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field goal in overtime for the winning points, and redshirt sophomore Zach Zwinak had a career-high 179 rush- ing yards, finishing an improbable season with 1,000 yards on the nose. But it was McGloin who triggered the offense with 200 yards passing, and it was linebacker Gerald Hodges and defensive tackle Jordan Hill who anchored the defense, helping prevent Wisconsin's great running back Mon- tee Ball from running wild. Ball fin- ished with 111 yards and one score on 27 carries – a solid outing, but not a dominant one. "I feel great for these kids," coach Bill O'Brien said, "especially these seniors. They put in a lot of work. You go all the way back to when I first came here after the Super Bowl and started the 5:30 a.m. workouts, then all of the things that came up during the off- season off the field. You just can't say enough about these kids. … This is a very special football team because of the players and especially the seniors." The Lions ended their season at 8-4 and 6-2 in the Big Ten – not the win- ningest season in school history by a long shot, but highly impressive con- sidering they lost their first two games and were facing headwinds of the sort no team in college football history had ever faced before. "We kind of turned it around," O'Brien said. "These kids held tough. It's about these kids, this senior class and this team." The game was preceded by a Senior Day salute designed to tug on the heartstrings of the Lion faithful. It suc- ceeded. While the cold, blustery weather kept some fans in the parking lots – and some others in their living rooms – the thousands who braved the chilly temperatures stood and cheered as each senior was introduced. The fans got especially loud when injured linebacker Michael Mauti trotted onto the field, and they cheered again as the year 2012 was added to the façade of the luxury suites along with all the program's championship seasons, a reflection not so much of the Lions' record as the circumstances they over- came. Said McGloin, "It's exciting to go down as one of the great teams in Penn State history." Mauti was ever-present, even though he wasn't in uniform. All play- SCORING SUMMARY 1ST 13:11 WIS 8:17 6:27 3RD 10:55 2:58 4TH 13:32 0:18 OT 15:00 PSU WIS PSU PSU PSU WIS PSU Gordon, Melvin 57-yard pass from Phillips, Curt (French, Kyle kick) 4 plays, 74 yards, TOP 1:49........................................................................7-0 Zwinak, Zach 3-yard run (Ficken, Sam kick) 15 plays, 78 yards, TOP 4:50......................................................................7-7 Ball, Montee 17-yard run (French, Kyle kick) 4 plays, 53 yards, TOP 1:41......................................................................14-7 Ficken, Sam 23-yard field goal 11 plays, 77 yards, TOP 4:00..................................................................14-10 Ficken, Sam 32-yard field goal 11 plays, 72 yards, TOP 4:10..................................................................14-13 James, Jesse 41-yard pass from McGloin, Matt (Zwinak, Zach rush) 6 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:43....................................................................14-21 Duckworth, Jeff 4-yard pass from Phillips, Curt (French, Kyle kick) 14 plays, 66 yards, TOP 3:33..................................................................21-21 Ficken, Sam 37-yard field goal 9 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:18......................................................................21-24 ers wore his No. 42 on their helmets, and Hodges donned the jersey of his fellow senior linebacker. Then the game started, and the good feelings immediately started to ebb. Wisconsin, which is bound for the Big Ten Championship Game next week, looked to be the physically superior team, and not by a little. The Badgers became the first team to score a first-quarter touchdown against the Lions this season, as Melvin Gordon went 57 yards on a catch-and-run to give Wisconsin a 7- 0 lead. Then, after Penn State tied the score on a 3-yard run by Zwinak, Wis- consin needed only four plays to score its second touchdown – a 17-yard run by Ball that was the 79th of his ca- reer, an NCAA record. But while the game's beginning seemed to foretell a Badgers romp, the Lions' defense stiffened. After to- taling 127 yards on its first two drives, Wisconsin managed only 222 the rest of the game. "Our defense re- ally held tough," O'Brien said. "We weren't doing anything offensively after that first drive, and we were spo- radic all night. It's a testament to those kids on defense and the coach- ing staff over there. They did a nice job all night." The offense did just enough, produc- ing Ficken field goals of 23 and 32 yards and a 41-yard touchdown catch by Jesse James on fourth-and-6 early N O V E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 2 2 in the fourth quarter. Only a 4-yard touchdown catch by Wisconsin's Jeff Duckworth with 18 seconds left pre- vented Penn State from winning in regulation. So now the Lions head into an off- season that could be even more treacherous than the regular season that just ended. The NCAA-mandated scholarship reductions take effect in 2013, and players on the current ros- ter are still allowed to transfer without penalty. The off-season officially got under way the moment French's kick missed the mark. And even though the focus Saturday was on the seniors, Penn State's victory seemed to say as much about the program's future as it did the past. Recruits crowded around the sidelines and leaned against the railing above the media room as O'Brien answered questions. They soaked up the atmosphere as fans went bonkers following the game. Amid the jubilation, it was easy to for- get about NCAA sanctions and vari- ous legal goings-on. McGloin was asked following the game what he would say to a prospect who might be considering Penn State. He didn't hesitate. "Just take a look at this game tonight," he said. "It was emotional, it was exciting. The fans were here, and they were loud. There's no better place to play." B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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