Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/408409
PLAYER OF THE GAME Picking an ac- tual outstanding performance in this game is a nearly impossible proposition. As a result, Maryland kicker Brad Crad- dock has to get the nod, as he sent home a 43-yard field goal attempt to win the game for the Terrapins with 51 seconds left in regulation. PLAY OF THE GAMEMaryland did just enough to move into field goal range, and Craddock had plenty of leg on his 43-yard attempt to give the Terps a 20- 19 win. BEST PASS Maryland's C.J. Brown connected with wideout Deon Long for a crisp 22-yard pickup at the end of the third quarter. Brown's next two were also good, leading Maryland to its early-fourth-quarter field goal. BEST RUN Maryland's Wes Brown had a few of them Saturday, none more im- portant than the 13-yard gain late in the fourth quarter in which he was able to wiggle through traffic to set up the de- cisive field goal. BEST CATCHPenn State tight end Jesse James somehow managed to leap over Maryland cornerback Sean Davis to complete an 8-yard touchdown. James kept one foot in bounds to give the Nittany Lions a 16-7 lead late in the third quarter. WORST DROPNeeding to make a play on third-and-long, wideout Amba Etta-Tawo found himself in the clear for a sure first down over the middle, but the ball slipped straight through his hands. The play killed the Terps' drive. The Nittany Lions had a few drops of their own, though, including one at the goal line by Geno Lewis that might have changed the complexion of the game. BEST SACK Both defenses had a field day Saturday afternoon, combining for 11 sacks. With so many possibilities to choose from, it's hard to pick a winner here. Was it Deion Barnes' sack on C.J. Brown for a 6-yard loss? Andre Mon- roe's hammer on Christian Hackenberg for a big loss in the second quarter? Or Marcus Allen's big sack in the fourth quarter? WORST HITBoy, oh boy, Maryland de- fensive end Yannick Ngakoue slammed Hackenberg on a hard blind-side hit, drawing a 15-yard late hit penalty. The problem? Terrapin teammate Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil intercepted the pass for a pick-six that was negated in the process. BEST EFFORTWith Maryland driving late in the third quarter, Anthony Zettel forced running back Wes Brown to fumble, giving the Lions good field po- sition. He finished with just one tackle, but he was all over the field again Sat- urday. BEST KICK Ficken had a great day, fin- ishing with four made field goals, in- cluding a 48-yarder that gave Penn State a brief lead in the fourth quarter. His final line was four made field goals of 47, 25, 46 and 48 yards, plus a made PAT. That said, the nod here has to go to Craddock. WORST RETURNWith the Nittany Lions clinging to a 16-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, true freshman Grant Haley fumbled at the end of a kickoff return, giving Maryland possession at the Penn State 24-yard line. A few plays later, the Terps took a 17-16 lead on Wes Brown's touchdown run. BEST DECISIONFacing second-and- goal at the 2-yard line, Maryland's of- fense went with the misdirection rollout to complete the touchdown from C.J. Brown to a wide-open P.J. Gallo in the back of the end zone. WORST DECISIONIn the first quarter, Penn State had wrapped up Deon Long to halt a Maryland drive, but a late hit and additional unsportsmanlike con- duct penalty not only extended the possession, but moved the Terps all the way down to the Penn State 37-yard line. MOST TELLING MOMENTFacing a key third-and-7 at the Maryland 8-yard line late in the second quarter, Hacken- berg had absolutely no time to get rid of the ball, sailing it over tight end Mike Gesicki's head. Instead of a much- needed touchdown, the Lions were forced to settle for another Ficken field goal. DID YOU NOTICEMaryland game cap- tains refused to shake the hands of their Penn State counterparts. There was a scuffle, too, landing the Terps a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the opening kickoff. James Franklin said that in 20 years as a coach, he had never seen anything like it. – NATE BAUER JUDGMENT CALLS The best and the rest from the Nittany Lions' loss to Maryland N O V E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M 4 BEST CATCH James pulls in a short touch- down pass from Hacken- berg. Photo by Steve Manuel