Blue White Illustrated

BRONX, N.Y. – Arriving at Yankee Stadium early Saturday aernoon, Penn State oensive lineman Angelo Mangiro stared out the window of his bus at a scene that was in some ways foreign and in other ways reassuringly familiar. Instead of the cow pastures of Porter Road, Mangiro and the Nittany Lions headed to 161st Street and Jerome Avenue in the nation's largest city. But, as is the case on the short ride from the Lasch Building to Beaver Stadium, Penn State fans were visible everywhere he looked. "People were banging on our bus, screaming 'We are!' and we knew it was going to be a good day and it was going to be to our advantage," Mangiro said. "I looked around and it felt like I was in Beaver Stadium, but I was in Yankee Sta- dium. It was a great atmosphere." In front of an announced crowd of 49,012, the Nittany Lions rallied from a 14-point third-quar- ter de8cit to defeat Boston College in overtime, 31-30, Saturday night in the Pinstripe Bowl. The feeling of satisfaction didn't come easy, though. The Lions started the aernoon with a 72-yard P O S T G A M E R E P O R T P I N S T R I P E B O W L P S U 3 1 , B C 3 0 ( O T ) D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M THE GAME AT A GLANCE GOOD NEWS Given time to throw and open receivers to tar- get, Christian Hack- enberg looked like his old self against Boston College. BAD NEWS The Pin- stripe Bowl certainly drove home just how much the Lions are going to miss Sam Ficken. The senior kicker was Penn State's most reliable performer from the first play of the season to the very last. THE TAKEAWAY There's nothing like a victory in your final game to get the off- season off to a rous- ing start. The Lions ended their 2012 and '13 seasons this way, too. The difference in 2014 is that they got a month of extra prac- tices to go along with the big win. With so few seniors departing and a batch of four- star freshmen set to make their debuts next fall, there is every reason to be- lieve the Lions will be able to build on the momentum they gen- erated in NYC. 1 EARNING HIS STRIPES Lewis sparked PSU's rally with a touchdown catch at the end of the third quarter. Photo by Steve Manuel N A T E B A U E R | N B A U E R @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M EXTRA SPECIAL An inspired rally, capped by Sam Ficken's PAT, lifts the Lions

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