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PLAYER OF THE GAME So many Nit- tany Lions put on their best perform- ances Monday afternoon, picking just one would be unfair to them all, even with the loss. In that spirit, the nods go to running back Saquon Barkley and junior wideout Chris Godwin. Over- coming an early 13-0 hole, the Lions engineered an offensive outburst that was simply remarkable, even by their lofty standards. PLAY OF THE GAME Leon McQuay III didn't just give his Trojans an opportu- nity to win with his last-minute inter- ception on Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley in USC territory. Picking off the deep ball thrown to Godwin, McQuay returned it 32 yards down to the Nittany Lions' 33-yard line, setting up the win- ning field goal for Matt Boermeester. BEST PASS Hardly the game's most exciting play, Sam Darnold's third- and-9 completion to Jalen Green late in the first quarter was as perfect as they come. With Nittany Lion cornerback Jordan Smith blanketing Green, Darnold fit the ball neatly into the crook of his target's long free arm to se- cure the first down. BEST RUNIs there any question? Penn State's offense produced two iconic Rose Bowl plays, back-to-back, Mon- day night. No choice but to include them both in this space. The first was on the Nittany Lions' first touch of the second half. Facing a wall in the back- field, Barkley broke to the right side- line, wiggled and juked his way past seven defenders, cutting back to the other side of the field as he burst away to complete the 79-yard touchdown. Barkley's video game jaunt was one that Penn State fans – and likely many oth- ers across the country – won't soon to JUDGMENT CALLS J A N U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 7 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 that locker room," Franklin said. "There's obviously a lot of raw emo- tion right now, there is a lot of hurt going on, and that's natural. But these guys should have their chin held high, their chest out, because what we've been able to accomplish this year from the beginning to the end is really the story. Tonight obvi- ously was a small sample… but that game tonight really doesn't define us. It's the whole season. It's what these guys did. It's how they perse- vered. It's how they love one an- other. It's how they care for one another." The vast majority of those guys will be back next year, a list that includes Barkley, McSorley and Gesicki, among others. So while the immedi- ate future holds a presumably quiet plane trip home from Southern Cal- ifornia, the long-term future looks extremely bright. Penn State has set the stage for a very promising 2017 season, which will begin on Sept. 2 when Akron visits Beaver Stadium.

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