Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/85172
POSTGAME REPORT WEEK 5 P ENN STATE 3 5 , I L L INOI S 7 LIGHTS OUT Michael Mauti was critical of Illinois' off-sea- son recruitment of Penn State players, and he backed up the criticism with his play at Me- morial Stadium Saturday. Penn State retaliates against Illinois' off-season recruiting tactics REVENGE OF THE LIONS MATT HERB | M A T T@B L U E WH I T E O N L I N E . c O M CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – You can't help but be im- pressed by how quickly Penn State's rivalry with Illinois has gone from negligible to nu- clear. A few months ago, the Fighting Illini were just another team on the Nittany Lions' sched- ule. But over the summer, their matchup be- came a circle-your-calendar event thanks to Illinois' aggressive pursuit of Penn State play- ers. And if you did circle your calendar, you certainly got the fireworks you expected on Saturday. The Nittany Lions stormed past the Illini, 35-7. They took a quick 14-point lead and never allowed the Illini to seriously threaten it, and the guy at the center of the action was the guy who's been at the center of the Penn State-Illinois conflagration from the start: Michael Mauti. The senior linebacker intercepted two passes, one of which he nearly returned for a touchdown, caused a fumble and created plenty of additional havoc in helping Lions win their third in a row. S E P T E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 2 1 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M Steve Manuel THE GAME AT A GLANCE GOOD NEWS After spinning its wheels earlier this season, Penn State cashes in on its red zone opportunities, while denying the Illinois offense. BAD NEWS The 47-yard field goal attempt was a (literal) long shot, but Penn State can't afford to keep coming up empty on the chip shots. THE TAKEAWAYDon't mess with Michael Mauti. He will make you pay.