Blue White Illustrated

PLAYER OF THE GAME Is this the game Penn State fans will remember as the coming out party for Trace McSorley? The Nittany Lion quarterback produced the type of performance that fans, coaches and teammates have seen flashes of, but never for a complete game. In the first half alone, McSorley was responsible for three chunk plays on the ground, racking up 95 yards on 12 carries. He finished the game complet- ing 10 of 19 passes for 152 yards and two scores, then added 81 yards on the ground on 18 carries in spite of three sacks. Clearly, Saquon Barkley could make a strong case for this acknowl- edgement too, racking up 202 yards on the ground on 31 carries. PLAY OF THE GAMEMcSorley handed off to Barkley at the 49-yard line, and Barkley did the rest. Evading a blitzing Terrapin defense, the Lion running back found a gaping hole and sprinted all the way to the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown. In a game the hosts had mostly dominated to that point, it pro- duced a 10-point cushion and a jolt of confidence heading into the half. BEST PASSMcSorley's first-quarter bullet to Chris Godwin along the side- line and into double coverage might have been his most accurate and well- timed of the season. The completion was good for 16 yards and a first down. BEST RUNPenn State fans have been waiting for this from McSorley. On sec- ond-and-11 midway through the sec- ond quarter, he stepped into the pocket, juked past a pair of Terrapin defenders and went for 25 yards and a first down. BEST CATCHThe pass was pretty good, too, but DeAndre Thompkins' 70-yard touchdown catch, in which he shed the Maryland cornerback, turned for the ball and sprinted into the end zone, was a crucial momentum-shifter in the game. The completion gave the Nittany Lions a 31-14 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. WORST DROPThompkins had some trouble earlier in the game, juking past Maryland's cornerback to find himself with a nice cushion, as McSorley's pass came to him. Thompkins let the pass sail through his fingertips, though, and the Lions punted two plays later. BEST SACKGarrett Sickels and Evan Schwan got the defensive line going early, both picking up important sacks on Maryland's first possession. BEST HITIn the first half alone, the Nittany Lions had a pair of wicked hits. The first came from linebacker Koa Farmer, who went unchecked to nail Perry Hills and force an important fum- ble. The second came on Penn State's next punt, as Will Likely was intro- duced to Nick Scott with a bang right in front of the Maryland bench. JUDGMENT CALLS O c T O B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M 4 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

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