Blue White Illustrated

PLAYER OF THE GAME It has to be Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, simply because of his record-breaking 319-yard afternoon, but the title is not without a few caveats. His two interceptions were costly, but he had three touchdowns and a crucial 44-yard strike to Jesse James that put the game away. PLAY OF THE GAMETaking advantage of Penn State's sloppy play, Akron found itself facing fourth-and-1 with an opportunity to really put the Nittany Lions on their heels at 14-3 in the fourth quarter. Coming out of a time- out, however, the Zips ran a draw to Conor Hundley that was immediately stuffed by Brandon Bell, C.J. Olaniyan and Mike Hull. The turnover on downs essentially cost the Zips their final shot. BEST PASSDesperate to put Akron away in the fourth quarter, Hackenberg floated a perfect 44-yard pass to James for the tight end's second touchdown of the afternoon. It was the first time in his Penn State career that James had scored two touchdowns in a game. BEST RUNJumping in front of Hack- enberg's pass at the goal line, Akron safety Bre' Ford not only stopped Penn State's momentum with an interception but also weaved in and out of back- stepping Nittany Lion players all the way to their 47-yard line early in the fourth quarter. BEST CATCHFaced with a third-and- long and in desperate need of momen- tum, Hackenberg threw a 28-yard pass to Geno Lewis. The ball landed on the receiver's outstretched fingertips as he fell to the ground against double cover- age. Kyle Carter's 23-yard reception at the end of the game was also impressive. BEST SACKAkron quarterback Kyle Pohl took a wicked shot from behind by both Parker Cothren and Carl Nassib late in the first quarter. The sack forced Akron into a third-and-long situation and, eventually, another punt. BEST INTERCEPTIONLooking to cash in at the doorstep, Hackenberg forced a pass toward the end zone, but Akron corner Martel Durant stepped in front to make the interception at the 2-yard line. A penalty pushed the Zips back a yard, but the tightrope catch prevented Penn State from taking a bigger first- half lead. BEST HITOn a Penn State screen pass late in the first half, Akron safety De- vonte Morgan absolutely upended Dae- Sean Hamilton on a 6-yard completion toward the left sideline. Mike Hull's smash on Akron's Fransohn Bickley over the middle deserves honorable mention recognition. BEST EFFORTWideout Matt Zanel- lato, coming back from an ankle injury that forced him out of the first game of the season, sprung teammate Geno Lewis for a 20-yard pickup into the Zips' red zone late in the first quarter. Without Zanellato's diving block, Lewis is stopped for only a few yards. Instead, the Nittany Lions later scored a touch- down on the drive. BEST KICKAkron's Robert Stein con- nected for a 28-yard field goal to open the third quarter after Tom O'Leary started the game with a short miss. BEST RETURNVon Walker opened the second half on a strong note for the Nit- tany Lions, breaking through the first wave of Akron's coverage to post a 35- yard return across the grain of the field. BEST DECISIONFaced with a first- and-10 at Akron's 22-yard line late in the first quarter, Hackenberg rolled into free space on his right, then found a wide-open Bill Belton along the sideline for the Nittany Lions' first touchdown of the afternoon. It was as well-de- signed as a play can be, setting up the defense for an easy score. WORST DECISIONHackenberg needed to make quick decisions in the face of a near-constant pass rush. At two critical junctures in the game, his decision- making proved limiting, as would-be touchdown opportunities turned into Akron interceptions both times. MOST TELLING MOMENTFaced with a second-and-5 at the Akron 13-yard line, a handoff to Bill Belton turned into a halfback pass to Hackenberg in the flat, dropping to the ground harmlessly but eliciting some gasps from the Beaver Stadium crowd. The next play – a touchdown pass to James – gave the Nittany Lions a 14-3 lead late in the third quarter, but the point remains: Penn State is going to try everything it has to do to win. – NATE BAUER JUDGMENT CALLS The best and the rest from the Lions' home opener Steve Manuel S E P T E m B E R 6 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O m 4 BIG GAME PLAYER Hackenberg sur- passed 300 yards for the second consecutive week.

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