Blue White Illustrated

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 9 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 BRONX, N.Y. – Quarterback Christian Hackenberg saved his best for last. Not since the season opener nearly three months ago did he put up a stat line even close. Fi%y passes, 34 completions, four touchdowns, zero interceptions and 371 yards. In terms of sheer quantity, it didn't quite equal his 454-yard e0ort vs. UCF, but that gaudy 4-to-0 touchdown- interception ratio made his showing against Boston College by far his signa- ture performance of the year, and it helped li% Penn State to a 31-30 victory over the Eagles in the Pinstripe Bowl. Perhaps Hackenberg bene6tted from the nearly four weeks of recuperation that had followed Penn State's loss to Michigan State in November. The Nit- tany Lions had surrendered a Big Ten- worst 42 sacks during the regular season, and although he wasn't dealing with any signi6cant injuries, head coach James Franklin acknowledged in the postgame news conference that his star sophomore quarterback was far from fully healthy during the latter half of the season. "Was he banged up and bruised and sore and uncomfortable?" Franklin said. "Yeah." But rather than focus on his own health, Hackenberg noted that the down time had bene6tted the entire team. "It wasn't just for me; it was for everyone," he said. "Everyone was able to get their legs underneath them, everyone was able to rest up a little bit, prepare a little more, and I think that showed today." Having that extra time to prep for Boston College was another big di0er- ence-maker, he said. "I saw con6dence within everyone else," Hackenberg said. "When you have guys who have a ton of con6dence in what they're doing… [they] are moving faster, and guys are executing because they're preparing so hard, and they've seen it over and over again in the 6lm room and then again at practice. I think it felt di0erent for us as a unit because we felt as if we were really prepared and we were able to go out there and exe- cute." Although his stat line was impressive, it wasn't entirely free of blemishes. He didn't throw any interceptions, but Hackenberg fumbled two snaps, both in Boston College territory. It wasn't perfect, but he didn't allow the setbacks to a0ect his con6dence. In that sense, the game was a microcosm of the season. A%er opening the year with four con- secutive victories, Penn State went on to lose four in a row. It amassed enough wins to achieve bowl eligibility, but a%er doing so, it closed the regular season with back-to-back losses. And yet, Sat- urday's thrilling comeback victory sent the Nittany Lions out on a high note and allowed them to 6nish their 6rst season under Franklin with a winning record. "It was the story of our season – up and down," Hackenberg said. "But ulti- mately, the character of our team [showed], and the guys around this team kept 6ghting. We never put our heads down and we were able to pull out an awesome win here at Yankee Stadium." COMEBACK KID A rejuvenated Christian Hackenberg regains his early-season form BACK ON TOP Hack- enberg threw for 371 yards vs. BC, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Photo by Steve Manuel

• Cover