Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback #7: An Ugly Win is Still a Win

October 21, 2018 / 20 Comments
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#18 Penn State Nittany Lions 33 – Indiana Hoosiers 28

Welcome to the seventh episode of Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback! And here’s my husband, the Sunday Morning Quarterback, with the highlights from yesterday’s Penn State game against Indiana.

Boots: Tibbie Heeled Boot from JustFab.
Shorts: Torrid Skinny Frayed Short Shorts.

An Ugly Win is Still a Win

Following consecutive losses to Ohio State and Michigan State, a game against Indiana may have been what the doctor ordered to right the Nittany Lions season.  Sporting a 20-1 career record against the Hoosiers, they seemed like the perfect opponent to get the team ready for a brutal three week stretch coming up against Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin, all of whom are ranked in the Top 25.   Unfortunately, Indiana would not go quietly into the night this Saturday, accumulating over 550 yards of total offense and having a chance to win the game on the last play.  The defense would make the stop though and preserve the ugly 33-28 victory.

Top: Charlotte Russe.

Things looked great to start the game with KJ Hamler returning the opening kickoff 58 yards to the Indiana 36 yard line.  From there it would only take the Nittany Lion offense five plays to hit pay dirt with Miles Sanders taking it in from the 1 for the score.  Sanders would also have a 29 yard reception during the drive to set the Lions up at the 6 yard line.  Indiana would answer on the next drive though going 75 yards in 8 plays to tie the game at 7.  Whop Philyor had the big 26 yard run to set up Stevie Scott’s 5 yard touchdown run for the Hoosiers. The next five series for both teams would result in four punts, one muffed punt return by the Lions, and a turnover on down by Penn State on an attempted fake punt run by Blake Gillikin.  As great as the special teams looked to start the game for Penn State, the game would turn out to be a special teams nightmare and nearly cost them the game.

Following the stopped fake punt, it would only take the Hoosiers four plays to take the lead on a Ronnie Walker, Jr. 30 yard touchdown run, giving Indiana a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.  The next drive would see Penn State march to the Indiana 37 yard line before losing 10 yards on the next two plays.  McSorley would then be picked off by Bryant Fitzgerald at the Indiana 28 yard line.  The defense would hold the Hoosiers though to a three and out, setting up Penn State’s next scoring drive.  Starting at their own 17, McSorley would lead them on a 6 play 83 yard drive for the score.  McSorley would account for the biggest play, a 44 yard scramble to the Indiana 23 yard line.  The next two plays would see Tommy Stevens enter the game as the “Lion” package and have him connect with Pat Freiermuth for a 23 yard touchdown pass and a tie game at 14.  It was great to see Tommy Stevens used in the offensive scheme this week.  I feel his diminished role in the offense has had a negative effect on the team.

Indiana would punt on their next possession, giving Penn State the ball at their own 35 yard line.  Juwan Johnson would have the big play on this drive, a 59 yard reception, setting the Lions up at the 13.  Jake Pinegar would give Penn State the lead at 17-14 on his 27 yard field goal.  The Hoosiers were not done though driving to the Penn State 10 yard line and on 4th and 1 opted to go for it instead of the field goal but would come up short as the pass fell incomplete.  Penn State would go into the half leading 17-14.

Indiana would receive the 2nd half kickoff and drive to the Lions 23 before a fumble and recovery by Garrett Taylor of Penn State would end the drive.  Penn State would then go 63 yards in 13 plays before Pinegar would hit his second field goal of the game, a 32 yarder, resulting in a 20-14 lead.  Aided by two 15 yard penalties, Indiana would answer on a Stevie Scott 3 yard run and take its second lead of the game at 21-20.  The Nittany Lions would only need two plays to answer.  Johnathan Thomas would receive the kickoff at the 1 and return it 94 yards to the Hoosiers 5 yard line.

On the next play, McSorley would keep it himself and put the Lions up 26-21 after Pinegar’s extra point was blocked.  Following an Indiana punt, Penn State would not be able to move the ball and punted back but Indiana’s returner would fumble and Penn State would recover at the Indiana 32 yard line.  McSorley would take it in himself from 4 yards out and give the Lions a 33-21 lead with 10:25 left to go in the game.  Although Penn State would get the ball twice more, they would be unable to move the ball setting up the Hoosiers 15 play 85 yard drive that culminated in a 21 yard touchdown pass to J-Shun Harris II and a 33-28 Lions lead with :49 seconds to go.  This set up the most exciting play in football, the onside kick.  Penn State would recover the kick but James Franklin had called timeout just prior to the kick setting up another Hoosier opportunity.  This time the Hoosiers would recover and try to secure the upset.  A holding penalty and a sack by Shaka Toney would be too much for the Hoosiers to overcome as Nick Westbrook was tackled near midfield to finally put this one away.

It may not have been picture perfect, but a win is a win and counts as a win no matter how ugly it may have been.  While not the prettiest of game day performances, still…

We Are…

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

My husband, Jeff, is a lifelong Penn State fan and chronic armchair quarterback. By default the rest of our family is Penn State fans as well. We have many choices in life, this is not one of them. We are…

 

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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