Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/86430
GAME GRADES QUARTERBACKSMatt McGloin seemed off his game initially, but boy, did he come roaring back. He finished with 35 completions in 51 attempts for 282 yards, threw for two touchdowns and ran for the winning TD. His touch- down-interception ratio this season now stands at 12-2. GRADE A RUNNING BACKS Penn State chose to pound away at the Big Ten's top run defense using Zach Zwinak and Michael Zordich. They didn't get re- sults initially, but the Lions eventually wore the Wildcats down. GRADEB+ UNDER COVER Robinson hauls in one of his game-high nine receptions against Northwestern. Even if they're ready, defenses struggle to stop Allen Robinson Name a kind of catch, and chances BLATANT SURPRISE LORI SHONTZ | B L U E WH I T E C O N T R I B U T O R are Allen Robinson has made it this season. (Chances are, actually, he's made it more than once; he's already caught 41 passes, meaning he needs only three more to tie Penn State's sophomore season record.) The wide- open catch, the sliding come-back-to- the-ball catch, the leaping circus catch. And then there's the catch a receiver makes when a defensive back is all but draped on top of him. Robinson likes those. "I think it's a little better when you come down with a catch like that rather than when you're open, be- cause you know you're able to make a play out of nothing," he said. "It brings some confidence when you make a play like that." Robinson brought down several of those catches against Northwestern, when he was again the team's leading receiver – quarterback Matt McGloin's favorite target – with nine catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. The first touchdown, an 8-yarder in the third quarter, gave the Nittany Lions a 17-14 lead. "Matt gave me a great ball," Robinson said. The second, a 6-yarder to cap an 18-play drive to open the fourth quarter, came as Robinson ran across the back of the end zone, and he was tightly covered. "Matt made another great throw," Robinson said, "and I was able to come down with that." Which isn't quite how McGloin sees it. "Defenses aren't stupid," he said. "They know that Allen is a great foot- ball player and they're going to play tight coverage on him. You just have to put it on him and give him his op- portunity to make a play." Robinson caught at least nine passes for the third time this season. He's certainly not a surprise now, as he may have been in the season opener against Ohio, but extra atten- tion isn't making him any less effec- tive. With six games to go, he needs to catch 22 passes to tie the overall sin- gle-season record, 63, set by O.J. Mc- Duffie in 1992. O C T O B E R 6 , 2 0 1 2 6 Jonh Beale RECEIVERS Allen Robinson was the head- liner, but the Lions once again suc- ceeded in spreading the ball around, as 10 receivers caught passes. GRADEB+ OFFENSIVE LINE This unit was at its best in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. GRADEB+ DEFENSIVE LINE Venric Mark and Kain Colter found some running room in the second half, but the Lions were stout when it counted most. GRADEB+ LINEBACKERSMark and Colter had their moments, but that was expected, Northwestern having compiled 704 yards a week earlier against Indiana. But the Nittany Lions clamped down hard in the fourth quarter. GRADEB+ DEFENSIVE BACKS Stephon Morris got a raw deal when he was flagged for pass in- terference in the second quarter. Oth- erwise, this was another strong performance by one of the team's most improved units. GRADEB+ SPECIAL TEAMS Jesse Della Valle's muffed punt in the second quarter and Mark's 75-yard punt return in the third quarter were costly. GRADEC- COACHES Penn State's rally was a testa- ment to the staff – not only its ability to keep players fully engaged at all times but its success at developing their physical conditioning. The Lions were clearly the better team in the fourth quarter. GRADE A CROWD Attendance for Penn State's homecoming game was generously listed at 95,769. But while there were more empty seats than usual, the stadium was rocking in the fourth quarter. GRADEB B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M