Blue White Illustrated

JUDGMENT CALLS The best and the rest from the Nittany Lions' upset of Wisconsin PLAYER OF THE GAME Christian Hackenberg couldn't have asked for a better start against Wisconsin, completing two passes on the opening possession for 75 yards and a touchdown. From there, he stayed impressive, connecting on 21 of 30 total passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns – all without an interception. PLAY OF THE GAME Brandon Bell landed on Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave, forcing the ball into C.J. Olaniyan's hands, which he returned 33 yards to give Penn State an opportunity to take a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter. They only emerged with a field goal, but the momentum swing in PSU's favor was palpable. Trevor Williams' interception to open the fourth quarter, off a Jared Abbrederis tipped pass, was equally meaningful. BEST PASS Hackenberg's 59-yard connection with Eugene Lewis for a touch- n o V e m b e R down to open the fourth quarter couldn't have been more perfectly placed. His throw placed the ball softly in his receiver's hands while he avoided an oncoming sack. WORST PASS Stave had a tough afternoon, especially early. In the first quarter, Stave had Abbrederis in space on a broken play for the Nittany Lions, but an overthrow costed the Badgers a first down and possibly more. BEST RUN Zach Zwinak had trouble getting started, but his clutch 61-yard carry on a draw play up the middle late in the game essentially sealed the Nittany Lions' 31-24 win. He finished the game with 115 yards on 22 carries, but none were more important than that late rush. BEST SACK Anthony Zettel flashed around Wisconsin lineman Tyler Marz to pummel Stave into the ground early in the fourth quarter. The sack was good 3 0 , 2 0 1 3 4 for a 5-yard loss. Two plays later on fourth-and-long, Zettel picked up another sack to force a turnover on downs. BEST DECISION Bill O'Brien flipped out after a second-and-10 sack by Kyle Baublitz. Officials didn't rule the QB down and allowd a 6-yard completion before they overturned the call upon video review. WORST DECISION Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen was in the Badgers' end zone pleading for a timeout. Meanwhile Lewis stood completely unguarded just steps away. Andersen didn't get his timeout, Lewis got the ball, and the Nittany Lions tied it at 14-14 heading into halftime. MOST TELLING MOMENT The moisture in senior tackle Garry Gilliam's eyes walking toward the band's performance of Penn State's alma mater following the game. –NATE BAUER b l u e w h i t e o n l i n e . c o m

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