Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 6 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Hackenberg's first pass of the third quarter was a 25-yard completion to Robinson. His second pass was a side- line throw that Robinson turned into a 51-yard touchdown and a 13-3 lead. Suddenly, the Orange had to account for a receiver that no one in their sec- ondary could cover. Moreover, their attempts to keep Robinson contained opened up room for the other wideouts. Early in the fourth quarter, with Penn State clinging to a 16-10 lead, Hacken- berg found Geno Lewis for a 54-yard scoring strike. The Lions' young quarterback ended up completing 22 of 31 passes for 278 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 2 inter- ceptions. Robinson accounted for 7 of Hackenberg's completions and 133 of his passing yards, and Penn State held on for a 23-17 win. It was an auspicious debut. "He's a very poised kid," O'Brien said. "He's got a fantastic demeanor. He's got great parents, and that's one of the things that stood out to me in recruiting. "He's got a tremendous future," the coach added, "but we're not ready to waltz him into the College Football Hall of Fame and certainly not the NFL Hall of Fame — we're just saying he's a tal- ented guy. He's got a long way to go." Hackenberg went on to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after throwing for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns and helping Penn State go 7-5 during a sea- son in which NCAA sanctions were tak- ing a toll on the team's depth. He spear- headed a 43-40 comeback win over Michigan with a 305-yard, 3-touchdown passing performance, and he wrapped up his debut season by throwing for 339 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 31-24 upset of 14th-ranked Wisconsin in Madison. It turned out to be the best of his three seasons as Penn State's starting quar- terback. No Regrets While attending a New Year's Eve party with some friends at James Madi- son during the semester break following his breakout campaign — PSU was under a bowl ban at the time — Hackenberg's cellphone rang. It was O'Brien. "This is probably not the best time," the coach said, "but I'm going to Houston." Recounting the call during a recent appearance on Adam Breneman's "Next Up" podcast, Hackenberg said he was stunned. He could scarcely believe what he was hearing. But then some- one turned on ESPN, and the news was confirmed. After O'Brien's departure for the NFL's Houston Texans and James Frank- lin's subsequent arrival from Vanderbilt, Penn State slumped badly on offense, mostly because of the devastating im- pact of the sanctions on its offensive line. Under constant pressure, Hacken- berg threw for 2,977 yards as a sopho- more but had 15 interceptions and only 12 touchdowns. As a junior, he finished with 2,525 passing yards and a career- low 53 percent completion rate. Despite the difficulties, Hackenberg told Breneman he had no regrets about his decision to remain at Penn State after the coaching change. It was all part of a commitment he and his classmates had made in the summer of 2012, just after the sanctions had been announced. The verbally committed players, including Hackenberg and Breneman, the latter a four-star tight end from Mechanics- burg, Pa., had a closed-door meeting with O'Brien to discuss the program's future and had come away feeling reso- lute. They were going to follow through on their pledges. More than a decade has passed since that meeting. PSU has won a Big Ten championship and three New Year's Six bowls, and the season ahead holds out the hope of even bigger accomplish- ments. All eyes will be focused on Allar come Sept. 2, but Hackenberg can't help but reflect on the moment in which the groundwork for the program's recent success was laid. "I don't think anyone in that class … thought of it as a big deal, but it really was a big deal," he said. "If that class disintegrates, does Penn State win three games in three years? Does James Frank- lin take that job? Where is Bill O'Brien now? "There are so many things that hap- pened after that. There was a domino effect. I don't think a lot of people look at that and say, 'Because of this, that's why all these other things happened.' But I think that meeting is the genesis of where the program is right now." ■ After sitting out the first half against Syracuse, receiver Allen Robinson caught a 51-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL