Penn State vs. Georgia Position Grades

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Jan 2, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Field. Georgia defeated Penn State 24-17 to win the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /

Quarterbacks:

Christian Hackenberg was hurt in the second quarter and never returned. Before leaving the game, he completed 8 passes on 14 attempts for 139 yards. He also threw one interception that wasn’t his fault as it bounced off Saquon Barkley’s hands into the air before being snagged by Georgia’s Dominick Sanders. Hack declared for the NFL after the game, so to see his Penn State career end like that is disappointing.

However, the story of the game was backup Trace McSorley. He didn’t start off great, which was to be expected for a backup. However he played really well in the fourth quarter, tossing two touchdown passes to pull the Lions within a score. He also kept plays alive with his feet and was not sacked once.

McSorely finished the day 14 for 27 with 142 yards and the two scores. He also picked up 31 yards on the ground. Just to avoid sacks and gain positive yards was a refreshing change for this offense and something that is definitely needed with the offensive line problems.

He doesn’t have the strongest arm, but McSorley now has a leg up on the quarterback competition in the spring. Despite coming out on the losing side, he showed a lot of heart.

Grade: B-

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