Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/83057
coach Bill O'Brien, who was doused with Gatorade after his first victory as a head coach following an 0-2 start. "In many ways, it was a long time coming. I told [the team] it was just one win, but all the hard work they put in this week and in past weeks fi- nally paid off." In years past, that's usually the way these nonconference games against non-Bowl Championship Series oppo- nents tended to go. The Lions would establish their superiority on both sides of the line, would show that they could do pretty much whatever they wanted and then would coast to a com- fortable victory. And speaking of years past, the vic- tory was the Nittany Lions' first since, well, years past. According to the NCAA, Penn State hadn't won a game since a 35-10 rout of Wisconsin on Nov. 22, 1997. In reality, it hadn't won since a 20-14 upset of Ohio State at the Horseshoe last Novem- ber. But whether you accept the NCAA's revised record-keeping or are keeping score at home, Saturday's victory was long overdue. Long, long overdue. "It definitely feels good to get the first win of the season," said safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, who fin- ished the game with nine tackles. "We've just got to keep it going. … One win doesn't define the season. We've got to keep it going." The Nittany Lions were without a number of key players against Navy. Starting offensive tackle Donovan Smith didn't dress for the game after suffering a foot injury the week before at Virginia. Tailbacks Derek Day and Bill Belton missed the game with shoulder and ankle injuries, respec- tively. Defensive end Pete Massaro didn't play because of a chronic knee prob- lem, and backup linebacker Nyeem Wartman was likewise held out be- cause of a knee injury. Receiver Shawney Kersey was absent, too, after leaving the team at midweek for what were described as "personal rea- sons." Shorthanded, the Nittany Lions did some experimentation in hope of amping up an offense that began the day ranked 11th in the Big Ten in scoring. They used defensive tackle SCORING SUMMARY 1ST 11:25 6:40 2ND 8:59 3RD 2:23 4TH 14:13 10:03 PSU PSU PSU PSU PSU Navy James, Jesse 2-yard pass from McGloin, Matt (Ficken, Sam kick) 7 plays, 72 yards, TOP 3:31........................................................................0-7 Robinson, Allen 45-yard pass from McGloin, Matt (Ficken, Sam kick) 4 plays, 57 yards, TOP 2:12......................................................................0-14 Robinson, Allen 2-yard pass from McGloin, Matt (Ficken, Sam kick failed) 14 plays, 90 yards, TOP 6:52....................................................................0-20 Robinson, Allen 25-yard pass from McGloin, Matt (Ficken, Sam kick) 4 plays, 44 yards, TOP 1:44......................................................................0-27 Hull, Mike 74-yard fumble recovery (Ficken, Sam kick).............................0-34 Greene, Gee Gee 12-yard run (Sloan, Nick kick) 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:10....................................................................7-34 Jordan Hill on offense in the first quarter near the goal line and com- pleted a pass to former quarterback Paul Jones, who's now a part-time tight end. The Lions began the game by doing something they hadn't done very much of in their first two games: They hit a big play. It was a 45-yard heave from Matt McGloin to a wide open Allen Robinson on the left sideline, and it was the longest play of the sea- son for Penn State and the longest completion of McGloin's career. More important, the play set up an acro- batic 2-yard touchdown catch by Jesse James to give Penn State a 7-0 lead. Navy's first possession was exactly the opposite: two penalties including a 15-yarder for a chop block, three runs totaling 6 yards and a punt on fourth-and-22. It was an ominous start for a team that began its season with a 50-10 loss to Notre Dame in Ireland. And things didn't get a whole lot bet- ter for the Midshipmen. McGloin hit Robinson on the run for a 45-yard touchdown later in the first quarter, and the two teamed up again for a 2-yard touchdown com- pletion in the second quarter and a 25-yarder in the third. Hull put the finishing touches on the victory with his scoop-and-run, which followed a fumble by Navy tail- back Noah Copeland. "The ball was on the ground [for what] seemed like forever," Hull said. "I was just in the right spot at the S E P T E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 2 2 right time and just took off. I knew if I picked it up clean, I was gone. It was all adrenalin down the field. It was awesome." Next up: Temple. The Owls will be coming off a bye week, but after their first two games – a 41-10 victory over neighboring Villanova and a 36-27 loss to Maryland – they won't be fa- vored to leave Beaver Stadium with a rare victory. A win over the Owls would allow Penn State to even its record at 2-2 and head into the Big Ten season with a bit of momentum. The Lions are ex- pecting to get some of their injured players back this week, including Smith and backup center Ty Howle, and they already have a small breeze at their back following the win over Navy. "Winning cures a lot of things," O'Brien said. "Winning also breeds confidence. "We didn't play an unbelievably great game [Saturday], but we played well enough to win, and now the guys have confidence that when they lifted all those weights in the summer, when they practiced the way they practiced, there's a reward for that, and we can win. We know how to win." So after everything they've been through – the off-season turmoil, the tough season-opening losses to Ohio and Virginia – Penn State could still go into its Big Ten season with hopes of making an impact in conference play. What could be more normal than that? B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M