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FAST FO RWA R D >> A N EA R LY LO O K AT T H E 2 0 17 N I T TA N Y L I O NS I t was an emotional Trace McSorley who sat in the locker room of Rose Bowl Sta- dium a few weeks ago. He had thrown only two interceptions in his previous nine games, but he tossed three against Southern California, including one that set up the Trojans' winning field goal. "You're not going to win a game like that," McSorley said, holding back tears. "That's all on me." What McSorley made clear that evening was that any pregame hype, any in-game momentum, any fourth-quarter lead of two touchdowns or less can quickly be rendered moot if the task is not com- pleted. "There's a lot to be proud about this season, but it's all about how you fin- ish," he said. "It's not about how you start." And therein lies the theme for Penn State's upcoming off-season. In the final Associated Press and USA Today/coaches polls, the Nittany Lions concluded their remarkable 2016 run ranked No. 7. Thanks to their nine-game winning streak and near-miss in the Rose Bowl, they will likely open the 2017 sea- son ranked among the country's top 10 teams, maybe even the top five. McSorley will be an experienced leader on that team, and he'll be pushing to ensure that the Lions are even more successful than they were in 2016. Those three interceptions against USC are going to be a driving force, his coaches say. This past season, he was one of the country's best at picking and choosing his spots. But when it mattered most in the final moments against USC, he came up short. Assistant coach Ricky Rahne has known McSorley since he courted him in high school. Rahne was one of the first college coaches to recruit him, and one of the first who saw a future for him at quarter- back, rather than at defensive back, which was where most other schools wanted to put him. Although Rahne coaches the tight ends now, he has a close relationship with McSorley. Based on what he's learned about the Ashburn, Va., native over the past few years, he expects that McSorley's frustrating finish will help set a tone for winter workouts and beyond. "No one is going to be harder on Trace than him," Rahne said. "What he's got to realize is that he's played well and com- peted and done an unbelievable job for this program and this team and these fans. It's going to hurt him for a while. It's one of those deals where you wish it was- n't your last game so you can go back out there and get the hurt away." Instead he has to wait until September when the Lions open their 2017 season against Akron. Until then, he'll relive the final moments of the Rose Bowl while toiling away with his teammates in the weight room of the Lasch Building. "It's going to be a motivating factor for him," Rahne said. "[He's] got to be able to see the good that came from this year and see how close we were to doing something real special. ... I think Trace is a very spe- cial human being, as well as a lot of the guys that are in this locker room right now. I just think that someday he'll be able to look back on this season and see it in a very positive light." It will be easier for McSorely to put the loss into that kind of perspective if the Nittany Lions are able to learn from it and apply the lessons in 2017. That will certainly be McSorley's inten- tion. And considering his ability to lead his fellow players – a trait that Rahne has been watching ever since McSorley's days at Briar Woods, it's likely that the entire team will adopt his mindset. "I think we'll be able to take this pain, this hurt, and flip it around and use that as our motivation," McSorley said. "Now, everything is about finishing – finish out a season, finish out a game, finish out a drive. Obviously, there are a lot of things we can look back at this year and improve on, but I think that's the biggest thing that hurts." ■ McSorley views loss as source of motivation | ON THE RUN Mc- Sorley had a touchdown run against the Tro- jans and also threw for four scores. Photo by Steve Manuel

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