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P O S T G A M E R E P O R T T A X S L A Y E R B O W L G E O R G I A 2 4 , P E N N S T A T E 1 7 J A N U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M THE GAME AT A GLANCE GOOD NEWSWell, at least one of the three contenders for the Nittany Lions' start- ing quarterback job in 2016 has a lot more experience than he did going into the season finale. Trace McSorley attempted 27 passes against Georgia – more than twice as many as he did in Penn State's first 12 games. He completed 14 for 142 yards and two touch- downs in a gritty per- formance vs. the Bulldogs. BAD NEWS The Lions allowed a number of big plays in dropping their fourth consecu- tive game. Georgia's three touchdowns were 44, 17 and 21 yards. THE TAKEAWAY The Nittany Lions showed a lot of character in battling back after losing their starting quarterback and falling behind by three touchdowns. James Franklin may not believe in moral victories, but if he did, this performance would likely qualify. 1 M A T T   H E R B | M A T T @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M ALPHA DAWGS Georgia holds off shorthanded PSU to win the TaxSlayer Bowl He had absorbed more punishment over the past two seasons than any quarterback in college football, and yet it felt vaguely surreal to see Christian Hackenberg head to the locker room with a shoulder injury in the first half of the Tax- Slayer Bowl. Maybe that's because Hackenberg had always managed to bounce back before, no matter how hard or how oBen he was hit. Or maybe it was because his injury had triggered a grim realization, a concern that Penn State's of- fense, inconsistent under the best of circum- stances, was going to have a very hard time moving the ball with any consistency without its star quarterback under center. It's a concern that may well linger into the off- season and perhaps beyond now that Hackenberg has officially declared his intention to enter the DOGGED PURSUIT Georgia defenders chase after Mc- Sorley Photo by Steve Manuel

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