Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/450893
> > efore heading back to the Yankee Stadium locker room – er, club- house – following the Nittany Lions' comeback victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, Akeel Lynch sprinted to- ward the cheerleaders, picked up their giant blue "Penn State" 1ag – the one they use to lead the team out of the tunnel before each game – and began waving it as if he were signaling to the masses. Maybe he was. For the redshirt sophomore from Canada who 0nished his high school career in Bu2alo, N.Y., that 31-30 victory over the Eagles was a statement. For the obvious reasons: Capping off the season with a victory over a team that had gone into the postseason sporting a better record is a good way to build some momentum heading into winter workouts and eventually spring practice. And that, in turn, is a good way to speed the development of the program. Lynch figures to be a crucial part of that effort, as evidenced by his 75 yards rushing vs. Boston College. His performance included a 36-yard beast-mode carry that probably should have gone for a touchdown. It didn't, thanks to a questionable decision to spot the ball at the 1-yard line, but Lynch did lead the team in rushing for the fourth consecutive game. There also are a few less-obvious reasons why this game was particularly meaningful to Lynch. As a three-star high school re- cruit, he had originally committed to the Eagles in July 2011, a year and a half before Steve Addazio was hired. He later 1ipped to Penn State and its then-coach, Bill O'Brien, shortly before signing day. The CATCH 22 After two seasons as a backup, Akeel Lynch looks to establish himself as the leader of a talented young running back corps B |