Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/424631
N O V E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 10 T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M Normally a:er Penn State's final home game of the season, once the players are finished singing the alma mater, some of the seniors will take a few minutes to shake hands with fans, pose for a picture or two and simply soak up the final few moments before heading off toward the locker room. On Saturday, however, following Penn State's 34-10 loss to Michigan State, a somber Mike Hull wanted little of it – even though it was his final game in Beaver Stadium. "Because we lost the game," explained the senior linebacker. "It wasn't a good feeling. We got our butts kicked, so we just want to kinda get out of there and get away from it." Asked what was the most difficult part about the loss, Hull hesitated and then replied, "The fashion that we went out in Beaver Stadium in front of those fans – the best fans in the world. "We wanted to give them a good show and it just didn't happen." His classmates concurred. Senior kicker Sam Ficken was espe- cially frustrated with the opening kick- off, which Michigan State's R.J. Shelton returned 90 yards for a touchdown, and the missed 51-yard field goal attempt in the first half, which he said he kicked "super fat." Although he converted his second at- tempt, a 41-yarder that gave him a school record with 23 conversions in a season, it offered little solace. "Personal gains do not outweigh the overall outcome of the game," Ficken said. "Obviously it's a very cool record to have, but if I could give that back and take a win, I'd do that in a heartbeat." Ficken said that his 16 classmates, who were honored during Saturday's pregame Senior Day ceremonies, shared a similar outlook on the game. Despite the disheartening loss, however, they see the upcoming, still-to-be-de- termined bowl game as one more chance to end the season on a positive note. "Obviously a lot of [seniors] are sad to see it go, myself included, but, you know, we get to go to a bowl game," Ficken said. "So that [loss] is something that we have to throw out the window right now and get back to work. I think the 15 practices that we get will help us tremendously be- cause we're such a young team. So that's what we're looking forward to." Hull, who led the team – again – with 13 tackles, didn't find much to smile about following the game, but like Ficken, he remains optimistic about a bowl trip and having one more chance to play in a Nittany Lion uniform. "It's definitely more exciting because we know you get one more opportunity to go out there and play with your friends," he said. "We have almost a month together. It is definitely a lot bet- ter than ending your whole career on a note like that." Hackenberg addresses transfer talk Encircled by more than a dozen reporters following Penn State's 34-10 loss to Michigan State Saturday, Christian Hackenberg was peppered with questions. He had just been sacked for the 41st time this season and had seen his touch- down-to-interception ratio flip from an impressive 2:1 as a freshman to almost 1:2 a year later. Prior to the Nittany Lions' season finale, Hackenberg's declining productivity had given rise to speculation that the five-star QB, who was re- cruited by and thrived under James Franklin's predecessor, Bill O'Brien, might think of transferring. Being pestered with questions about those topics following a 24-point loss wouldn't seem to be a quarterback's thing. But instead, the 19-year-old sopho- more answered each with poise, calmness and thought and responded with phrases like "It's not over yet," "moving forward" and "I wouldn't rather be any- where else" than Penn State. Asked to sum up his season, he replied, "I thought it was the best thing that could possibly happen to me. I learned a lot." Asked what he learned, specifically, he replied, "It's just adjusting to the situa- tions and understanding how each one is going to be different. That's not just a good rule for football, that's a good rule for life." Asked – perhaps most important – about the prospect that he might finish his college career somewhere other than Penn State, he politely suggested that such talk was media fabrication that has no factual basis. "Moving forward, this is where I'm at," he said. "This is where I want to be. This is the team that I love, the guys that I love, the university that I love, and I wouldn't rather be anywhere else." And, at least that once, he was happy to take a question about it, too. – T.O. MORE BITTER THAN SWEET Lopsided loss to Michigan State dampens Senior Day festivities