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P O S T S E A S O N P R E V I E W >> P E N N S T A T E closer to the line of scrimmage, leaving the perimeter exposed to deep shots against single coverage. But if they dropped deep into coverage to help pre- vent longer completions, McSorley would likely find ample running room. It was a no-win situation, and making matters worse for the Badgers, McSorley has be- come adept at throwing deep while on the run. "I think the explosive plays come from Trace's mobility, when he is able to step up in the pocket and extend plays," Franklin said. "When he steps up in the pocket, even when he's on the run, his eyes are downfield. That puts your un- derneath coverage and defense in con- flict." McSorley did that with great efficiency in the victory over the Badgers, but not without facing a series of brutally dam- aging setbacks first. After a wicked sand- wich sack at the hands of linebacker T.J. Watt in the second quarter, McSorley had a huge welt on his upper arm. And the physical bruises were compounded by the team's difficulties moving the ball – dif- ficulties that reached their nadir when McSorley wasn't able to control an errant shotgun snap in the second quarter. The Badgers returned the loose ball for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead. But drawing on the mettle he'd shown throughout the season, McSorley re- sponded by spearheading a series of Penn State counterattacks. His last pass of the first half was caught by Saeed Blacknall for a 40-yard touchdown, and his first pass of the second half was also caught by Blacknall, this time for a 70-yard score. The Nittany Lions went on to score touchdowns on four consecutive posses- sions, and a fifth ended with a Tyler Davis field goal. By the time it was over, the Lions had shredded a Wisconsin defense that had given up only eight touchdown passes in the regular season. The performance was the best of Mc- Sorley's career, and it took place on his biggest stage to date, but Franklin talked afterward of his consistency throughout the season. "Trace has been dynamic all year long. I'm really proud of him – his attitude, his demeanor, the type of teammate he is, the type of leader he is," Franklin said. "Ob- viously he made plays [against Wiscon- sin]. But the wideouts made unbelievable plays for him, the tight ends made unbe- lievable plays for him. His mobility helped the O-line, and we were able to get those guys to settle down." McSorley's influence on the Nittany Lions' success throughout Penn State's season has been immeasurable. And while he's only in his first season as a starter, his story seems familiar, if only because it could have been lifted from a sports movie about a scrappy underdog finally getting his big chance. McSorley is listed at 6-foot-0, 205 pounds, and at the time of his signing nearly three years ago, there was some uncertainty – among outsiders, at least – about whether he would even get to play quarterback at the college level. He had been an All-State player on both offense and defense at Briar Woods High in his native Virginia, and given that he came aboard as part of the same Penn State re- cruiting class that featured four-star quarterback Michael O'Connor of IMG Academy in Florida, there was specula- tion among recruiting analysts that Mc- Sorley, a three-star prospect, might end up at free safety. But competition didn't faze McSorley – not on an individual level and definitely not on a team level. As he told BWI fol- lowing his verbal commitment, "I want to TRACE McSORLEY GAME-BY-GAME PASSING RUSHING OPP ATT COMP PCT YDS TD INT LONG SACK-YDS EFFIC ATT YDS AVG TD Kent State 31 16 51.6 209 2 0 43 1-11 129.54 14 47 3.4 0 Pitt 35 24 68.6 332 1 1 40 4-33 151.97 9 -17 -1.9 0 Temple 24 18 75.0 287 1 1 52 0-0 180.87 9 8 0.9 1 Michigan 27 16 59.3 121 1 1 30 6-27 101.72 9 -6 -0.7 0 Minnesota 41 19 46.3 335 1 0 80 0-0 123.02 8 73 9.1 1 Maryland 19 10 52.6 152 2 0 70 3-30 154.57 18 81 4.5 1 Ohio State 23 8 34.8 154 1 0 35 1-1 105.37 19 63 3.3 1 Purdue 23 12 52.2 228 3 0 42 1-10 178.49 5 2 0.4 0 Iowa 18 11 61.1 240 2 0 45 1-7 209.78 14 40 2.9 1 Indiana 30 16 53.3 332 2 2 54 3-23 154.96 8 13 1.6 1 Rutgers 33 17 51.5 210 1 0 28 0-0 114.97 11 55 5.0 0 Michigan St. 23 17 73.9 376 4 0 59 1-8 268.63 10 13 1.3 0 Wisconsin 31 22 71.0 384 4 0 70 1-7 217.60 6 -20 -3.3 0 TOTAL 358 206 57.5 3360 25 5 80 22-157 156.63 140 352 1.2 6

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