Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1439730
1 8 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M FIVE YEARS AGO, 2017 One of the most joyous football sea- sons in Penn State's recent memory ended with one of its more heartbreak- ing moments. After claiming the Big Ten champion- ship in 2016, the Nittany Lions didn't qualify for the College Football Playoff but instead were dispatched to the Rose Bowl. That was a mild disappointment in itself; Penn State became the first Big Ten champion to fail to receive a CFP invite, and the Lions remain one of only three teams to win the Big Ten Championship Game and fall short of the playoff, the others being Ohio State in 2017 and '18. But PSU had lost two regular-season games, so it was hardly a spirit-crush- ing surprise when James Franklin's team was sent to Pasadena. The real heart- break set in when USC began chipping away at a 14-point Nittany Lion lead in the second half. Behind star-making performances from running back Sa- quon Barkley, quarterback Trace Mc- Sorley, receiver Chris Godwin and tight end Mike Gesicki, the Lions led by two touchdowns with just over eight min- utes to play, but they couldn't hold off Sam Darnold and the Trojans in a 52-49 defeat on Jan. 2. After spotting USC a 20-7 lead in the game's first 20 minutes, Penn State regained the offensive swagger that had been its forte throughout the season. During one stretch bridging the second and third quarters, the Lions scored touchdowns on four consecutive offen- sive plays. But the Trojans just kept coming. They tied the score with two fourth- quarter touchdowns and won it on a 46- yard field goal as time expired, having gained possession in the final minute after an interception by McSorley. Seen by nearly 19 million viewers, the game turned Barkley and Darnold into two of college football's biggest stars heading into the 2017 season. Bar- kley had rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns while catching five passes for 55 yards and another score. Dar- nold had thrown for 453 yards and five touchdowns. It was dazzling show, complete with a Hollywood ending … for the other guys. "It hurts," said safety Malik Golden, who was playing his final college game. "It's the first time I ever cried after a loss in college. I've definitely got to give Coach Franklin, [athletics direc- tor] Sandy Barbour, Saquon, and all the other guys credit for helping revamp the program. We've had some highs and lows, but I'm forever grateful to be a Penn Stater." 10 YEARS AGO, 2012 January 2012 was a time of historic change at the university, and Penn Staters everywhere were preoccupied with off-the-field matters (see sidebar). But there was still a football season to finish up, with the Lions having ac- cepted an invitation to face Houston in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas on Jan. 2. The game was overshadowed by questions about the program's long- term future, with Joe Paterno having been ousted in November amid the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scan- dal, and the rest of the coaching staff in limbo. Appearing distracted and demoral- ized, the Lions fell behind by 17 points in the first quarter and trailed 24-7 at halftime. With Houston quarterback Case Keenum completing passes seem- ingly at will, the Cougars coasted to a 30-14 victory that wasn't as close as the final score made it appear. Keenum, who went into the game as the NCAA's all-time leader in career passing yardage, attempted a remark- able 69 passes, completing 45 for 532 yards and three touchdowns. Mean- while, the Lions couldn't get anything going on offense. Rob Bolden, who was filling in for the injured Matt McGloin at quarterback, hit 7 of 26 passes for 137 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. After the game, interim coach Tom Bradley declined to speculate about what the future might hold for himself and the rest of the staff. Weary of the continual questions, he just wanted a resolution. "I'm going to work till the very end, until they tell me I'm no longer needed," he said. "That's what Penn State is pay- ing me to do and what's in my heart, and I'm going to do it because I love this university and I love the people." 25 YEARS AGO, 1997 There's something in the desert air that agrees with the Nittany Lions. On Jan. 1, 1997, they defeated Texas, 38-15, in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the team's This Month in Penn State Athletics History Saquon Barkley rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns but left the 2017 Rose Bowl disappointed after the Lions fell to USC, 52-49. PHOTO BY PATRICK MANSELL