Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/752868
he play's execution was not exactly as designed. Climbing through the pocket against a collapsing Min- nesota pass rush, Penn State quar- terback Trace McSorley reached the line of scrimmage. Slinging a pass 30 yards downfield while on the run, McSorley found redshirt freshman receiver Irvin Charles in the middle of the field. Shedding a tackle attempt by Golden Gophers defensive back Adekunle Ayinde at midfield, Charles picked up an escort from tight end Mike Gesicki and galloped into Beaver Stadium's north end zone. The score, an 80-yard touch- down completion, closed a 13-3 gap and sparked what would eventually become a 29-26 overtime victory for the Nittany Lions. It was the first of five wins in a row for Penn State, making Charles' catch look even more significant in retrospect than it did at the time. It may even go down as the turning point in the season. The Lions had gotten off to a middling start, going 2-2 in September, and the second of those losses was a particularly demoralizing 49-10 defeat at Michigan. But after the McSorley-to-Charles con- nection, which set in motion a comeback that was eventually capped by Saquon Barkley's 25-yard touchdown burst in overtime, the Lions' season developed into something else entirely. That the turnaround was triggered by an explosive play was entirely appropri- ate. Head coach James Franklin said recently that Penn State's offensive identity is di- rectly tied to those dramatic plays that eat up large chunks of yardage. Comple- mented by an improving defense, the of- fensive bursts are part of a complete team vision the Nittany Lions have been at- tempting to perfect through the course of the season. "This is really the model of how we want to play," Franklin said. "We want to | T GREED IS GOOD Barkley con- tributed 207 rushing yards to Penn State's 62- 24 rout of Pur- due. His final carry of the day was an 81-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Photo by Steve Manuel