood tall for the Lions in his final college game P enn State quarterback Trace McSorley stood along a row of metal barriers in the bowels of the Citrus Bowl surrounded by friends and family. His hat pulled backward, the fifth-year senior appeared ex- hausted. Hobbling through the con- course in a protective boot, McSorley gave hugs to all takers, his final mo- ments as a Penn State football player waning while his next uncertain steps as a professional awaited. The uncertainty stemmed from a right foot injury, one that punctuated a senior sea- son full of physical challenges after two prior years in which he had proved remarkably durable. McSorley didn't get the result he was looking for in the bowl game, as Penn State fell to Kentucky, 27-24, but even in defeat he added to a lofty legacy, demonstrating his toughness and resilience by return- ing to the game in the second half and leading the Nittany Lions on three late scoring drives. After all he had accom- plished, McSorley couldn't bear to watch his final game from the sideline. "I won't lie. I didn't want my career to end like that," he said. "I wanted to be out there with my teammates. I knew that was going to be the last time I was going to be able to suit up with those guys. … I did too much with those guys to let it end on something that was about pain management." McSorley might have been under- selling the severity of the injury, which occurred late in the first half and kept him on the sideline to start the second. On a scale of 1 to 10, he said the pain he experienced was a "seven or eight." He paced the sideline with a noticeable limp when the third quarter began, lin- gering close behind head coach James Franklin as redshirt freshman Sean Clifford took charge of the offense. He later was cleared by the team's medical staff to re-enter the game, re- turning to action with 3 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Nittany Lions trailing 20-7. "It was really about making sure I was comfortable. That was really what it was about the entire time," he said. "I was really determined. As long as I could manage the pain, that's what they were telling me. If you can manage the pain, if you feel you can go, they were going to let me go." So back he went, into a game against one of the top defenses in the country, one that had stymied the Nittany Lions for the better part of three quarters. His return bolstered a Penn State team that seemed to be on its way to a lopsided defeat, but things got worse before they got better. Three plays into the possession, his comeback went side- ways, as he was intercepted by Lonnie Johnson on a throw deep into Kentucky territory. Following Johnson's 24-yard return, the Wildcats needed only two plays to cover 66 yards for a touch- down and a 27-7 lead. But the Nittany Lions weren't done. GUTTING IT OUT McSorley played hurt in the second half but still finished with 246 passing yards and 75 rushing yards in his final game with the Nit- tany Lions. Photo by Steve Manuel |

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