Blue White Illustrated

PLAYER OF THE GAME Georgia run- ning back Sony Michel wasn't exactly dominant, but his 20 carries for 85 yards led all rushers and helped seal the Bulldogs' victory Saturday. PLAY OF THE GAMEGeorgia produced a handful of great plays in an otherwise uneventful day for both sides, but the injury to Penn State quarterback Chris- tian Hackenberg virtually eliminated any doubt about the game's outcome. Tackled on a 5-yard scramble, Hacken- berg hurt his right shoulder when he was driven into the turf, and the injury forced him out of the game shortly thereafter. BEST PASSTalk about a tough son-of- a-gun. With right shoulder ailing, Hackenberg delivered a perfectly placed bullet to Chris Godwin, good for a 51- yard pickup and the Lions' first points of the afternoon. Though he stubbornly gutted out one more pass, Trace Mc- Sorley entered the game on the ensuing third down, as Hackenberg jogged into the locker room for medical treatment. BEST RUNOn first down coming out of a short kickoff, Georgia's end around to Isaiah McKenzie produced a gaping hole and 26 yards. Two plays later, the Bulldogs found the end zone on Terry Godwin's wildcat pass to a wide-open Malcolm Mitchell for 44 yards and the score. BEST CATCHIf at first you don't suc- ceed… Though Greyson Lambert's first end zone fade to Godwin went incom- plete, the Bulldog wideout made a spectacular grab to put Georgia ahead 17-3 at the end of the first half. BEST DECISIONAlthough the Nittany Lions were working on their last gasps, James Franklin's fourth-and-12 call was made good when McSorley completed a 17-yard touchdown to Geno Lewis, cut- ting the deficit to 14 points to open the fourth quarter. WORST DROPTrailing 3-0 midway through the first quarter, the Nittany Lions let an opportunity slip away. Though the decision to pass on third- and-1 could be questioned, the easy pitch and catch from Hackenberg to DaeSean Hamilton was flat-out dropped, killing the Lions' possession seemingly before it began. BEST SACKPenn State had trouble making moves on Georgia's vaunted of- fensive line, but the combination of Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel fi- nally pulled Lambert to the ground for a 9-yard loss early in the second half. BEST HITGeorgia's Roquan Smith and Michael Barnett combined to unload on Hackenberg at the end of a 5-yard scramble early in the second quarter. The hit clearly rattled the signal- caller's right shoulder and eventually forced him out of the game. BEST EFFORTMichel took a pitch 21 yards through the heart of Penn State's defense, and carried Nittany Lion de- fensive end Garrett Sickels 7 yards into the end zone to cap his first touchdown of the afternoon. The score gave the Bulldogs a commanding 24-3 lead late in the third quarter. WORST EFFORTQuestioning Franklin's decision to try a fake punt late in the first half is certainly valid, but Evan Schwan's execution was at least equally mystifying. The Bulldogs had this one sniffed out from the out- set, smothering Schwan to force a turnover on downs. BEST KICKPenn State's punting Sat- urday was undoubtedly improved from previous efforts this season. Daniel Pasquariello's 35-yard punt late in the first quarter was a particular highlight, pinning the Bulldogs at their own 5- yard line. BEST RETURNPasquariello's 39-yard punt to open the second half from deep in Penn State's own territory was made worse when McKenzie took the return 37 yards back to the Nittany Lions' 23- yard line. MOST TELLING MOMENTHackenberg needing to make a left-handed pass late in the first quarter perfectly summed up the story of the Lions' offense the past two seasons. Too much pressure, too little time, and a quarterback need- ing to ad lib constantly to make some- thing happen. – NATE BAUER JUDGMENT CALLS The best and the rest from the Nittany Lions' loss to Georgia 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 4 BEST RETURN The Nittany Lions had trouble bringing down McKenzie on a punt return early in the second half. His 37-yard dash gave the Bulldogs superb field position, set- ting them up at Penn State's 23- yard line. Photo by Steve Manuel

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