Where would the Penn State football program be if it didn't win five years ago today?
You all remember where you were and what you were thinking when the Nittany Lions were booed off the Beaver Stadium turf at halftime on Oct. 1, 2016. They were tailing Minnesota 13-3, and looked closer to a team that wouldn't make a bowl game than the one that they ended up being.
I'll never forget Trace McSorley's third down run to set up the game-tying field goal, and while it's oft-forgotten who did it, Evan Schwan had the second down sack in overtime that set up a 3rd and long that the Gophers couldn't convert. A play later they kicked, Saquon Bakley scored on PSU's first carry, and little did anyone know it, but that bunch wouldn't lose again.
And, we probably went too far without mentioning the Irv Charles' 80-yard touchdown that gave the home team, and crowd, life in the third quarter.
The box score is also fascinating: Marcus Allen had 22 tackles, Manny Bowen was in on 12, and Jordan Smith had an interception.
While I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with all this rambling, it's certainly a game worth discussing and looking back on, as it feels safe to say that Penn State wouldn't be entering an October clash with Indiana as the No. 4 team in the country on Oct. 1, 2021 without that win, and a lot of guys who we don't often talk about made big plays to help it happen.
You all remember where you were and what you were thinking when the Nittany Lions were booed off the Beaver Stadium turf at halftime on Oct. 1, 2016. They were tailing Minnesota 13-3, and looked closer to a team that wouldn't make a bowl game than the one that they ended up being.
I'll never forget Trace McSorley's third down run to set up the game-tying field goal, and while it's oft-forgotten who did it, Evan Schwan had the second down sack in overtime that set up a 3rd and long that the Gophers couldn't convert. A play later they kicked, Saquon Bakley scored on PSU's first carry, and little did anyone know it, but that bunch wouldn't lose again.
And, we probably went too far without mentioning the Irv Charles' 80-yard touchdown that gave the home team, and crowd, life in the third quarter.
The box score is also fascinating: Marcus Allen had 22 tackles, Manny Bowen was in on 12, and Jordan Smith had an interception.
While I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with all this rambling, it's certainly a game worth discussing and looking back on, as it feels safe to say that Penn State wouldn't be entering an October clash with Indiana as the No. 4 team in the country on Oct. 1, 2021 without that win, and a lot of guys who we don't often talk about made big plays to help it happen.
