Blue White Illustrated

O c T O B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M 11 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 BALTIMORE - Perry Hills wasn't going away. With his team trailing 31-27 early in the fourth quarter, the Maryland quar- terback pushed his offense down the field another 54 yards to set up a 29- yard Brad Craddock field goal. Just as he had been doing throughout the after- noon, the junior quarterback out of Pittsburgh made play after play, to the tune of 124 yards and a score on 26 car- ries, plus 225 yards and a score through the air. So when Penn State return man Nick Scott fumbled the ensuing kickoff, leav- ing the Terrapins with possession at the Nittany Lions' 32-yard line, all signs pointed to trouble. "When we fumbled on the kickoff, the momentum was 100 percent in their favor," Penn State linebacker Jason Cabinda said. "They got it right there [just outside] the red zone. You would think at least they would kick a field goal and take a lead there." They didn't. The Terrapins snapped the ball at the 10:06 mark, about one second later Penn State linebacker Brandon Bell was in Hills' face. Exploding off the line of scrimmage, Bell knocked the ball out of Perry's hands, down to the turf and eventually into the waiting arms of Nittany Lion defensive end Garrett Sickels. "I was dropping into coverage, I saw the ball come out and I just ran and picked it up," Sickels said. Bursting down the sideline, Sickels ex- perienced an immediate feeling of déjà vu. In an earlier game against San Diego State, he had helped spring defensive tackle Austin Johnson for a touchdown on a fumble return. Describing the play aBer the game, Sickels joked that he ex- pected the same treatment. But instead of getting a much-needed block, he was pushed out of bounds by Hills at the Maryland 28-yard line. "I don't know," said Sickels, smiling. "it looked like he could have blocked him, but it's all good." The takeaway was Penn State's fifth of the afternoon, the seemingly lone rem- edy to Hills' effective play. Bell's sack was also one of four by the Nittany Lions, another tally for their nine tack- les for a loss against the Terrapins. But most important, the play effectively flipped the field position table for a Penn State defense that needed room to breathe. From there, the floodgates opened for Penn State's defense as it looked to stave off a late Maryland comeback. First, Trevor Williams intercepted Hills on a crucial fourth-and-2 midway through the fourth quarter, then Malik Golden picked off a deflected pass to seal the game at the 1:15 mark. "That's huge. And a lot of times on those turnovers, they were driving and they had momentum on a lot of them. I think two or three of them were in the red zone," Cabinda said. "So I think they were especially huge just because the momentum was in their favor and the fact that they were driving down the field and had us on our heels for a sec- ond and boom, we come up with big plays. I think that's why they were so huge and played such a big role in this game." MAKING THEIR STAND Penn State's defense comes through in the end RECRUITING DT recruit Colon no longer part of PSU's class Three-star defensive tackle Christian Colon is no longer a member of Penn State's Class of 2016. Colon, a 6-foot-3, 309-pound prospect from Charlotte, N.C., an- nounced on Thursday via Twitter that he was reopening his recruit- ment. "After much thought and careful consideration, my family and I would like to say thank you to the coaches and the fans at Penn- sylvania State University," he wrote. "I am extremely apprecia- tive of the opportunity to be a part of a one-of-a-kind family, the Nit- tany Lions." Colon added that he had "to do what is in the best interest of my family and I." According to sources, the decision to part ways was made by Penn State's coaching staff after Colon was subject to disciplinary action by Independence High's football team. Following Colon's decommit- ment, Penn State's class stands at 19 prospects. That list includes Karamo Dioubate of Philadelphia, Ellison Jordan of Baltimore and Michael Dwumfour of Wayne, N.J., all of whom are expected to play defensive tackle when they enroll next summer. Three-star prospect Daniel Joseph of Lake Forest, Ill., could play defensive tackle, but he's expected to start his collegiate career at end. It is unclear whether James Franklin and his assistant coaches will use the newly available scholar- ship to pursue another defensive tackle or address their needs at a dif- ferent position. –RYAN SNYDER

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