LOS ANGELES — For a while, it looked like it was going to be the same old story for Penn State.
A potentially great team that consistently has put up solid winning seasons, the red flag hanging over the Nittany Lions was they can’t win the big games. When the spotlight shined brightest, Penn State consistently failed to reach its potential and had to settle in the second-echelon of college football.
Making its first trip out West for a Big Ten game against Southern California, it seemed like the narrative would stick after a double-digit deficit by halftime.
Instead of faltering, Penn State showed grit, punched right back and will leave the Golden State with a 33-30 overtime win and show it has the makings of being the program’s first College Football Playoff team.
“We found a way to get a tough win on the road,” Nittany Lions coach James Franklin said. “There’s still a ton of stuff that we can get better, but we’re 1-0 and that equals 6-0, and I’m gonna take it and run to the airport.”
Penn State kicker Ryan Barker (94) is congratulated after hitting the game-winning field goal in overtime to defeat Southern California at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The rough start Saturday probably triggered several painful flashbacks for Nittany Lions fans, who know all too well that those few losses have resulted in dramatic shifts toward the season trajectory.
Entering the contest, Penn State had given up an average of 76.2 yards per game on the ground. USC nearly matched it on one play when running back Quinten Joyner faked a reverse and outsprinted the defense to the end zone for a 75-yard score to give the Trojans an early lead. The rest of the first half was all USC, with big plays gashing the Nittany Lions defense while keeping the road team out of the end zone for a 20-6 lead after…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/opinion-penn-state-reverses-script-011631537.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-10-13 01:16:31
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