Blue White Illustrated

FAST FO RWA R D >> A N EA R LY LO O K AT T H E 2 0 1 8 N I T TA N Y L I O NS B rendan Mahon called his shot. The fifth-year senior offensive lineman sat at a podium for Fiesta Bowl media day earlier in the week and said, without hes- itation, that the Nittany Lions would win against the Washington Huskies. On Dec. 30, Mahon and the rest of Penn State's offensive line backed it up, gener- ating 203 yards on the ground against the nation's previously No. 1-ranked rushing defense while limiting the impact of de- fensive tackle and NFL early entrant Vita Vea. "I told you guys it was going to happen, and we did it. We definitely ran the ball on the No. 1 run defense in the country. And we definitely moved the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year around," said Mahon at his locker. "We knew that this game was going to start with us, and we took that responsibility over the past couple of weeks and really honed in on the things that we needed to work on, and it showed today." The Nittany Lions took the challenge to heart right out of the gates. Producing a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, Penn State's push up front helped estab- lish quarterback Trace McSorley on the ground with his four carries for 26 yards in addition to another five carries for 23 yards from star running back Saquon Barkley. Midway through the second quarter, Barkley reeled off the game's most daz- zling play, ripping through a massive crease created by Connor McGovern and Will Fries and dashing 92 yards down the field and into the end zone. "I don't know if you guys happened to see, when he popped that, I think prob- ably the next five most happy guys were those offensive linemen," position coach Matt Limegrover said. "They were look- ing for each other, jumping around. I ac- tually saw Steve Gonzalez get a little vertical jump there into McGovern's arms. So that was fun to see. That's when as a coach you get a smile on your face and go, 'Yeah, we scored a touch- down,' but the guys that worked so hard, they're getting some benefit from it and they're having fun playing the game of football." The score gave the Nittany Lions a 21- point lead and helped boost their first- half rushing total to 197 yards on just 18 carries. Slouched in a chair trading text mes- sages on his phone after the game, Limegrover beamed when asked about his group's ability to physically impose its will on the Huskies' hyped defensive front. "Believe it or not, the scheme that they played lent that quite a bit. When they took big No. 50 [Vea] and put him on the nose, that gave us a lot of opportunities to double him, and our guys were really ex- cited about that challenge I had given them," Limegrover said. "I said, 'Hey, we play our best in big games.' So with a group like this, I said, 'Let's make sure we're sound with what we do and let's get after their tail ends.' The guys really took to that, and I appreciate that from them." So, too, did Penn State head coach James Franklin. In the days leading up to the game, Franklin had been quick to note that his offense would be facing one of the better run defenses in the country. His words, along with the commentary by fans and analysts that had gotten back to them via social media, helped spur on the line- men's effort. "It felt great. We've been hearing from the media all week how Washington is the best rushing defense in the country," said a grinning Bates, reminded by a reporter that Franklin also spent the week praising the Huskies' defense. "We showed the world what we do best. We put points on the board, and as the offensive line, I think we had a big part in that. They weren't small up front. They were good. They were some of the best we played all year, and at the end of the day we did what we do." The effort was not completely free of drama, though. With the Lions clinging to a tenuous seven-point lead, a false start on fourth- and-1 derailed their chance to finish the game on offense. It was Mahon who was flagged, and he admitted after the game that he felt awful after being coaxed into a penalty by Washington's "move" call and shift up front. But the final result helped ease the frustrations of the senior, who was rounding out his Penn State career. "I was sitting there and obviously my heart sunk," he said. "But we won, so ob- viously that erases that. I couldn't be happier with my career here at Penn State. There've been ups and downs, and I'm happy to go out with the win. Com- mitting back in 2013, we didn't think this was ever going to happen." ■ Offensive line comes through for Lions in victory |

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