Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 9 OPENING SHOT FLIPPING THE SCRIPT Nothing came easy for Penn State in its 17-7 victory over visiting Northwestern on Oct. 1. The game was played in a downpour, and the slick field conditions led to 5 turnovers by a Nittany Lion team that had given the ball away only once in the four preceding games. PSU relied on its defense to keep the Wild- cats from pulling off what would have been one of the season's bigger upsets. The Lions gave up just 8 yards and no points on the five Northwestern drives that started with a take- away. "Fortunately, for most of the game, our de- fense was either able to get a turnover back or they just played great," coach James Franklin said. "They played phenomenal. I think we started the game with five straight three-and- outs [by the defense], which is impressive. We lost the penalty battle, and we lost the explosive play battle. It's not really our formula for how we win, but there is a ton of value in being able to win games under less-than-ideal circumstances." Despite their persistent difficulties just hold- ing onto the football, the Nittany Lions did produce a handful of offensive highlights. The most memorable was a 20-yard touchdown catch by redshirt junior tight end Brenton Strange. After a play-action fake by senior quarterback Sean Clifford, Strange snuck be- hind Northwestern linebacker Xander Mueller and headed toward the end zone. When he found his path to the pylon blocked by de- fensive back Cameron Mitchell, the 6-foot-3, 247-pound Strange went up and over, leaping at the 3-yard line and somersaulting into the end zone to give PSU a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. It was Strange's fourth touchdown catch of the season, and it gave him 231 receiving yards for the year on just 15 catches. His yardage and touchdown totals through five games sur- passed the 225 yards and 3 TDs he amassed in 13 games last fall. Strange put that down to a productive ap- proach to winter conditioning, spring practice and preseason camp. "I think it comes down to what I've done in the offseason," he said. "I'm just trying to be a leader for my teammates and finding any way that I can better myself. I think it speaks to the preparation and all the hard work that I put in." PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE